 Local populations of Jews and indigenous Christians, who lived as religious minorities and were taxed (while Muslims paid "Zakat") to finance the Byzantine–Sassanid Wars, often aided Muslims to take over their lands from the Byzantines and Persians, resulting in exceptionally speedy conquests.As new areas were conquered, they also benefited from free trade with other areas of the growing Islamic state, where, to encourage commerce, taxes were applied to wealth rather than trade.The Muslims paid Zakat on their wealth for the benefit of the poor.