they should be made slaves, so that they may have time to consider the acceptance of Islam. In practice indeed Islam has had to modify that attitude, and tolerate others besides People of the Book. But that has been and is its spirit towards idolatry.

The People of the Book, however, were not to be forced to change their religion. Theoretically they were to be fought and reduced to subjection. The Qur'an lays down the precept: "Fight against those who do not believe in God, nor in the Last Day, do not forbid what God and his Apostle forbid, nor practise the true religion, from among those who have been given the Book, until they pay the Jizya out of hand, being submissive" (ix. v. 29) — a verse which is capable of various interpretations. But it was interpreted to mean that Jews and Christians generally were to be reduced to subjection. But if they agreed to pay the tribute (Jizya) they were to be tolerated in their religion. The Prophet himself had set the example in his dealings with the Christians of Najran in South Arabia. 1 An embassy from that town visited him in Medina. They refused to accept Islam, but after some negotiation they agreed to pay tribute (2000 garments, each of the value of an ounce of gold, in the year), and in return received from him a written guarantee: "The people of Najran and their dependents enjoy the protection of God and Muhammad, for their life, their religion, their land, and property, for their churches and the practice of their religion — no bishop or monk or waqif will be

forced to give up his position — and for all that is in their hand, little or much, provided it be not the product of usury or blood-money from heathen times." There are other examples of similar conditions laid down by the Prophet for Christians in Arabia.

At the conquest the Christians were dealt with on similar lines. If they agreed to live peaceably under Moslem rule they paid the Jizya and the Kharaj for the conquered land which remained in their hand. Probably to begin with the Jizya and Kharaj were not clearly distinguished. A town or district simply paid a lump sum as tribute, the whole being designated Jizya (so Wellhausen conjectures in explanation of troubles which afterwards arose). But according to Moslem Law, as it afterwards took shape, the Jizya was a poll-tax levied at so much per head upon the adult male population (women and children and imbeciles not being reckoned), while the Kharaj was levied on the produce of the land. In return for these payments the non-Moslem population were entitled to protection so far as the Moslem armies could afford it, not being required to serve in military expeditions; and they were not interfered with in the practice of their religion. The law as later developed imposed certain restrictions, some of which are found already in early capitulations, as, e.g. that new churches should not be built, that the use of bells should be discontinued, and that religious practices should not be publicly obtruded; that the Dhimmis (as the non-Moslems were called) should be distinguished in dress and in the cut of