Encyclopedia of Jewish History and Culture Online

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Dhimmah
(2,521 words)

The term dhimmah (Arab.; “protection”) was used to denote the theological, legal, and social status granted by Islamic sovereigns to members of other revealed religions, like Jews and Christians, under their rule to guarantee them protection and autonomy. The concept of dhimmah can be traced to Islamic theology (Kalām), which locates Islam within a continuum of prophetic revelation with the older monotheistic religions, thus allowing a place, albeit…

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Frenkel, Miriam, “Dhimmah”, in: Encyclopedia of Jewish History and Culture Online, Original German Language Edition: Enzyklopädie Jüdischer Geschichte und Kultur. Im Auftrag der Sächsischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig herausgegeben von Dan Diner. © J.B. Metzler, Stuttgart/Springer-Verlag GmbH Deutschland 2011–2017. Consulted online on 04 October 2023 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2468-8894_ejhc_COM_0174>
First published online: 2017
First print edition: 20180401



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