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Monk (rahib): his killing in jihad and the jizya on monks

الراهب

A monk, rahib, is one who fears God; in the usual sense it is a Christian who withdraws for worship, and the plural is ruhban. 1 He is distinguished from the qissis, the Christian scholar, and from the ahbar, the Jewish scholars. 1 2 If monks take part in fighting Muslims, mix with the people, or help the fighters with counsel, they may be killed when taken, by agreement. 1 If they stay apart in their monasteries without taking part, the majority (Hanafis, Malikis and Hanbalis, and one view of the Shafi'is) say they are not killed; the more apparent Shafi'i view allows killing them. 1 2 Whether monks owe the jizya is disputed, and the detail is given under jizya. 2

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Prophetic Era
Region
Global / Diaspora
Review
Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it

Law and courtsNon-Muslim minorities under Muslim rule

Summary

A rahib is, in the lexical sense, one who fears God; in general use it is a Christian who withdraws from the world for worship, and the plural is ruhban. 1

Distinctions

The qissis is the Christian scholar and the ahbar are the Jewish scholars; the rahib is the withdrawn devotee. 1 2

Killing in jihad

If monks take part in fighting, mix with the people, or help the fighters with their counsel, they may be killed when taken, by agreement. 1 If they keep apart in their monasteries without taking part, the majority (Hanafis, Malikis and Hanbalis, and one view of the Shafi'is) say they are not killed; the more apparent Shafi'i view allows it. 1 2

Jizya

Whether monks owe the jizya is disputed; the detail is under jizya. 2

People and things also explored

The Prophet's written charge to Amr ibn Hazm on sending him to Yemen· Ahl al-Dhimma (the protected non-Muslim subjects of an Islamic state, their covenant, rights, duties and limits)· Ahliyya (legal capacity: to have rights and duties, and to act; its stages from the womb to full maturity, and what impairs it)· Democracy and the Sharia — compatibility and conflict· Fatwa on the satellite channels — its benefit and harm· Secularism and Islam — conflict or concord· Stoning (rajm) as a penalty for zina· Allusion to a proposal during the waiting period

Sources

  1. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8572
  2. al-Mawsu'a al-Fiqhiyya al-Kuwaitiyya, Noor-Book copy (file named v3) , p.8573
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Monk (rahib): his killing in jihad and the jizya on monks”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/concept/rahib-fiqh/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-23.

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The Prophet's written charge to Amr ibn Hazm on sending him to Yemen

A written charge the Prophet gave Amr ibn Hazm when sending him to Banu al-Harith ibn Ka'b: fear God, take what is right, give good tidings, teach the Qur'an which none may touch but the pure, be gentle in right and severe against wrong, teach the rites of the greater hajj and the lesser (the umra), forbid praying in one small garment, sitting wrapped with the private parts exposed, braiding the hair at the nape, and tribal rallying-cries in strife; order full ablution, the five prayers at their times, Friday and its bath, the fifth of booty and the sadaqa rates on crops, camels, cattle and sheep, with the rule for Jews and Christians who convert and for those who keep their faith and owe a full dinar per adult or its value in cloth.