Status of Non-Muslims in Early Islamic State: Rights and Tolerance

After the founding of the first Islamic State in Medina, Prophet gave status of the dhimmi firstly to the Jews and Christians then to the Zoroastrians. By the expansion of the boundaries of the Islamic State over time, members of the different religious groups such as Manicheists, Buddhists, Hindus and Sabians become the citizens of this Islamic State. This mass that were evaluated as the dhimmi gained their full religious freedom and exemption from the military service by paying Jizya to the state. As a matter of fact, their temples were protected, right of the religious education to their children was recognized and the state provided full guarantee of life and property safety to them. Living side by side with Muslims in the same city, dhimmis were not declared as other, on the contrary, they were considered as one of the major elements of the community by Muslims.