What is the Islamic view on taxation?
Is raising taxes by the leaders of an Islamic state allowed? If a person will not voluntarily pay these taxes: may force be used to collect them (like in almost any state today)?
In my opinion "taxes" is just a nicer word for "theft" by the leaders and we all know that theft is considered a very bad thing in Islam, while, as far as I know, personal property and the possibility to have the fruits of one's labor are held high.
I know that there is at least one type of tax which is allowed: the Jizyah non-Muslims have to pay.
What about the Zakat? Is it collected by the state (possibly using force), or is it the Muslims own responsibility to pay it?
Edit: Maybe I should try to clarify my question a little bit: In my opinion taxation is an infringement of personal property, which is protected by Islam. Is their any Islamic evidence, that taxation, as it is common in almost all modern countries, is nonetheless allowed?
