12 – They are prohibited from erecting new churches, chapels, or temples, and from rebuilding any that have collapsed or restoring parts that have fallen into disrepair.

13 – They are forbidden to display wine or pork openly, to ring their bells aloud, or to recite their Scriptures in public.

14 – They may not raise their residential buildings higher than those of the Muslims, whether the houses are adjacent or merely nearby.

15 – All of the above applies so long as they reside in Muslim lands.

If, however, they are living in their own territories, none of this is forbidden to them; they may keep their clothing, customs, places of worship, homes, and everything else unchanged.

Benefits

First: The unbelievers are treated in this way for two reasons:

1. So that Islam remains uppermost and nothing prevails over it, for it is the religion Allah willed to manifest over every other religion; by acting thus we carry out Allah’s legal will.
2. These restrictions unsettle the unbelievers and incline them to embrace Islam—especially when they witness the honor and elevated standing of the Muslim. Islam employs whatever means will best achieve its objectives; indeed, it is the finest of religions in realizing justice, equality, freedom from classism, and liberation from domination. In their entering Islam lies their success and well-being in this world and the Hereafter.

Second: We are now setting down the rulings concerning the people of dhimma, having mentioned some aspects of Islam’s treatment of them. These regulations were in force and actively implemented when the state was an Islamic state and the prevailing voice was the voice of truth. Today, however, the Muslims have been humbled and weakened under the domination of the enemies of Islam,