Question

Who would Muslims offer protection to and what would they pay for that protection?

1) Christians and Jews, and they would pay poll tax
2) Muslims and non-Muslims, and they would pay a fee
3) Only Muslims, and they would pay a protection fee
4) Only Christians and Jews, and they would pay a tax

Answer 1

Muslim rulers provided protection to Christians and Jews, who in turn were required to pay a poll tax known as jizya.

Step-by-step explanation:

During the early Islamic empires, non-Muslim monotheists—specifically Christians and Jews—were granted protection by Muslim rulers as long as they acknowledged the sovereignty of these rulers. This arrangement was formalized through the dhimmi system, which categorized Christians and Jews as dhimmis, or protected peoples, also referred to as ahl al-kitab or People of the Book. In return for their safety and the right to practice their religion, dhimmis were expected to pay a special tax known as jizya, a form of poll tax. Thus, the correct answer to the question is that Muslims would offer protection to Christians and Jews, and in exchange, these groups would pay the poll tax for that protection.