Is 9:29 ayah of Quran encourage Muslims to kill disbelievers?

Question (asked by Christian):


If Quran says in 2:256, "There is no compulsion in religion". Then why it is said in Surah Taubah 9:29 said, “Fight those who do not believe in God, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what God and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection.”

Answer: (By Hafiz Muhammad Shariq)

9:29 of Quran doesn't encourage Muslims to kill them who don’t believe in Islam, because if we read this ayah carefully it says:

“Fight those who believe not in God nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by God and His Apostle, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth”..

But is it ended here? No, it continues and gives the actual reason for the fighting, it is:

“until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued”

The reason is ONLY and ONLY if they refuse to pay the jizya – Willingly. there is no single verse in Quran which says to kill the disbelievers just because they are disbelievers. Muslims are not permitted to attack non-Muslims who signed peace pacts with them, even Quran enjoins Muslims to be respectful and justice with them.

Allah forbids you only about those who fought you on account of faith, and expelled you from your homes, and helped (others) in expelling you, that you have friendship with them. Those who develop friendship with them are the wrongdoers. (Surah 60: Ayah 8)

Once they pay the jizya tax they can continue to believe in their atheistic pagan beliefs and they are allowed to do their religious practices. they can live under the protection of the Islamic State. And we all know that jizya is applicable only in an Islamic state. Neither India, nor U.S and Britain are Islamic states.

Now people might say isn’t it unfair that they have to pay the jizya tax? Not really, the jizya tax is very cheap and affordable, it can be just about 0.4%, but it grants the non-Muslims many benefits, which even the Muslims don’t get! For instance, the non-Muslims who are paying jizya in an Islamic state are not obliged to take part in any battle or war, And you should know that According to Islamic law as quoted by Malik's Muwatta Book 17, Number 17.24.46:

"The sunna is that there is no jizya due from women or children of people of the Book, and that jizya is only taken from men who have reached puberty.”

So It is a perfectly fair that verse 9:29 doesn't encourage the Muslims to do terrorism.