But he had more concern for land use than collection of the...

But he had more concern for land use than collection of the tributes to ensure that there was prosperity among the people. Therefore, he instructed Malik al-Ashtar, “More than collection of the tribute, concentrate on the promotion of the use of land for cultivation because tribute is generated when the land is in use!” One, who wants to take tribute without putting the land to use, becomes the cause of destruction of the state and the people.

Such regimes do not last for long.” Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) was not in favor of using coercion in the collection of the tribute and asked his representatives to have a soft attitude in the matter of collecting the land revenue. Therefore, when he retained a person from Banū-Thaqif to collect the tribute from a certain area, he told him: “Beware! For the sake of the dirhams of tribute, do not trouble Muslims, Jews and Christians.

Do not confiscate and sell farm animals to collect the tribute from the tillers. We have been commanded only to take from them what is in excess of their needs.”[1] Amir al-Mu’minin (a.s) had fixed a very nominal rate for the collection of the tribute from the farmers. Buladhari has written in Futūh al-Buldan that Mus`ab Ibn Yazid said that his father was appointed for the collection of the tribute for the lands irrigated with the waters of Euphrates.

He said that the rate of tribute for wheat, if the crop was good, was 1.5 dirham or three seers of the produce per jurayb (land measuring approximately 120 square feet), if the crop was average the tribute was one dirham and for a poor crop two thirds of a dirham. For the barley crop, the tariff was half of this. For gardens, like dates and other fruits, the tribute was ten dirhams per jurayb . The grape vines that reached the fourth year after planting, the tribute were ten dirhams per jurayb .

For vegetable, linseed, cotton and miscellaneous crops no tribute was collected. [1] Bihār al-Anwār, Vol 9, Page 538 Previous…