The Views of Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah on the Religious Rights of Non-Muslims in Ahkam Ahl al-Dhimmah

Abstract

The right to one’s religion is an important issue in Islamic politics. It has been acknowledged over the ages that Islam recognizes the liberty of choice of religion of non-Muslims residing in an Islamic state. This, however, does not construe to absolute freedom in the way that non-Muslims understand it since Islam has outlined specific rules and procedures by which they are bound as prevention to excesses of such freedom. The focus of this research is on the views of Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah on the religious rights of non-Muslims which he addressed in his writings compiled in Ahkam Ahl al-Dhimmah. This research can be classified as library research. It has been specifically designed using two main methods namely the data collection method and data analysis methods which include the historical method, content analysis method and biography analysis. A result of this research found that the views of Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah are not so different from other scholars’ views. In fact, the similarities occur more often than the differences. This circumstance happened because the methodologies used by Ibn al-Qayyim al-Jawziyyah are also used by other scholars. However, there are also some differences in the issue especially to indicate the application of maslahah towards the contemporary issues. Generally, it can be concluded that the religious rights of non-Muslims are guaranteed because the scholars’ views are based on guided methods and not merely on their unguided opinions.