قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) مَا حَدُّ الْجِزْيَةِ عَلَى أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَ هَلْ عَلَيْهِمْ فِي ذَلِكَ شَيْءٌ مُوَظَّفٌ لَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَجُوزُوا إِلَى غَيْرِهِ فَقَالَ ذَاكَ إِلَى الْإِمَامِ أَنْ يَأْخُذَ مِنْ كُلِّ إِنْسَانٍ مِنْهُمْ مَا شَاءَ عَلَى قَدْرِ مَالِهِ بِمَا يُطِيقُ إِنَّمَا هُمْ قَوْمٌ فَدَوْا أَنْفُسَهُمْ مِنْ أَنْ يُسْتَعْبَدُوا أَوْ يُقْتَلُوا فَالْجِزْيَةُ تُؤْخَذُ مِنْهُمْ عَلَى قَدْرِ مَا يُطِيقُونَ لَهُ أَنْ يَأْخُذَهُمْ بِهِ حَتَّى يُسْلِمُوا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى قَالَ حَتَّى يُعْطُوا الْجِزْيَةَ عَنْ يَدٍ وَ هُمْ صاغِرُونَ وَ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ صَاغِراً وَ هُوَ لَا يَكْتَرِثُ لِمَا يُؤْخَذُ مِنْهُ حَتَّى يَجِدَ ذُلًّا لِمَا أُخِذَ مِنْهُ فَيَأْلَمَ لِذَلِكَ فَيُسْلِمَ قَالَ وَ قَالَ ابْنُ مُسْلِمٍ قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ( عليه السلام ) أَ رَأَيْتَ مَا يَأْخُذُ هَؤُلَاءِ مِنْ هَذَا الْخُمُسِ مِنْ أَرْضِ الْجِزْيَةِ وَ يَأْخُذُ مِنَ الدَّهَاقِينِ جِزْيَةَ رُءُوسِهِمْ أَ مَا عَلَيْهِمْ فِي ذَلِكَ شَيْءٌ مُوَظَّفٌ فَقَالَ كَانَ عَلَيْهِمْ مَا أَجَازُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَ لَيْسَ لِلْإِمَامِ أَكْثَرُ مِنَ الْجِزْيَةِ إِنْ شَاءَ الْإِمَامُ وَضَعَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى رُءُوسِهِمْ وَ لَيْسَ عَلَى أَمْوَالِهِمْ شَيْءٌ وَ إِنْ شَاءَ فَعَلَى أَمْوَالِهِمْ وَ لَيْسَ عَلَى رُءُوسِهِمْ شَيْءٌ فَقُلْتُ فَهَذَا الْخُمُسُ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا هَذَا شَيْءٌ كَانَ صَالَحَهُمْ عَلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ( صلى الله عليه وآله ) .
Translation
Ali Bin Ibrahim, from his father, from Hammad Bin Isa, from Hareyz, from Zurara who said, ‘I said to Abu Abdullah<sup>asws</sup>, ‘What is the limit of the tax upon the People of the Book, and is there anything upon them regarding that which is fixed, not befitting for it to be exceeded to something else?’ So he<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘That (determination) is up to the Imam<sup>asws</sup> if he were to take from every person from them whatever he<sup>asws</sup> so desires to in accordance with his wealth with what he can endure, until he becomes a Muslim. But rather they are a people who expiate themselves from being enslaves or fighting (in a war), therefore the tax would be taken from them upon a measurement of what they would be enduring to it, and they would be seized with it until they do become Muslims, for Allah<sup>azwj</sup> Blessed and High Said <span class="ibTxt"><a href="/#/books/quran:9#h29"><a href="/books/quran:9#h29">[9:29]</a></a> until they pay the tax and they are belittled</span>. And how would he happen to be belittled if he does not care to what is taken from him (due to its low rate) until he finds humiliation to what is taken from him, so he would be hurt by that, so he would become a Muslim’. He (the narrator) said, ‘And Ibn Muslim said, ‘I said to Abu Abdullah<sup>asws</sup>, ‘What is your view of what they (government) are taking from this fifth from a land as the taxation, and it is taken from farmer a taxation per head, is there anything fixed upon them with regards to that?’ So he<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘It was upon them what they had allowed upon their own selves, and it not for the Imam<sup>asws</sup>, more from the taxation. If the Imam<sup>asws</sup> so desires to, he<sup>asws</sup> can place that (tax) upon their heads (flat rate), and there would not be anything upon their wealth, and if he<sup>asws</sup> so desires to, so upon their wealth, and there would be nothing upon their heads (flat rate)’. So I said, ‘So this if the fifth (Khums)’. So he<sup>asws</sup> said: ‘But rather, this is something which Rasool-Allah<sup>saww</sup> reconciled upon them’.
Compiled by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ya'qub al-Kulayni
Source
License: Free for educational and research use (Thaqalayn Data API)
Provided for research and educational purposes. Original source: Thaqalayn Project. Open License.