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54
I.BeforetheConquest
conveythemeaningof“openingpeopletothenewrevelation”
.AsLewisemphasizes,
itsmeaningwasnotanalogoustoour“liberation”
.SometimesinearlyMuslimworks,
thereappearsatermghalaba,whichliterallymeans“todefeat”andwhichcanthusbe
understoodtocarryaconnotationconnectedwithviolence.However,itpertainsonly
toindividualarmedclashes.
40
TeFūtu
wasofcourseoneoftheaspectsoftheDjihddwhosecomplexcon-
notationswerechangingdependingonthepoliticalsituationandreligiousviewsof
thelawyerortheologianwhowasexpressinghisopiniononagivenmatter.
Intheperioddiscussedinthisbook,theMuslimlaw(shari(a)wasonlybegin-
ningtoshape.However,themergeofsocial,economicandpoliticalissuestypi-
fiedIslamfromtheveryoutset.Aferall,thelifeofMuhammadlefitsmarkon
variousaspectsofthehistoryofthePeninsula.Historicalcontroversysurround-
ingtheproblemofwhichofthesefactorswasmostimportantintheprocess
offormingtheCaliphatewillprobablyremainunresolved.Teissuesofeco-
nomichistorydidnotattracttheinterestofArabchroniclersandhistoriansof
theclassicalperiod,asdidtheeverydaylifeoftheloverclassesofthepopulation.
Intryingtoshedsomelightontheseissuesscholarshavetorelyondeduction
andconsequentlyalltheknowledgewehaveisnecessarilyhypothetical.Muslim
writerswhoseworksareapologeticaboutumma,theMuslimcommunity,stress
thereligiousaspectoftheexpansioninquestion.However,manyfactspointto
economiccausesoftheconquest
41.Itwasnotalwaysnecessaryfortheconquered
peopletoconverttoIslam.Whatismore,theacceptanceofIslambyChristians
orJewsresultedinadecreaseofthestate’sincome-thedjizya(ataxleviedon
non-Muslimsubjects)whichwashigherthantheMuslimzakat.TePeople
oftheBookweresupposedtobetreatedwithtolerance,andinthecontextof
theMuslimlaw,thistolerancewasunambiguouslyconnectedwiththeirsubju-
gation.
40M.M.Dziekan,Dziejekulturyarabskiej…,pp.178-179.
41Dilerentaspectsofthisprocessarediscussedby:H.Kennedy,Wielkiearabskiepod-
boje.Jakekspansjaislamuzmieniłaświat,transl.M.Wilk,Warszawa2011,pp.39-64.