Dhimmi System

Timeline

1. c. 628–634Hudaybiyyah · HejazMuhammad's covenant with the Quraysh of Mecca and the subsequent treatment of Jewish communities provided early precedent and religious-legal basis for allowing 'People of the Book' to retain their faith after conquest in exchange for tribute and protection.
2. 634–644Syria and Iraq · West AsiaAfter conquering Syria and Iraq, Umar systematically collected the jizya and issued provisions on the rights and restrictions of Christians and Jews; the legal distinction between dhimmi status and Muslim subjects became institutionalized.
3. 650–700Provinces of the Umayyad Empire · North AfricaThe Umayyad period wrote dhimmi provisions into administrative practice and juridical discussion, with detailed rules on dress markers, building heights, and testimony capacity; the system spread with imperial expansion to newly conquered regions such as Egypt, Persia, and the Maghreb.