Slavery in US and Other Places: The Vital Difference

[abdulhakeem]

Reem Mohammed Al-Faisal
Friday, 7, November, 2003 (12, Ramadhan, 1424)

My previous article “America the Forgiven” resulted in a tirade from certain American sites which I will not go into here. But the reason for this article is that out of all the nonsense I read on these sites there were two recurring accusations which I think should be discussed by both Saudis and the international community.

One is the accusation that the Arabs were the ones who sold the Africans into slavery to the Europeans. The other is Saudi Arabia’s late abolition of slavery in comparison to America and nearly every other country in the world.

As for the first accusation, I do not deny that Arab slave traders sold Africans as well as Europeans, Caucasians, Indians, Malays and any other race they could lay their hands on. The Africans too traded in slaves, as did every other race since the beginning of history.

However, my point in reference to slave trading in America is that since its inception slavery has been a social phenomenon resulting from economic upheavals and wars. But it became a racial phenomenon creating a first among many firsts for that country, whereby if you were of Negroid extraction then you automatically became a slave. A Negro was born for only one reason — to serve, to be a beast of burden. He was to live and die a slave, marry only a slave and breed a race of slaves. It didn’t matter who you were or where you came from. If you were black then you were a slave in the eyes of the Americans.

Slaves in other civilizations could be white, black or Chinese. They could be scientists or government functionaries. In the Muslim countries slaves were poets and scholars producing great literary and scientific works. They were mystics and saints, sultans and pashas. Nearly all the Ottoman sultans were born of mothers who were slaves, and these women themselves wielded great powers in the state. The mothers of the Muslim sultans came from all races. The mother of the Ottoman Mahmoud the Reformer was French. The mothers of the Fatimid caliphs were black. Egypt was ruled by slaves for six centuries.

As for Saudi Arabia’s slaves, they shared the same food, clothes and homes as their owners and many of them became rulers of vast regions in the land and were active in the running of the state.

Now, we come to the second accusation, which is Saudi Arabia’s late abolition of slavery. Slavery in Saudi Arabia was abolished in 1962. I personally would love it if slavery had never existed, but it did and still does in many parts of the world both in its classic and its modern form, but that is a subject for another article.

If slavery in Saudi Arabia was abolished in 1962, that is because Saudi Arabia did not exist as a modern state before 1932, which means it took thirty years after its creation to end slavery, and that without a civil war. Even though at the time Saudi Arabia was suffering economically, it still went ahead with the eradication of slavery, which must have added to its economic troubles. After the end of slavery in Saudi Arabia its slave population became an integral part of Saudi society, benefiting as fully from all the rights of citizenship as other Saudis. They went to the same schools and universities. They lived and traded in the same neighborhoods without the discrimination the blacks had suffered in America.

The American experience was different. In order for the Americans to abolish slavery they had to go though a civil war which remains until this day the bloodiest war America has fought and the one in which it suffered the most casualties. Even after the success of the abolitionists in America, the suffering of the blacks didn’t end. They were discriminated against in every way, barred from living in the same neighborhood as the whites, prevented from attending the same schools and universities or sharing the same seat on a bus or a water fountain with white Americans, until they ended up imprisoned in ghettos in their own country. Up until the sixties the blacks in America were still living on the sufferance of the whites, and were it not for the inevitable explosion of the black population in America they might still have been suffering from this apartheid life. Even today the blacks are victims of a more subtle discrimination in America. When the blacks constitute only 20 percent of the American population yet make up 90 percent of the prison population there, doesn’t this beg the question: When will the blacks be truly free and equal in America?

— Reem Mohammed Al-Faisal is a Saudi photographer. She is based in Jeddah.

http://www.arabnews.com/?page=9&section=0&article=34752&d=7&m=11&y=2003

America the Forgiven (http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1&section=0&article=32938&d=3&m=10&y=2003)

[Mary Carol]

Originally posted by abdulhakeem

Slaves in other civilizations could be white, black or Chinese.

Boasting that your slavery was multi-cultured is not something to brag about, is it?

They could be scientists or government functionaries...

Could be? Exactly what percentage attained such high status?

A slave-based economy can't survive long without it's workforce.

~The shame of slavery will be upon civilization for many more generations. Attempting to gloss over this atrocity will not wash the stain from anyone's hands.

[dour]

Go back to Roman times and you will see examples of slaves becoming writers, historians, and generally have the popularity of modern day rock stars, but go beneath that romanticism you will find that the majority of the slaves had harsh lives and were treated cruely. Same as in Arab/Muslim slavery, or any nation or people that supports slavery. You will always find examples of privlaged slaves, but the truth is the majority of slaves treated very badly. Many slaves were raped, poorly fed and clothed, separated of their families, women slaves you were forced into prostitution, girl and boy slaves traded as sex slaves, many were killed and many never saw their land or family again, forced labor, and treated like slaves.

Slavery is evil, no matter how you explain it. It belongs in the past in every religion.

[fides]

Buying and selling people is EVIL.

Any ideology that allows this is EVIL.

[dour]

This is another thought of mine... in history many Muslims in the past, less so but still many today still think that forcing slaves into having sex is not rape. Their argument goes, since they were possessed by the right hand, (something like that), it is ok to force slaves to have sex. Or at least that is the argument I have read on several message boards including this one. Not as many supporting this practice as other sites like ClearGuidence.

Now, forcing slaves into performing sex acts is rape no matter how you describe it, and that is not how anyone should be treated.

Slavery is utterly evil, it belongs in the past. Thankfully most Muslims and other relegious groups who have hisoricly practiced slavery (like Christianity) no longer view slavery as an acceptable practice.

[fides]

Originally posted by dour
This is another thought of mine... in history many Muslims in the past, less so but still many today still think that forcing slaves into having sex is not rape. Their argument goes, since they were possessed by the right hand, (something like that), it is ok to force slaves to have sex. Or at least that is the argument I have read on several message boards including this one. Not as many supporting this practice as other sites like ClearGuidence.

Now, forcing slaves into performing sex acts is rape no matter how you describe it, and that is not how anyone should be treated.

Slavery is utterly evil, it belongs in the past. Thankfully most Muslims and other relegious groups who have hisoricly practiced slavery (like Christianity) no longer view slavery as an acceptable practice.

You miss the point dour, muslims are not arguing this based on their personal opinion, they argue this based on the Quran and Sunnah.

They have no choice, slavery is legal and without sin in Islam. Sex with your property is legal and without sin in Islam.

It doesn't matter what any man or woman thinks, it only matters what the Quran and Sunnah say.


And it is interesting that the author of this piece, is a Saudi princess (Reem Mohammed Al-Faisal).

[dour]

It might not be a sin according to the book, but it does not mean that Muslims cannot say it is evil and support the laws outlawing it instead of defending slavery, and defending the rape of slaves. There is nothing in Islam that says, "Be better than what is expected" or "you must have slavery and defend it always" and there is no law saying "people must own slaves". Freeing of slaves is rewarded in Islam, and if slavery is illegal that is simply freeing every slave now and freeing everyone that would have been a slave in the future.

Much like Christianity- In the bible people had slaves, had sex and children with slaves, and there is no commandment of "Thou shall not own a slave", but most Christians say now that slavery is evil or it is something from our past that we no longer support. God also said treat others as you would like to be treated, and that is one argument many use against slavery.

Slavery belongs in our past, do not support it in any way. It is evil.

[outlandish]

Originally posted by dour
It might not be a sin according to the book, but it does not mean that Muslims cannot say it is evil and support the laws outlawing it instead of defending slavery, and defending the rape of slaves. There is nothing in Islam that says, "Be better than what is expected" or "you must have slavery and defend it always" and there is no law saying "people must own slaves". Freeing of slaves is rewarded in Islam, and if slavery is illegal that is simply freeing every slave now and freeing everyone that would have been a slave in the future.

Much like Christianity- In the bible people had slaves, had sex and children with slaves, and there is no commandment of "Thou shall not own a slave", but most Christians say now that slavery is evil or it is something from our past that we no longer support. God also said treat others as you would like to be treated, and that is one argument many use against slavery.

Slavery belongs in our past, do not support it in any way. It is evil.
Look yeah slavery was allowed in islam, but sunnah was to set slaves free which was a big deed and encouraged.
Further lots of scholars argue and agree slavery is not existent anymore, so this law wether its permissible or not cant be applied anymore, since these days u dont have slaves which ur right hand possesses or whatever. Its a thing of the past now.

[abdulhakeem]

What is a “right hand servant”? Does the owner of a “right hand servant” have to be married?

Question:

What is a right hand servant? Do you have to be married to have one? How can you finalize it and get one and state this person as your right hand servant?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

If Allaah enables the Muslim mujahideen to defeat kaafir enemies in war, then the men may be killed, ransomed, set free without ransom or enslaved. The choice between these four options is to be made by the ruler, according to what he thinks is the best course.

With regard to the women, they become slaves and “those whom one's right hand possesses” (described as a “right hand servant” in the question). Male children also become slaves. The ruler shares out these slaves among the mujaahideen.

Shaykh al-Shanqeeti (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The reason why a person may be taken as a slave is his being a kaafir and waging war against Allaah and His Messenger. If Allaah enables the Muslims who are striving and sacrificing their lives and their wealth and all that Allaah has given them to make the word of Allaah supreme over the kaafirs, then He allows them to enslave the kuffaar when they capture them, unless the ruler chooses to free them or to ransom them, if that serves the interests of the Muslims.

Adwa’ al-Bayaan, 3/387

Islam limited the sources of slaves which existed before the mission of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to just one source, namely slavery resulting from capturing prisoners from among the kuffaar.

Islam treated female slaves more kindly in their enslavement than other cultures did. Their honour was not considered to be permissible to anyone by way of prostitution, which was the fate of female prisoners of war in most cases. Rather Islam made them the property of their masters alone, and forbade anyone else to also have intercourse with them, even if that was his son. Islam made it their right to become free through a contract of manumission; it encouraged setting them free and promised reward for that. Islam made setting slaves free an obligation in the case of some kinds of expiation (kafaarah), such as the expiation for accidental killing, zihaar (a jaahili form of divorce in which a man said to his wife, “You are to me as my mother’s back”), and breaking oaths. They received the best treatment from their masters, as was enjoined by the pure sharee’ah.

Secondly:

A mujaahid does not have to be married in order to gain possession of a “slave whom one’s right hand possesses.” None of the scholars expressed such a view.

Thirdly:

If a mujaahid takes possession of a female slave or male slave, it is permissible for him to sell them. In either case – whether one acquires a slave through battle or through purchase – it is not permissible for a man to have intercourse with a female slave until she has had a period from which it may be ascertained that she is not pregnant. If she is pregnant then he must wait until she gives birth.

It was narrated that Ruwayfi’ ibn Thaabit al-Ansaari said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say on the day of Hunayn: “It is not permissible for any man who believes in Allaah and the Last Day to irrigate the crop of another else – meaning to have intercourse with a woman who is pregnant. And it is not permissible for a man who believes in Allaah and the Last Day to have intercourse with a captured woman until he has established that she is not pregnant. And it is not permissible for a man who believes in Allaah and the Last Day to sell any booty until it has been shared out.”

Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2158; classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 1890.

For many reasons, including the fact that the Muslims have long since given up jihad, slavery is now very rare. This means that the Muslims must be extra cautious by examining any case in which it is claimed that someone is a slave, whether male or female.

For more information see question no. 26067

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)

http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=12562&dgn=4

[abdulhakeem]

He hired a woman to serve him then he agreed with her that she would be his slave

Question:

Few years back, I needed a slave for comfort and support and to fulfill my jobs, I was able to pay the slave what they wanted and to comfort them too on their conditions. There was a Young Lady who agreed, on our conditions. My slave was only there when I needed her a bit like part employment she came over when I needed her and went away when not needed. We made a contract that she would serve me because she agreed and I agreed with my side.
Hence, this young lady still lives in her parents home and is not marries she agreed I be her master so it gives me the rights to touch her and look at her. We spent a lot of time together and I freed her from the contracts then got married together.
The point is that we get slaves from war time, but when will that come? Here she had agreed. And look after with the same standard of mine
Is there any haram element in this situation because the master only touched someone he owned, so this cannot be zinna.
-I would like to know the equities of slaves too
-How to you own a slave and what is the sharee condition?
-Can the master and slave have bodily contact and to what extent?
-Is there an age difference limit, i.e. they both can’t be same age?
-Can this kept secret or does everyone HAVE TO know?
-What is the minimum age the master and slave can be?
-IS SLAVES ARE ONLY AVAILABLE AT WAR-TIME, , IS THERE ANOTHER WAS OF OWNING A SLAVE?
Is it true our prophet (pbuh) owned many slaves, and called one ship?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Some of the questions are repeated and interconnected. We will answer them all – in sha Allaah – in the following points.

Firstly:

What you did with the servant woman is haraam and is not permissible. A servant woman is not a slave woman whom it is permissible to touch and have intercourse with. A servant woman is free and is not permissible for you except through marriage, which is what you did, but unfortunately you did it late.

The contract that existed between you and the servant woman was a contract of employment, which was to serve you in your house. It was not a contract that permitted you to have intercourse with her. You say that she agreed that you would be her master and she let you touch her and look at her, and that you freed her from the contract, but this has no basis of validity in sharee’ah in the sense that you refer to. A free woman cannot become a slave unless she is a kaafir woman from a state that is at war with the Muslims and the Muslims have captured her. This does not apply in the case which you are asking about.

Secondly:

Slaves (men and women) may be taken in the wars that take place between Muslims and kaafirs, not in wars that are fought amongst the Muslims at times of tribulation.

Islam limited the sources of slaves which existed before the mission of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) to just one source, namely slavery resulting from capturing prisoners from among the kuffaar, including women and children.

Shaykh al-Shanqeeti (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: The reason why a person may be taken as a slave is his being a kaafir and waging war against Allaah and His Messenger. If Allaah enables the Muslims who are striving and sacrificing their lives and their wealth and all that Allaah has given them to make the word of Allaah supreme over the kaafirs, then He allows them to enslave the kuffaar when they capture them, unless the ruler chooses to free them or to ransom them, if that serves the interests of the Muslims.

Adwa’ al-Bayaan, 3/387

Thirdly:

The mujaahideen take possession of slave women as they take possession of the spoils of war. It is permissible for the one who gains possession of male or female slaves to sell them. In both cases – owning a slave through battle or through purchase – it is not permissible for a man to have intercourse with a slave woman until after she has had one menstrual cycle from which it may be established that she is not pregnant. If she is pregnant, then he must wait until she has given birth.

It was narrated that Ruwayfi’ ibn Thaabit al-Ansaari said: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say on the day of Hunayn: “It is not permissible for any man who believes in Allaah and the Last Day to irrigate the crop of another else – meaning to have intercourse with a woman who is pregnant. And it is not permissible for a man who believes in Allaah and the Last Day to have intercourse with a captured woman until he has established that she is not pregnant. And it is not permissible for a man who believes in Allaah and the Last Day to sell any booty until it has been shared out.”

Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2158; classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in Saheeh Abi Dawood, 1890.

Fourthly:

It is permissible for there to be a physical relationship between a man and his female slave just as there is between a man and his wife, unless he marries her off to someone else, in which case it is not permissible for him to have intercourse with her because it is not permissible for a woman to be in an intimate relationship with two men at the same time.

Fifthly:

There are no limits with regard to the age difference between a man and his female slave, apart from the fact that it is not permissible for him to have intercourse with her until after she has become able for that.

Sixthly:

The relationship between a man and his female slave should be announced publicly and not kept secret. That is because there are rulings that stem from this announcement, such as if they have children, and so as to ward off any suspicions that people who see them together may have concerning him and her.

Seventhly:

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) owned some male and female slaves, among whom were the following:

Ibn al-Qayyim said:

Zayd ibn Haarithah ibn Shuraaheel, the beloved of the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him). He freed him and arranged his marriage to his freed slave woman Umm Ayman, and she bore him Usaamah. His other slaves include Aslam, Abu Raafi’, Thawbaan, Abu Kabshah Sulaym, Shaqraan (whose name was Saalih), Rabaah (who was Nubian), Yassaar (who was also Nubian and was killed by the ‘Arniyeen); Mid’am and Kirkirah (another Nubian) – these two were killed at Khaybar. They also included Anjashah al-Haadi and Safeenah ibn Farookh, whose real name was Mihraan, but the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) called him Safeenah (= “ship”) because they used to make him carry their luggage when they traveled, so he said, “You are a ship (anta safeenah).” Abu Haatim said that the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) freed him; someone else said that Umm Salamah freed him. The Prophet’s slaves also included Anasah, whose nickname was Abu Mashrah; Aflah; ‘Ubayd; Tahmaan – also known as Keesaan; Dhakwaan; Mihraan; Marwaan – although it was said that this was another name of Tahmaan, and Allaah knows best; Hunayn; Sandar; Fudaalah (who was Yemeni); Maaboor (who was a eunuch); Waaqid; Abu Waaqid; Qassaam; Abu ‘Usayb and Abu Muwayhabah.

His female slaves included: Salma (Umm Raafi’); Maymoonah bint Sa’d; Khadrah; Radwa; Razeenah; Umm Dameerah; Maymoonah bint Abi ‘Usayb; Maariyah and Rayhaanah.

Zaad al-Ma’aad, 1/114-116

Eighthly:

It is rare nowadays to find slaves in the shar’i sense in which it is permissible to be intimate with them etc. That is because most of the Muslims have long since given up the obligation of jihad for the sake of Allaah, in addition to their position of weakness and humiliation before their kaafir enemies, so that many of the majority-Muslim nations have signed the protocol that expressly forbids slavery and strives to put an end to it, which was agreed upon in the United Nations in 1953.

Based on that we must be very careful in examining any case where people are bought and sold as slaves, and we must also beware of the misinterpretation of the word amah (pl. imaa’) (= slave woman) which some new Muslims understand to mean that enslavement takes place simply by paying the woman some money and agreeing to have intercourse with her. This is like prostitution which is now widespread in some immoral places, night clubs and telephone sex services.

We ask Allaah to help us and you to be patient with regard to matters of our religion and to protect us from falling into evil.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)

http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=26067&dgn=4

[abdulhakeem]

The difference between slaves and prostitutes

Question:

I've heard that it is allowed for men to have intercourse with their slaves. Does that stand for women too, & if men can have intercourse with their slaves (the ones they have bought) then why is it so much ill thought of the prostitutes...they too are, kind of bought at others will, for shorter time period perhaps. Can you make all this clear & why is it so that Islam did not stop slavery....they are humans as well, & are against their will kept in captivity & against their will may be forced into intercourse?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Slavery in Islam was originally prescribed because of Kufr. If there is jihaad between the Muslims and the kuffaar, and a number of kuffaar are taken prisoner, the commander is given the choice of sharing them out, doing them a favour (by releasing them) or paying their ransom. If they are shared out as part of the booty, they become slaves, subject to the laws governing products which may be sold. But at the same time, Islam urges the freeing of slaves and makes doing so an act of expiation for numerous sins. In principle, slavery is not something that is desirable; what is encouraged in Islam is the freeing of slaves. If a woman is enslaved according to sharee’ah, it is permissible for her master to have intercourse with her. This is unlike prostitution or zinaa, which Islam has forbidden as a precaution against mixing lineages and other reasons for which it is forbidden. There is no comparison between the two, because if a slave woman becomes pregnant, the child belongs to the master and she becomes free when he dies, because she has become the mother of the master’s child (umm walad), and is subject to the same rulings as a wife. And Allaah knows best.

Written by al-Khudayr (www.islam-qa.com)

http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=5707&dgn=4

[abdulhakeem]

It is not permissible for a master to have intercourse with his married slave woman

Question:

Is a man permitted to have sexual intercourse with a slave woman who is married?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.
It is not permissible for a man to have intercourse with his slave woman who is married; whoever does that has committed a haraam (forbidden) action and is to be punished.

Ibn Qudaamah said in al-Mughni: if he marries off his slave woman, then it is forbidden for him to have intercourse with her… There is no doubt and no dispute concerning the prohibition on his having intercourse with her, for she is now permissible to her husband, and no woman can be permissible to two men. If he has intercourse with her then he is guilty of sin and must be punished. Ahmad said, he should be flogged but not stoned, i.e., his punishment (ta’zeer) should take the form of flogging.

Vol. 9, p. 497.

Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)

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[abdulhakeem]

Ruling on having intercourse with a slave woman when one has a wife

Question:

Could you please clarify for me something that has been troubling me for a while. This concerns the right of a man to have sexual relations with slave girls. Is this so? If it is then is the man allowed to have relations with her as well his wife/wives. Also, is it true that a man can have sexual relations with any number of slave girls and with their own wife/wives also? I have read that Hazrat Ali had 17 slave girls and Hazrat Umar also had many. Surely if a man were allowed this freedom then this could lead to neglecting the wife's needs. Could you also tell clarify wether the wife has got any say in this matter.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Islam allows a man to have intercourse with his slave woman, whether he has a wife or wives or he is not married.

A slave woman with whom a man has intercourse is known as a sariyyah (concubine) from the word sirr, which means marriage.

This is indicated by the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and this was done by the Prophets. Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) took Haajar as a concubine and she bore him Ismaa’eel (may peace be upon them all).

Our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) also did that, as did the Sahaabah, the righteous and the scholars. The scholars are unanimously agreed on that and it is not permissible for anyone to regard it as haraam or to forbid it. Whoever regards that as haraam is a sinner who is going against the consensus of the scholars.

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphan girls then marry (other) women of your choice, two or three, or four; but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one or (slaves) that your right hands possess. That is nearer to prevent you from doing injustice”

[al-Nisa’ 4:3]

What is meant by “or (slaves) that your right hands possess” is slave women whom you own.
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O Prophet (Muhammad)! Verily, We have made lawful to you your wives, to whom you have paid their Mahr (bridal‑money given by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage), and those (slaves) whom your right hand possesses — whom Allaah has given to you, and the daughters of your ‘Amm (paternal uncles) and the daughters of your ‘Ammaat (paternal aunts) and the daughters of your Khaal (maternal uncles) and the daughters of your Khaalaat (maternal aunts) who migrated (from Makkah) with you, and a believing woman if she offers herself to the Prophet, and the Prophet wishes to marry her a privilege for you only, not for the (rest of) the believers. Indeed We know what We have enjoined upon them about their wives and those (slaves) whom their right hands possess, in order that there should be no difficulty on you. And Allaah is Ever Oft‑Forgiving, Most Merciful”

[al-Ahzaab 33:50]

“And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts from illegal sexual acts).

Except from their wives or the (women slaves) whom their right hands possess for (then) they are not blameworthy.

But whosoever seeks beyond that, then it is those who are trespassers”
[al-Ma’aarij 70:29-31]

Al-Tabari said:

Allaah says, “And those who guard their chastity” i.e., protect their private parts from doing everything that Allaah has forbidden, but they are not to blame if they do not guard their chastity from their wives or from the female slaves whom their rights hands possess.

Tafseer al-Tabari, 29/84

Ibn Katheer said:

Taking a concubine as well as a wife is permissible according to the law of Ibraaheem (peace be upon him). Ibraaheem did that with Haajar, when he took her as a concubine when he was married to Saarah.

Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 1/383

And Ibn Katheer also said:

The phrase “and those (slaves) whom your right hand possesses — whom Allaah has given to you” [al-Ahzaab 33:50] means, it is permissible for you take concubines from among those whom you seized as war booty. He took possession of Safiyyah and Juwayriyah and he freed them and married them; he took possession of Rayhaanah bint Sham’oon al-Nadariyyah and Maariyah al-Qibtiyyah, the mother of his son Ibraaheem (peace be upon them both), and they were among his concubines, may Allaah be pleased with them both.

Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 3/500

The scholars are unanimously agreed that it is permissible.

Ibn Qudaamah said:

There is no dispute (among the scholars) that it is permissible to take concubines and to have intercourse with one's slave woman, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts from illegal sexual acts).

Except from their wives or the (women slaves) whom their right hands possess for (then) they are not blameworthy.”

[al-Ma’aarij 70:29-30]

Maariyah al-Qibtiyyah was the umm walad (a slave woman who bore her master a child) of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), and she was the mother of Ibraaheem, the son of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), of whom he said, “Her son set her free.” Haajar, the mother of Isma’eel (peace be upon him), was the concubine of Ibraaheem the close friend (khaleel) of the Most Merciful (peace be upon him). ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may Allaah be pleased with him) had a number of slave women who bore him children, to each of whom he left four hundred in his will. ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him) had slave women who bore him children, as did many of the Sahaabah. ‘Ali ibn al-Husayn, al-Qaasim ibn Muhammad and Saalim ibn ‘Abd-Allaah were all born from slave mothers

Al-Mughni, 10/441

Al-Shaafa’i (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts from illegal sexual acts).

Except from their wives or the (women slaves) whom their right hands possess for (then) they are not blameworthy.”

[al-Ma’aarij 70:29-30]

The Book of Allaah indicates that the sexual relationships that are permitted are only of two types, either marriage or those (women slaves) whom one’s right hand possesses.

Al-Umm, 5/43.

The wife has no right to object to her husband owning female slaves or to his having intercourse with them.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)

http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=10382&dgn=4

[abdulhakeem]

Intercourse with a slave woman is not regarded as zina (adultery)

Question:

Hadith 3.718 : I saw Abu Said and asked him about coitus interrupts. Abu Said said, "We went with Allah's Apostle, in the Ghazwa of Bani Al-Mustaliq and we captured some of the 'Arabs as captives, and the long separation from our wives was pressing us hard and we wanted to practice coitus interruptus. We asked Allah's Apostle (whether it was permissible). He said, "It is better for you not to do so. No soul, (that Allah has) destined to exist, up to the Day of Resurrection, but will definitely come into existence."
Does this mean that the Companions of the Prophet (SAW) didn't commit adultery when they practiced 'azl with the captive girls?.

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

This hadeeth was narrated by al-Bukhaari (2542) from Ibn Muhayreez who said: I saw Abu Sa’eed (may Allaah be pleased with him) and I asked him. He said: We went out with the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) on the campaign of Banu al-Mustaliq, and we captured some prisoners from among the Arabs. We desired women and the period of abstention was hard for us, and we wanted to engage in ‘azl (coitus interruptus). We asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and he said, “There is no point in doing that, for there is no soul which Allaah has decreed should exist until the Day of Resurrection but it will come into existence.”
According to another report, They captured some female prisoners and wanted to be intimate with them without them becoming pregnant. They asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about ‘azl and he said, “There is no point in doing that, for Allaah has decreed who should be created until the Day of Resurrection.”

This hadeeth was also narrated by Muslim (1438), whose version says: We captured some women of the Arabs and we had been abstinent for a long time; and we wanted to be able to sell them, but we wanted to engage in intimacy with coitus interruptus. We said, “Shall we do that when the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is among us without asking him about it?” So we asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and he said, “There is no point in doing that, for Allaah has not decreed that any soul should be created until the Day of Resurrection but it will come into existence.”

It may be understood from the hadeeth that those who wanted to engage in ‘azl did so for two reasons: they did not want the women to become pregnant, and they wanted to be able to sell them – if a slave woman got pregnant she could not be sold.

It may also be understood that ‘azl (coitus interruptus) does not change anything. If Allaah decrees that a child should be born, water (semen) will come out before the man realizes it.

Secondly:

Allaah has permitted intimacy with a slave woman if the man owns her. This is not regarded as adultery as suggested in the question. Allaah says, describing the believers (interpretation of the meaning):

“those who guard their chastity (i.e. private parts, from illegal sexual acts)

Except from their wives or (the slaves) that their right hands possess,__ for then, they are free from blame”

[al-Mu’minoon 23:5]

What is meant by “those whom their right hands possess” is slave women or concubines. See also question no. 10382, 12562.

Once this is understood, it should be noted that what is suggested in the question, that this was zina, never occurred to the Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them). What they were asking about was the ruling on practicing ‘azl with the slave women whom they had acquired in the course of jihad.

Moreover ‘azl may be done with a concubine or with a wife, if she agrees to that. See question no. 11885.

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)

http://63.175.194.25/index.php?ln=eng&ds=qa&lv=browse&QR=20802&dgn=4

[fides]

And Allaah knows best...

Straight from the horses mouth, thank you abdulhakeem.


You do know how Islam will eventually truly abolish slavery?

Since only non-muslims can become slaves, then once the whole world is converted to Islam, then and only then can muslims say that Islam has abolished slavery! Combine this with the punishment of death for apostacy, and there will never be another slave again!

Until then (a day which will never come), Islam is the only religion/political ideology that makes slavery legal, that treats others as property to be bought and sold, and that legalizes rape.

[dour]

So are there any other Muslims on this sight that promotes slavery and rape?


Does this mean that American troops can take their pick of Afghanistan and Iraq, take them as slaves, and rape them at will?

Oh joy, a religion that says its ok to rape people and have slaves. I can just see all the world's nations just flocking to this relegion.:rolleyes:


Is there any Muslims out there that disagrees with this point of view that rape and slavery is ok?

[Believer]

Dour posted:
Does this mean that American troops can take their pick of Afghanistan and Iraq, take them as slaves, and rape them at will?


THIS NEVER HAPPENS!
American troops are in these countries to abolish evil terrorist regimes and to estabish democrazy. They are doing you a big favor. You should show us respect.
We saved Iraq from further Muslim-slaying by Hussain.

[abdulhakeem]

strange how people jump into conclusions and turn words around (intentionally or just by ignorance - however, perhaps i did not provide the relevant answers before) - you might not like what you see if you carefully read the following statements, articles and fatwas:

Myth: In Islam denial of human rights is acceptable

Because Islam is against pure democracy
Islam tolerates slavery The misconception does not follow from the reasons given, and the reasons ignore a great deal of information.

As stated earlier, Islam is a complete way of life. Given this, it is not surprising that the Creator is concerned with the method which we choose to govern ourselves. The preeminent rule which the Islamic state must observe is stated in the Qur'an (translation follows):

[4:59] O you who believe! Obey Allah, and obey the Messenger, and those charged with authority among you. If you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allah and His Messenger, if you do believe in Allah and the Last Day; That is best, and most suitable for final determination.

From this verse, it is clear that the state's obligation of obedience to the Creator is as important as the obedience of the individual. Hence, the Islamic state must derive its law from the Qur'an and Sunnah. This principle excludes certain choices from the Islamic state's options for political and economic systems, such as a pure democracy, unrestricted capitalism, communism, socialism, etc. For example, a pure democracy places the people above the Qur'an and Sunnah, and this is disobedience to the Creator. However, the best alternative to a pure democracy is a democracy that implements and enforces the Shari'ah (Islamic Law).

The Creator also states in the Qur'an (translated):

[42:36-38] So whatever thing you are given, that is only a provision of this world's life, and what is with Allah is better and more lasting for those who believe and rely on their Lord, and those who shun the great sins and indecencies, and whenever they are angry they forgive, and those who respond to their Lord and keep up prayer, and their rule is to take counsel among themselves, and who spend out of what We have given them.

Allah orders us in this verse to conduct our matters by taking counsel among ourselves, or by consulting each other. This is the methodology of the Islamic state, to consult one another, but to always keep the Qur'an and Sunnah paramount. Any law which contradicts the Qur'an or Sunnah is unlawful. This broad principle of consultation is certainly wide enough to encompass a form of government where all are heard - in fact, encouraged to be heard. The early Islamic states were of this form. The petty governments of many `Muslim countries' today do not apply this principle and in fact commit many crimes against the people.

As for slavery, Islam is unique among the `religions' in its close attention to the peaceful removal of this practice. Before the advent of Islam, slavery was widespread all over the world. The Messenger of Islam taught us that freeing slaves was a great deed in the sight of Allah. From the Sunnah, specifically in the study of the Sunnah called Sahih Bukhari, we find:

[3:46:693] Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "Whoever frees a Muslim slave, Allah will save all the parts of his body from the (Hell) Fire as he has freed the body-parts of the slave." Said bin Marjana said that he narrated that Hadith to `Ali bin Al-Husain and he freed his slave for whom `Abdullah bin Ja'far had offered him ten thousand Dirhams or one-thousand Dinars.

Also from the Sunnah, specifically in the study of the Sunnah called Malik's Muwatta, we find:

[38:9:15] Narrated Aisha Ummul Mu'minin: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was asked what was the most excellent kind of slave to free. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, answered, "The most expensive and the most valuable to his master."

The Creator has also made it easy for slaves to gain their freedom. From the Sunnah, specifically in the study of the Sunnah called Sahih Bukhari, we find:

[3:46:704] Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "Whoever frees his portion of a common slave should free the slave completely by paying the rest of his price from his money if he has enough money; otherwise the price of the slave is to be estimated and the slave is to be helped to work without hardship till he pays the rest of his price."

The condition of slavery is very different in Islam than the harsh conditions imposed by non-Muslims or disobedient Muslims. From the Sunnah, specifically in the study of the Sunnah called Sunan Abu-Dawud, we find:

[41:4957] Narrated Abu Hurayrah: The Prophet (saw) said: None of you must say: "My slave" (abdi) and "My slave-woman" (amati), and a slave must not say: "My lord" (rabbi or rabbati). The master (of a slave) should say: "My young man" (fataya) and "My young woman" (fatati), and a slave should say "My master" (sayyidi) and "My mistress" (sayyidati), for you are all (Allah's) slave and the Lord is Allah, Most High.

Also from the Sunnah, specifically in the study of the Sunnah called Sahih Bukhari, we find:

[3:46:721] Narrated Al-Ma'rur bin Suwaid: I saw Abu Dhar Al-Ghifari wearing a cloak, and his slave, too, was wearing a cloak. We asked him about that (i.e. how both were wearing similar cloaks). He replied, "Once I abused a man and he complained of me to the Prophet. The Prophet asked me, `Did you abuse him by slighting his mother?' He added, `Your slaves are your brethren upon whom Allah has given you authority. So, if one has one's brethren under one's control, one should feed them with the like of what one eats and clothe them with the like of what one wears. You should not overburden them with what they cannot bear, and if you do so, help them (in their hard job)."

As a result of the teachings of Islam, slavery was almost completely eradicated from many areas of the Muslim world, peacefully and without bloodshed.

http://www.thetruereligion.org/m10.htm

http://islamicweb.com/begin/myth11.htm

[abdulhakeem]

Slavery in Islam

The Quran

O mankind! We created you from a single soul, male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, so that you may come to know one another. Truly, the most honored of you in God's sight is the greatest of you in piety. God is All-Knowing, All-Aware. -- 49:13

Prophet Muhammad, 570--632 AD

. . . yield obedience to my successor, although he may be an Abyssinian slave.
He will not enter paradise who behaveth ill to his slaves. The companions said, "O Apostle of God! Have you not told us, that there will be a great many slaves and orphans amongst your disciples?" He said, "Yes; then be kind to them as your own children, and give them to eat of what you eat yourselves. The slaves that say their prayers are your brothers."

[The first call to prayer at the Quba mosque built by Prophet Muhammad was given in 622 by Bilal -- a black slave freed by the Prophet. The Supreme Court of the United States declared in 1857 that the slave Dred Scott could not sue for his freedom because he was not a person, but property.]

Annemarie Schimmel, Islam: An Introduction

Slavery was not abolished by the Koran, but believers are constantly admonished to treat their slaves well. In case of illness a slave has to be looked after and well cared for. To manumit [free] a slave is higly meritorious; the slave can ransom himself by paying some of the money he has earned while conducting his own business. Only children of slaves or non-Muslim prisoners of war can become slaves, never a freeborn Muslim; therefore slavery is theoretically doomed to disappear with the expansion of Islam. The entire history of Islam proves that slaves could occupy any office, and many former military slaves, usually recruited from among the Central Asian Turks, became military leaders and often even rulers as in eastern Iran, India (the Slave Dynasty of Delhi), and medieval Egypt (the Mamluks). Eunuchs too served in important capacities, not only as the guardians of the women's quarters, but also in high administrative and military positions. -- p. 67

Roger Du Pasquier, Unveiling Islam (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0946621322/thewisdomfund/002-1860544-3348869)

To answer this question, it should first be remarked that Islam has tolerated slavery but has never approved of it, and that all its teachings and prescriptions in this regard lead to its alleviation as far as possible in the short term, and, in the longer term, conduce to its progressive suppression. To abolish it would have been impossible in a world in which it was generally practiced by all the states which bordered on the new Muslim empire, and in which the idea of challenging the principle itself had not occurred to anyone. It was the custom to enslave prisoners of war -- when these were not simply massacred -- and the Islamic state would have put itself at a grave disadvantage vis-a-vis its enemies had it not reciprocated to some extent. By guaranteeing them humane treatment, and various possibilities of subsequently releasing themselves, it ensured that a good number of combatants in the opposing armies preferred captivity at the hands of Muslims to death on the field of battle.
It should be very clearly underlined that the slavery once practiced in the Muslim world cannot be compared to the form it had assumed -- for instance -- in the Roman Empire. Islamic legislation subjected slaveowners to a set of precise obligations, first among which was the slave's right to life, for, according to a hadith, 'Whoever kills his slave shall be killed by us'. In consequence, the murder of a slave was punished like that of a free man.

There are many other hadiths which define Islam's true attitude in this regard. The Prophet said: 'Your slaves are your brethren; therefore whoever has a brother who depends upon him must feed and clothe him in the way he feeds and clothes himself; and should not impose upon him tasks which exceed his capacity; should you ask them to do such things, then you are obliged to help them.' The Sharia takes this injunction, among many others, into account when defining the responsibilities and duties of slaveholders.

There is another teaching which enjoins respect for the human dignity of slaves: 'Let none of you say, "This man, or this woman, is my slave". He must rather say: "This is my man, and this my woman."' Putting into relief the provisional character of social ties and the authority exercised by slaveowners over their slaves, the Prophet said: 'It is true that God has made you their masters, but, had He so wished, He could equally well have made you their slaves.'

To manumit a slave has always been regarded as one of the most meritorious of all acts, and many passages of the Qur'an recommend or even require it, particularly as a means of expiation for serious faults. Traditional legislation lays down the methods of voluntary liberation of slaves by their masters (itq), and there were very many Muslims who observed these, especially at the end of their lives, so as not to die and appear before God without having given full freedom to the human beings placed in their power during their earthly lives.

Additionally, slaves had the ability to enfranchise themselves at their own initiative, without waiting passively for the goodwill of their masters: the procedure known as mukataba allowed them to buy their own freedom with sums which they saved from their work, and which the state frequently augmented with advances -- a measure which the slaveowner had no right to oppose. In contrast to the situation under Roman law, slaves were not deprived of the legal ability to exercise their rights and to appeal to a judge against their masters in all cases of illegal treatment.

Besides domestic slavery, which was generally imbued with a patriarchal character, there also existed a form of military slavery, which was frequently employed by princes in need of recruits, especially for their personal guards. This situation had the effect of conferring an often considerable influence and power on men of servile condition or origin, and some of these became the founders of great and illustrious dynasties such as the Tulunids and Mamlukes of Egypt.

The object of a prosperous commercial sector, which under the Abbasid Empire was often the speciality of non-Muslims, particularly Byzantine and Venetian Christians, and Jews, slavery gradually declined in importance until, at the beginning of the present century, it was confined to a few survivals which have now disappeared entirely. Thanks to the strict traditional controls which have always regulated the practice, it would be difficult to deny that social conditions were remarkably humane during the great periods of Muslim civilization, and that these, moreover, were in conformity with the 'egalitarian' spirit of Islam, which, in a hadith, teaches that 'the blackest of Abyssinians' is superior to most noble of Qurai****es, if he has more faith. -- p. 104 - 107

David Hecht, "Slavery" African Style" (http://www.twf.org/News/Y1998/SlaveryAfrica.html)

Howard Zinn, Declarations of Independence (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060921080/thewisdomfund/002-1860544-3348869)

The idea that entered Western consciousness several centuries ago, that black people are less than human, made possible the Atlantic slave trade, during which perhaps 40 million people died. -- p. 1

Sayyid Sa'eed Akhtar Rizvi, see long article "Slavery From Islamic and Christian Perspectives" below

Among all the religions it was only Islam that attacked the very foundations of this evil. -- preface

Sylviane A. Diouf, Servants of Allah: African Muslims Enslaved in the Americas (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0814719058/thewisdomfund/002-1860544-3348869)

Author asserts that Islam was the first revealed religion followed by African slaves, and describes their struggle in upholding Islamic practices.

http://www.twf.org/Library/Slavery.html

[abdulhakeem]

Question:

Human Slavery is the filthiest act of mankind on the face of this earth. In the US, after 400 years of slavery, finally it has been abolished. I wonder why in the Qur’an, nowhere slavery is made haram (forbidden). Rather, in some sections, as repentance towards some wrong deed, 'freeing' of a slave is mentioned. Where “pig/swine” and “interest” is made haram, why not “slavery”?

Answer:

Slavery in Islam:

When Islam was reveled to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), slavery was a worldwide common social phenomenon; it was much older than Islam. Slavery was deeply rooted in every society to the extent that it was impossible to imagine a civilized society without slaves. In spite of this social fact, Islam was the first religion to recognize slavery as a social illness that needed to be addressed. Since slavery was deeply rooted in the society, Islam did not abolish it at once. Rather, Islam treated slavery in the same manner it treated other social illnesses. Islam followed the same methodology of gradual elimination in dealing with this social disease as it did with other social illnesses, for example: the prohibition of alcohol in three steps.

From the early days of the message, Islam declared the equality of all human beings, including slaves; equality in origin, equality in values, equality in destiny. Under this declaration, for the first time ever, slaves became brothers and sisters of their masters in the Islamic ummah (community). In al-Bukhari, it was reported that the Prophet (pbuh) said:

‘Your servants and your slaves are your brothers. Anyone who has slaves should give them from what he eats and wears. He should not charge them with work beyond their capabilities. If you must set them to hard work, in any case, I advise you to help them.’

Islam forbade the traditional practice of enslaving free individuals by capturing them and selling them into slavery. The Prophet (pbuh) said:

‘There are three categories of people against whom I myself shall be a plaintiff on the Day of Judgment. Of those three, one is he who enslaves free men, then sells him and eats this money…’

Islam established rules, which leads to the eventual freedom of slaves. It declared the act of freeing slaves as a good deed, which is tremendously rewarded by Allah. Therefore, Muslims were encouraged to participate in freeing slaves. The freedom of slaves was also encoded in the legal system of Islam by requiring it as part of the penance for sins and as the punishment for criminal acts. Islam listed freeing slaves as one of the eight elements for which zakat (state collected alms money) could be used.

In addition, Islam established many other ways by which slaves could easily gain their freedom. For example, a baby born from a slave and her master is not only considered free, but also guaranteed the freedom of his mother. A second example is that if a slave was physically tortured by his master, he automatically becomes a free man! A third example is that slaves were allowed to buy their freedom from their masters, and are allowed to seek financial help to do so. Actually, you can find many other examples in the fiqh (Islamic law) books.

Eventually, through this systematic plan of gradually freeing the slaves and making them accepted in the society, the idea of eliminating slavery became powerful enough that after Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) died, the freed slaves remained free and not one of them was ever enslaved again. Also, within the times of the prophethood and the rightly guided caliphate (the first four caliphs) there were 32,320 slaves who were freed! See the book: Subul al-Salam of al-San’ani.

The final word is that although Islam did not abolish slavery, Islam was directing the ummah toward it. In other words, it was Islam, which paved the path toward abolishing slavery.

Allah knows the best - wa salaam

http://www.islamonline.net/askaboutislam/display.asp?hquestionID=3207

[abdulhakeem]

Question:

Hi, as-salaamu alaikum,

I am confused about the following statement that is often a part of verses you quote from the Qur'an:

"(a captive) that your right hands possess"

What exactly is "a captive that your right hands possess"? It was always my understanding that Islam forbade slavery as slavery and equality contradicted one another.

I would appreciate if you could explain.

Regards, wa'salaam

Answer:

Wa `alaykum salaam waramatullah wabarakatuh!

Dear sister Julia, thanks for your question.

You are right. Islam forbade slavery for it is the religion that gives rights of individuals, males or females. It made this as clear as daylight, many centuries ago, before the slogan of “human rights” came to be known to the Westerners.

Slavery was not initiated by Islam, it had been in practice long before the advent of Islam. As we know, it’s the custom of war to have captives and those captives or prisoners used to be turned into slaves and concubines by their masters. This was not the case only in the pre-Islamic Arab regions, but it was there every other place. It was even worse in some societies, especially with women. She was subject to all kinds of injustice, oppression and barbarian treatment. This went as far as that Greeks used to consider her a mere commodity, to be bought and sold. As for Romans, she was a slave already by nature, even without being captured at war!

In short, Islam is not the religion that jeopardizes the rights of woman, as Western scholars would have us believe, concocting any ideas to distort the image of Islam. Was it Islam that considered woman as being responsible for the banishing of man from Paradise? Was it Islam that took women as being the cause of all evils or regarded her as serpents? Was it in Islam that a meeting was held to debate whether woman could be regarded as a human being or not? No! This took place in France in 587 C.E. Actually all this was the norm of the day in the past Western civilizations. Yes, it was also the habit in the pre-Islamic Arab, when female babies used to be buried alive.

When Islam came, it tried to put an end to all such inhumane practices. It left no stone unturned in its quest to let women have their rights and dignity restored. This is clearly manifest in the way Islam handled the issue of slavery. Right from the start, Islam set a goal to eradicate this barbaric system. Yet, it needed to be done gradually, as the case with all bad habits that have gained ground. People never give up easily!

So, first of all it confined the issue of taking captives to the period of warfare. This is just as a situation necessitated by hostility between warring states. Then it allowed the female captives to be married by their captors. But why? Does this mean giving men a golden chance to unleash their sexual desires or to sexually brutalize those captives? No, not at all!

Here lies certain wisdom that completely escapes the mind of those Western scholars, who take this issue to launch attacks against Islam.

As we know, after the end of hostility, it’s the norm that prisoners of war be freed and exchanged through mutual agreement between the parties. Islam has made this clear in its divine texts that the captives must be freed through ransom or without ransom. Also, it’s socially understood that marrying freed female captives, would normally secure their rights, more than would be the case if they were set free without any guarantee for survival or for preserving their dignity.

Thus, Islam gave them hope of survival, trying to prevent their becoming prostitutes. In fact, they would have definitely found it hard to find suitors, even from among their free male counterparts, who’d suspect them of being ravished by their captors. Though glimmer it may be in the beginning, this hope soon turned glittering by securing them a marital home, whereby their rights and dignity would be secured.

Here comes the issue of “ma malakat aimanukum” (what your right hands possess). This is mentioned in many verses in the Qur’an, like the following:
If any of you have not the means wherewith to wed free believing women, they may wed believing girls from among those whom your right hands possess: And God hath full knowledge about your faith. Ye are one from another: Wed them with the leave of their owners, and give them their dowers, according to what is reasonable: ...

Surah 4 Verse 25

This verse confirms what I have just said; opening the door for female slaves or captives to be married by destitute Muslims who cannot afford the dowry of free women. Notice here that the Qur’an uses the expression “what your right hands.” What is the significance of this expression?

The word “right hands” here refers to women taken as prisoners of war. It is by no means an implication of concubinage, for this is totally prohibited in Islam. Nor does it refer to purchasing female slaves from market to be used to satisfy sexual urge. It’s during warfare that the right hand actually takes possession of captives, and this is what the Qur’an means. That’s point number one.

Point number two is that, the word “right hands possess” also has another significance that clearly reflects the great concern Islam has for preserving the rights of those captives. As we know, the right hand has its special merit and privileged functions that man instinctively reserve for it. Imam Kurtubi, in his commentary on this verse, says: “Allah Almighty uses the word ‘right hand’ here for it denotes great honor and respect. It suffices that it’s the one used when referring to spending, as mentioned in the hadith ‘… he who provides charity (seeking only Allah’s reward) in a way that his left hand does not know what his right hand spends …’ And it is the very hand used in making pledge of allegiance … etc.”

All this indicates that the word “what your right hand possess” has a special and glorified meaning in Islamic usage. In fact, it signifies the great care and good treatment that captives or prisoners of wars should be accorded. This is how Islam dealt with the issue from the earliest stages.

All this did not materialize all of a sudden, for slavery was a social ailment that needed to be addressed. So it was a gradual strategy laid down by Islam, not only to eradicate slavery, but also to give the freed slaves a complete social rehabilitation. First of all, Islam stipulated that all masters should take care of their captives; they should not be overburdened with tasks, nor should they be deprived of their human rights. The Prophet (pbuh) made this clear in his hadith that masters should treat their slaves as their brothers and female captives as their sisters, if not in faith, at least in humanity. He said:

“Your servants are thy brethren. Allah has put them under your control. He could, if He willed, make you under their control. Thus, whoever has his brother under his control, let him feed him of his same food and dress him of his same dress. Never saddle them with work that goes beyond their capability. If the work happens to be somehow difficult, lend them a helping hand.”

As for female captives, Imam Bukhari quotes the Prophet, as saying:

“If any of you have a slave girl, whom he gives good education and excellent training, and then he emancipates her and marries her, he shall have a two-fold reward.”

You see; that’s how Islam set the course of emancipating slaves. They should definitely be well treated. Also, educating female captives and marrying them, after emancipation is considered an act of charity, which would earn one great reward. Not only that. Islam further put an end to the habit of using derogative names of “slaves” or “servants”. For in Islam, man must not show servitude to anyone besides Allah the Almighty. So it was stipulated that the captives should be addressed by “fatah” (boy) or “fatat” (girl). Besides, the act of emancipating slaves used to be a competitive work among the Prophet’s Companions, for it was highly recommended by Islam and was considered an act of worship.

What’s more, Islam has also made use of what was an international custom during that era; i.e. the custom of having intercourse with female captives. Here Islam stipulated that if through sexual intercourse, the female slave got pregnant from her master, she would automatically gain her freedom. So would her child, for he’d be born free then. What a wise approach to eliminate a bad habit! So it was not a means of unleashing sexual desires. Otherwise, it would have been something permanent, being pregnant would have availed the slave woman nothing, for she’d remain the property of her master no matter how. No, Islam was not after such a sensual and voluptuous goal.

Sister Julia, to cover all the aspects of humane treatment of slave women in Islam, it’d take volumes of books. So I think this brief remark will do for now.

For more information, you can check this link:

Does Islam allow slavery? (see article below)

If you have any further inquiry don’t hesitate to contact us. Thanks.

Mr. Lamaan Ball editor of Ask About Islam adds:

Islam effectively prohibited slavery by prohibiting making people slaves in any way except temporarily during wars. Once the war is over, such people must either be freed by negotiation and ransom (e.g. exchanges of prisoners of war) or set free without any ransom.

There were many ways that existing slaves could become freed including those mentioned by Kamal but also to gain God’s forgiveness for doing a sin, setting a slave free was commanded in the Qur’an. Freeing slaves was also one of the clear priorities for government spending of Zakat (obliged charity spending administered by the state).

http://www.islamonline.net/askaboutislam/display.asp?hquestionID=2852

[abdulhakeem]

Question:

As-Salamu`alaykum wa Ramatullah wa Barakatuh! What does Islam say about human rights? Jazaka Allah Khayran.

Answer:

Wa `alaykum As-Salamu wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear brother in Islam, we really appreciate your reposing great confidence in us. May Allah Almighty make our endeavor come up to your expectation, Amen!

In fact, your question is very important. First of all, we want to clarify that Islam preceded all in laying down rules and regulations that aim at preserving human honor and dignity. This is clear in Allah's words: "Verily We have honored the children of Adam. We carry them on the land and the sea, and have made provision of good things for them, and have preferred them above many of those whom We created with a marked preferment." (Al-Isra': 70)

To shed more light on this issue, we'd like to cite for you the following:

"Basic Human Rights"

We have already seen that every person has certain basic human rights simply because he is a human being, whether he belongs to this country or that, whether he is a believer or unbeliever, or whether he lives in a forest or in a desert. It is the duty of every Muslim to recognize these rights. They are:

1. The Right to Life

The first and foremost basic right is the right to life. The Glorious Qur’an says: "If any one slew a person - unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land - it would be as if he slew the whole people." (Al-Ma'idah: 32)

The propriety of taking life in retaliation for murder or for spreading corruption can be decided only by a proper court of law. During a war only a properly established government can decide it. In any event, the Qur’an makes clear: "Do not kill a soul which Allah has made sacred except through the due process of law." (Al-An`am: 151)

Homicide is thus distinguished from destruction of life carried out in the pursuit of justice. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has declared homicide as the greatest sin after polytheism. He said, "The greatest sins are to associate something with Allah and to kill human beings."

In all these verses of the Qur’an and the hadiths of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) the word 'soul' (nafs) has been used in general terms. It does not refer only to those of one’s own tribe, race, religion or country. The injunction applies to all human beings.

2. The Right to the Safety of Life

Immediately after the verse in the Qur’an which has been mentioned in connection with the right to life, Allah says: "And whoever saves a life it is as though he had saved the lives of all mankind." (Al-Ma'idah: 32)

There can be several forms of saving someone from death. If a man is ill or wounded it is one’s duty to get him medical help. If he is dying of starvation, it is one’s duty for feed him. If he is drowning, it is one’s duty to rescue him. Thus, it is regarded as one’s duty to save every human life, because it is enjoined in the Qur’an.

3. Respect for the Chastity of Women

The third important element in the charter of human rights granted by Islam is a woman's honor, which must be respected and protected at all times, regardless of her origins. A Muslim must not physically abuse her under any circumstances. All promiscuous relationships are forbidden to him. The words of the Qur’an, in this respect, are: "Do not approach (the bounds) of adultery." (Al-Isra': 32)

Heavy punishment has been prescribed for this crime, and no mitigating circumstances are indicated. Since the violation of the chastity of a woman is forbidden in Islam, a Muslim who perpetrates this crime cannot escape punishment - whether he receives it in this world or in the Hereafter.

Apart from individual lapses, it can never be found in the history of Islam that Muslims commit this crime against woman. It has never happened that after the conquest of a foreign country the Muslim army has gone about raping women, or, in their own country, the Muslim government has provided prostitutes for them.

4. The Right to a Basic Standard of Living

Speaking about economic rights, the Qur’an enjoins its followers: "And in their wealth there is acknowledged right for the needy and destitute." (Adh-Dhariyat: 19)

The wording of this injunction shows that it is categorical and unqualified. Furthermore, this injunction was given in Makkah where there was no Muslim society in existence and where the Muslim came in contact mostly with non-Muslims.

According to this verse, anyone who asks for help and is suffering from deprivation has a right to share in the property and wealth of a Muslim, irrespective of his origins. If one is in a position to help and a needy person asks for help or if one comes to know that he is in need, then it is one's duty to help him.

5. The Individual's Right to Freedom

Islam has categorically forbidden the primitive practice of capturing a free human being to make him a slave or to sell him into slavery. On this point the unequivocal words of the Prophet (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him) are as follows: "There are three categories of people against whom I shall myself be a plaintiff on the Day of Judgment. Of these three, one who enslaves a free man, then sells him and spends this money." (Al-Bukhari and Ibn Majah) This hadith does not qualify or restrict this ruling to a particular nation, race, or religion.

The Position of Slavery in Islam

Islam tried to solve the problem of the slaves that were already in Arabia by encouraging people to set them free. Muslims were told that freeing slaves would mean the expiation of some of their sins. Freeing a slave of one's own free will was declared to be an act of such great merit that the limbs of the man who manumitted a slave would be protected from hell-fire-one for each limb of the slave freed.

The result of this policy was that, by the time of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, all the old slaves of Arabia had been liberated. The Prophet (blessings of Allah and peace be upon him) alone liberated as many as 63 slaves. The number of slaves freed by `A'ishah was 67; Abbas liberated 70; `Abdullah Ibn `Umar liberated 1000; and `Abd al-Rahman purchased 30,000 and set them free. Other Companions of the Prophet liberated a large number of slaves, the details of which are given in the hadiths and history books of that period.

6. The Right to Justice

This is a very important and valuable right, which Islam has given to man. The Qur’an has laid down: :"Do not let your hatred of a people incite you to aggression"( (Al-Ma'idah: 3), and "Do not let ill-will towards any folk incite you so that you swerve from dealing justly. Be just; that is nearest to heedfulness" (Al-Ma'idah: 8). Stressing this point the Qur’an again says: "You who believe stand steadfast before Allah as witness for (truth and) fair play" (An-Nisa': 135).

The point is thus made clear that Muslims have to be just not only to their friends but also their enemies.

7. The Equality of Human Beings

Islam not only recognizes the principle of absolute equality between men irrespective of color, race or nationality, it makes it an important reality. Almighty Allah has laid down in the Qur’an: "O mankind, we have created you from a male and female." In other words, all human beings are brothers. They all are the descendants from one father and one mother. The Qur'an says, "And we set you up as nations and tribes so that you may be able to recognize each other" (Al-Hujrat: 13).

This means that the division of human beings into nations, races, groups and tribes is for the sake of distinction, so that people of one race or tribe may meet and be acquainted with people belonging to another race or tribe and co-operate with one another.

This division of the human race is neither meant for one nation to take pride in its superiority over others, nor for one nation to treat another with contempt. Allah says, "Indeed, the noblest among you before Allah are the most heedful of you" (Al-Hujrat: 13). That is, the superiority of one man over another is only on the basis of piety, purity of character and high morals, and not color, race, language or nationality. People are, therefore, not justified in assuming airs of superiority over other human beings. Nor do the righteous have any special privileges over others.

This has been thus exemplified by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in one of his sayings: "No Arab has any superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over a black man, or the black man any superiority over the white man. You are all the children of Adam, and Adam was created from clay." (Bayhaqi and Bazzaz)

In this manner Islam established the principle of equality of the entire human race and struck at the very root of all distinctions based on color, race, language or nationality.
According to Islam, Allah has given man this right of equality as a birthright. No man should therefore be discriminated against on the grounds of the color of his skin, his place of birth, the race or the nation in which he was born.

8. The Right to Cooperate and not to Cooperate

Islam has prescribed a general principle of paramount importance and universal application. The Holy Qur’an says: "Cooperate with one another for virtue and heedfulness and do not cooperate with one another for the purpose of vice and aggression." (Al-Ma'idah: 2)

This means that anyone who undertakes noble and righteous work, irrespective of whether he is living at the North Pole or the South Pole, has the right to expect support and active co-operation from Muslims. But he who practices vice and aggression, even if he is one’s closest relation or neighbor, does not have the right to our support and help in the name of race, country, language or nationality, nor should he expect Muslims to co-operate with him.

The wicked and vicious person may be our own brother, but he is not of us, and he can have no help or support from us as long as he does not repent. On the other hand, the man who is doing deeds of virtue and righteousness may have no kinship with Muslims, but Muslims will be his Companions and support; or at least his well-wishers.

Conclusion

This is a brief sketch of those rights which, 1400 years ago, Islam gave to man, to those who were at war with each other and to the citizens of its state. It refreshes and strengthens our faith in Islam when we realize that even in this modern age, which makes such loud claims of progress and enlightenment, the world has not been able to produce more just and equitable laws than those given 1400 years ago. On the other hand, it is saddening to realize that Muslims nonetheless often rely on the West for guidance."

This article is based on a speech delivered by Syed Abul A'la Maudoodi, published by the Islamic Foundation, UK.

You can also read:

Human rights in Islam (http://www.islamonline.net/askaboutislam/display.asp?hquestionID=3594)

Allah Almighty knows best.

http://www.islamonline.net/fatwaapplication/english/display.asp?hFatwaID=48847

[abdulhakeem]

Does Islam allow Slavery?

Question:

I am a Captain in the Pakistan army and would like to know if can we have sexual relations with the women we are able to capture in wars? I have heard that in one of the wars during the time of the Prophet (sws), the whole Muslim army raped slave women offered to them provided that they practiced ‘Azal (coitus interruptus).

Answer:

Well I am afraid you cannot do so. Since the question you have raised is an important one. I’ll give you a detailed answer:
In my opinion, among many other misconceptions about Islam is the notion that it gives sanction to slavery and permits its followers to enslave prisoners of war, particularly women and establish extra-marital relations with them. Islam, I must strongly affirm, has not the slightest link with slavery and concubinage. On the contrary, it completely forbids these practices. It is quite outrageous to associate such barbarities with a religion revealed to upgrade humanity.

The point which needs to be appreciated and which, perhaps, is the real cause of the misconception is that Islam had adopted a gradual process to abolish the institution of slavery because of the social conditions prevalent in Arabia at that time. It must be kept in mind that slavery was an integral part of the pre-Islamic Arab society. There were scores of slave men and women in almost every house. This was largely due to two reasons: First, during those times, the standard practice of dispensing with prisoners of war was to distribute them among the army who captured them. Second, there were extensive slave markets in Arabia in that period where free as well as men and women of all ages were sold like animals.

In these circumstances, in which slavery had become an essential constituent of the Arab society, Islam adopted a gradual way to eliminate it. An immediate order of prohibition would have created immense social and economic problems. It would have become impossible for the society to cater for the needs of a large army of slaves, who were, otherwise, dependent on various families.

Also, the national treasury was in no position to provide them all on a permanent basis. A large number among them were old and incapable of supporting themselves. The only alternative left for them, if they were instantly freed, would have been to turn to beggary and become an economic burden for the society. The question of slave girls and women was even more critical, keeping in view their own low moral standards. Freeing them, all of a sudden, would have only resulted in a tremendous increase in brothels.

Perhaps, the reason behind this gradual eradication can be understood better if one considers the position which interest occupies in the economy of Pakistan today. No one can refute Pakistan’s national economic structure is interest oriented. How the parasite of interest has crippled the national economy is apparent to every keen eye. However, there is no denying the fact that without it our present economic system cannot sustain itself. Every reasonable person will acknowledge that today if a government wishes to rid the economy from this menace then, in spite of its utter prohibition in Islam, it will have to adopt a gradual methodology. During this interim period interest oriented deals will have to be tolerated and temporary laws will have to be enacted to handle them, just as the Qur’an had given certain provisional directives about slaves during the interim period of their gradual eradication. An alternative economic framework will have to be steadily incorporated in place of the existing one. A sudden abolition, without another parallel base, will only hasten the total collapse of the economic system, which, of course, will be disastrous for the country.

To avert a similar disaster and to ward off a similar catastrophe, Islam had adopted a progressive and a gradual scheme, fourteen hundred years ago, to do away with the inhuman institution of slavery. Following are some of the measures it took in this regard:

1. In the early Makkan period, it pronounced that slave emancipation was a great deed of piety. The very initial Makkan surahs appealed to the Muslims to liberate as many slaves as they could.

2. The Prophet (sws), unequivocally, directed the Muslims to raise the standard of living of the slaves and bring it equal to their own standard. This, of course, was meant to discourage people from persisting with them.

3. For the atonement of many sins manumission of slaves was divinely ordained.

4. All slave men and women who could support themselves in the society were directed to marry one another, in order to raise their moral and social status.

5. A permanent head in the public treasury was fixed to set free slave men and women.

6. Prostitution, which was largely carried out through slave women, who were mostly forced by their masters do so, was totally prohibited.

7. The affronting names of ‘abd (slave-man) and amah (slave-woman) by which slave men and women were called, were abrogated so that people should stop regarding them as slaves. In their place, the words fata (boy) and fatat (girl) were introduced.

8. Finally, the law of mukatibat provided very easy access for the slaves to the gateway to freedom. Every slave who was capable of supporting himself was allowed by law to free himself, provided that he either gave a certain monetary amount to his master or carried out certain errands for him. After this, he could live as a free man. A special head in the treasury was fixed for this purpose; also, wealthy people were urged to help the slaves in this regard. The net result of this law was that only handicapped and old slaves were left to be provided for by their masters, which not only went in their own favour but also prevented them from becoming an economic burden on the society.

As far as the war you have referred to, let me correct you on your information.

In the battle of Bani Mustaliq, the prisoners captured were either freed in the battlefield as a favour while some others were freed on ransom. The Prophet (sws) brought the remaining prisoners to Madinah and while waiting for their families to procure them, gave them into the temporary custody of his Companions (rta). Since at that time, the prohibition of slavery was passing through the interim period when it was still intact for reasons stated earlier, the Prophet (sws) accepted the right of masters to have sexual intercourse with the slave women as was the international law at that time but set about taking steps that could prevent this from actually happening. Let me explain the most important measure he adopted:

Among the prisoners of this battle was Sayyidah Jawayriyyah as well. Her father arrived with some camels as ransom. The Prophet (sws) inquired about the two well-bred camels he had hid behind. This astounded him so much – for he knew that there could be no way that the Prophet (sws) could have had knowledge of them – that he accepted faith. At this, Sayyidah Jawayriyyah also accepted faith. The Prophet (sws) proposed for her to which her father consented. Upon this, the marriage was solemnized. The result of this marriage was that all the remaining prisoners of war were set free by the Muslim soldiers, since they thought that it was not appropriate to keep the Prophet’s in-laws in captivity.

So actually no such instance of sexual intercourse with the slave women took place. It is totally wrong that they were raped. Also today as far as prisoners of was are concerned, they cannot be taken to be slaves and sexually benefited from. After the abolition of slavery that took place in the time of the Prophet (sws) as described above, no one dare maltreat a p.o.w. let alone sexually harass them.

http://www.renaissance.com.pk/aprq12y2.html

[abdulhakeem]

Slavery - What is it ?

Islam had denounced slavery 1400 years ago and showed the most humane way to deal with it. It took the so-called Free minds and the Western and European intelligentsia another 1300 years to "realise" that slavery is an ill in the society. From the past 1300-1350 years, they have been promoting slavery. For Muslims, they were in a state of Ignorance. Now when they "realise" that slavery is an evil, they have the mouth to say that Islam promotes (sic) slavery. What a shame. The question of Slavery and the humane nature in which Islam has treated it is one of the least understood subject by many so called self-proclaimed Human Right Activists of today's "free" (euphemism for "enslaved") world.

This section is a collection of articles to help all realise how Islam has dealt with the issue of slavery. Hope this will be of help to the sincere seeker of Truth. It is a sincere advice that the readers keep in mind that Islam is a way of Life defined by God, the creator of the universe and all that exists. Hence, the treatment of sensitive issues by God are those that are most practical and the most humane and best for mankind. May Allah (swt) give us wisdom and guidance.

Some Articles on the meaning of Slavery & the humane solution of Islam:

Islam on Slavery - Answered by Fethulla Gulen (http://saif_w.tripod.com/questions/slavery/islam_slavery_gulen.htm). In this essay, the author has tried to present a clear picture of the treatment for slavery by Islam.
Islam on Slavery - by Abul Ala Mawdudi (http://saif_w.tripod.com/questions/slavery/islam_slavery_mawdudi.htm). A wonderful essay comparing the treatment of slavery by Islam and the Western nations.

Emancipate, Liberate and Marry Slaves (see below) Verses from the Glorious Quran. Compiled by Dr. A. Zahoor and Dr. Z. Haq.

Qur'anic verdict on Slavery (see below) - Adopted from "Islam - A challenge to Religion" by G. A. Parwez and "Qur'anic and non-Qur'anic Islam" by Brig. Nazir Ahmad.

http://saif_w.tripod.com/questions/slavery.htm

[abdulhakeem]

Liberate, Emancipate and Marry Slaves

Verses From The Glorious Qur'an


Copyright © 1990, 1998 Compiled by Dr. A. Zahoor and Dr. Z. Haq


Attempt the Ascent, Free a Slave, Qur'an: Surah 90 Al-Balad (The City): Nay, I swear by this city... We verily have created man in an atmosphere... But he hath not attempted the Ascent, Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Ascent is! It is to free a slave, And to feed in the day of hunger, An orphan near of kin, Or some poor wretch in misery. And to be of those who believe and exhort one another to perseverance and exhort one another to pity.

Marry: Slaves and Maid Servants; Emancipation, Qur'an 24:27-34 Surah An-Nur (Light): Tell the believing men... And tell the believing women... And marry such of you as are solitary and the pious of your slaves and maid servants. If they be poor; Allah will enrich them of His bounty. Allah is of ample means, Aware. And let those who cannot find a match keep chaste till Allah give them independence by His grace. And such of your slaves as seek a writing of emancipation, write it for them if ye are aware of aught of good in them, and bestow upon them of the wealth of Allah which He hath bestowed upon you. Force not your slave girls to whoredom that ye may seek enjoyment of the life of the world, if they would preserve their chastity. And if one force them, then (unto them), after their compulsion, Lo! Allah will be Forgiving, Merciful...

Free Slaves, Qur'an 2:177 Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow): It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces to the East and the West; but righteous is he who believeth in Allah and the Last Day and the angels and the Scripture and the Prophets; and giveth his wealth, for love of Him, to kinsfolk and to orphans and the needy and the wayfarer and to those who ask, and to set slaves free; and observeth proper worship and payeth the poor due. And those who keep their treaty when they make one, and the patient in tribulation and adversity and time of stress. Such are they who are sincere. Such are the God fearing.

Prefer Marriage to a Believing Slave, Qur'an 2:221 Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow): Wed not idolatresses till they believe; for lo! a believing bondwoman is better than an idolatress though she please you; and give not your daughters in marriage to idolaters till they believe, for lo! a believing slave is better than an idolater though he please you. These invite unto the Fire, and Allah inviteth unto the Garden, and unto forgiveness by His grace, and expoundeth thus His revelations to mankind that haply they may remember.

Expiation of Breaking Sworn Oath, Qur'an 5:89 Surah Al Ma'idah (The Table Spread): Allah will not take you to task for that which is unintentional in your oaths, but He will take you to task for the oaths which ye swear in earnest. The expiation thereof is the feeding of ten of the needy with the average of that wherewith ye feed your own folk, or the clothing of them, or the liberation of a slave, and for him who findeth not (the wherewithal to do so) then a three day fast. This is the expiation of your oaths when ye have sworn; and keep your oaths...

Set Free a Believing Slave, Qur'an 4:92 Surah An-Nisa (Women): It is not for a believer to kill a believer unless it be by mistake. He who hath killed a believer by mistake must set free a believing slave, and pay the blood money to the family of the slain, unless they remit it as a charity. If he (the victim) be of a people hostile unto you, and he is a believer, then (the penance is) to set free a believing slave. And if he cometh of a folk between whom and you there is a covenant, then the blood money must be paid unto his folk and (also) a believing slave must be set free. And whoso hath not the wherewithal must fast two consecutive months. A penance from Allah. Allah is Knower, Wise.

Free a Slave, Qur'an 58:3-4 Surah Al-Mujadilah (She That Disputeth): Those who put away their wives by saying they are as their mothers and afterward would go back on that which they have said; the penalty in that case is the freeing of a slave before they touch one another. Unto this ye are exhorted; and Allah is informed of what ye do. And he who findeth not the wherewithal, let him fast for two successive months before they touch one another; and for him who is unable to do so the penance is the feeding of sixty needy ones. This, that ye may put trust in Allah and His messenger. Such are the limits imposed by Allah; and for disbelievers is a painful doom.


Those who wish to understand the specific and broader meaning of the verses of the Qur'an, it is recommended that they should also read commentary on these subjects and verses. The English readers will find either Yusuf Ali's or Maududi's commentaries a good source. Allama Yususf Ali presents the meaning Ayah (verse) by Ayah with detailed footnotes for relevant words in each verse and includes a detailed index of the topics mentioned in the Qur'an. Maulana Maududi's work covers commentary for each Surah (chapter) of the Holy Qur'an.

Pickthall writes in his foreward of 1930: "... The Qur'an cannot be translated. ... The book is here rendered almost literally and every effort has been made to choose befitting language. But the result is not the Glorious Qur'an, that inimitable symphony, the very sounds of which move men to tears and ecstasy. It is only an attempt to present the meaning of the Qur'an-and peradventure something of the charm in English. It can never take the place of the Qur'an in Arabic, nor is it meant to do so. ..."

"The Holy Qur'an," Text, Translation and Commentary by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, 1934. (Latest Publisher: Amana Publications, Beltsville, MD, USA; Title: "The Meaning of the Holy Qur'an," 1992). A pocket edition of Yusuf Ali's translation is also available in contemporary English.

"The Meaning of the Glorious Koran," An Explanatory Translation by Mohammed Marmaduke Pickthall, a Mentor Book Publication. (Also available as: "The Meaning of the Glorious Koran," by Marmaduke Pickthall, Dorset Press, N.Y. and several Islamic book publishers; Published by several publishers since 1930). Note: The Mentor publication (451 MJ1529 195) contains a few errors/omissions, e.g., in Surah 72: the last part of Verse 2 should read "we ascribe no partner unto our Lord", and Surah 68: Verse 22 should read "straight" road instead of "beaten" road. In case of any doubt, the reader is advised to check with a copy from an Islamic publisher and also check with an Islamic scholar for the meaning directly from the Arabic original.

For the serious readers of the meaning of the Qur'an in English, it is recommended that it should be read along with a good commentary to comprehend the essential meaning and scope of verses. Either Yusuf Ali's or Maududi's commentaries are a good starting point. The former presents the meaning Ayah (verse) by Ayah with footnotes and includes a detailed index of the topics mentioned in the Qur'an, while the latter presents commentaries for each Surah (chapter) of the Qur'an.

http://saif_w.tripod.com/questions/slavery/liberate_slaves.htm

[abdulhakeem]

Qur’anic verdict on Slavery

[Adopted from "Islam-A Challenge to Religion" by G.A.Parwez and
"Qur'anic and Non Qur'anic Islam" By Brigadier Nazir Ahmed]

Before the Quranic revelation, slavery prevailed all over the world. In those days it seemed perfectly normal for people to have slaves whom they had captured in war or purchased in the markets. But the Quran proclaimed the equality of all men in the sight of God. It struck at the root of slavery by recognizing the moral worth of a human being as a human being. However there were at the time of the Quranic revelation numerous slaves that pre existed in that society as well as other parts of the world.

The Quran in every conceivable way discouraged slavery and improved the lot of slaves. The Believers were urged to be kind and considerate to slaves, they were told that to emancipate a slave was a meritorious act. They could atone for some of their offences by setting a slave free. Thus the number of slaves was gradually reduced and the society was made less dependent on slave labor. The Arabic words "Maa malakat aimanukum" as occurred in the Quran which mean "Those whom your right hands possessed" are in the past tense and refer to those who had already been enslaved. When they were emancipated through a gradual process, slavery died a natural death.

Islam (Quranic Islam, which is actually what was practiced by Muhammed the Messenger of Allah and those with him, and not the distorted picture of Islam as promoted among the masses today by the pen of the historians and human conjecture) set in motion a gradual process of improvement in the status of those in bondage and culminating in the abolition of this institution. The process started with:

"…ye…may wed believing girls from among those whom your right hands posses….wed them with the leave of their owners, and give them their dower…"[4:25]

This conferred upon the slave girls all the rights and privileges of a wife. Verse 36 of Sura 4 brought another big change in the status of slaves by enforcing the obligation to do good to one’s parents and in the same breath, also to the slaves:

"…do ‘Ihsan’ (goodness) to parents …and (to) what your right hands posses."[4:36]

verse 60 of Sura 9 exhorts Believers to give monetary help to those in bondage in order to alleviate their economic status:

"Alms are for…those in Bondage.."[9:60]

Verses 2:177,4:29,5:89 etc make another quantum change in this matter by urging the believers to free those in the shackles of slavery:

"…But it is righteousness…to spend of your substance out of love for Him…for the ransom of slaves.."[2:177]

"And whoever kills a believer by mistake, it is ordained that he should free a believing slave.."[4:92]

"He will call you to account for your deliberate oaths: for expiation…give a slave his freedom.."[5:89]

According to Quran if a slave asks for his freedom ,the believer is left for no other choice but to accede to his request and is also required to help him with funds in order to rehabilitate him as a free man:

"And if any of your slaves ask you for a deed in writing (for emancipation) give them such a deed; If ye knew any good in them: yea, give them something yourselves out of the means which Allah has given to you…"[24:33]

The main source of slaves, were prisoners of war. The Quran laid down that they should be set free either for a favor or as ransom for your own prisoners of war:

"So when you meet in battle those who disbelieve, then smite the necks until when you have overcome them, then make (them) prisoners, and afterwards either set them free as a favor or let them ransom (themselves) until the war terminates…"[47:4]

Thus the Quran has restricted the victor with either freeing prisoners for ransom or as a favor. There is no third choice given by the Quran, and thereby it has not only abolished slavery but abolished the very source of this evil, i.e. prisoners of war.

The basic and fundamental teaching of the Quran is that subservience is due to Allah alone and not to any human or group of humans. Obedience and sovereignty is only and only for Allah, says the Quran at numerous places. Qur'anic Islam does not accept Slavery. Unlike the Bible which states:

"ye, shall take them (the slaves) as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them (the slaves) for a possession, they shall be, your BONDMEN (slaves) for ever . . . LEVITICUS 25:46

The Qur'an unambiguously states that no man no matter how high a status he may occupy, be that status of a direct recipient of Divine messages even (Nabuwah) ,no human being has the right to enslave any other human or group of humans, says the Qur’an:

"It is not meet for a mortal that Allah should give him the Book and the wisdom and 'Nabuwah' (prophethood), then he should say to men: Be my slaves rather than Allah's; but rather (he would say): Be sustenance providers (Rabaniyoon) because of your teaching the Book and your studying (it yourselves)."[3:79]

The above clarifies the basic teaching of the Qur'an in stating that obedience is not due to any human or group of humans’ man made laws but according to the Quran, obedience and subservience is due to Allah alone, which is implemented in human affairs by following his Book (see 6:114) and instances where man subjects man, are described in the Quran as a great injustice. (Ref: Narration of enslavement of Children of Israel by Pharoah and his forces.)

From above and many other verses it is very clear that the Qur'an has abolished slavery, and not upheld it. If their remain certain verses were slaves are mentioned then these are those which were already existing in society from days of ignorance and about whom the Qur’an enjoined a gradual elevation in status leading to their freedom and abolishment of any future enslavement.

Furthermore it is the Quran which is the final authority for all matter of Islam and its verdict is final and absolute. No other Book carries more weight or reliability than the Quran in matters of Islam.

http://saif_w.tripod.com/questions/slavery/quranic_verdict_slavery.htm

[abdulhakeem]

Slavery - Never a Race Issue

Taken from The Wisdom Fund

Much of the early history of African-American Muslims is discussed by Y. N. Kly in the article "The African-American Muslim Minority: 1776-1900."

One of the causes of the continuing conversion of African-Americans to Islam is the contrast between their brutal and racist enslavement at the hands of Anglo-Americans in the United States, on the one hand, and the relative absence of racism in Islam, on the other. Although one dimension of the current anti-Islamic polemic in the West is the highlighting of the occurence of slavery both in Islamic history and today in Sudan and Mauritania, this has failed to turn away many African-Americans from Islam.

There are a number of reasons for this: the Qur'an repeatedly condemns oppressors;
the Qur'an exhorts people to free their slaves;
while slavery has occured in the Muslim world, it has not been racist;
slavery in the Muslim world was largely a way of dealing with prisoners of war who were then ransomed back to their own peopleGiven the clear opposition of Islam to injustice, the Islamic virtue of not practicing slavery, and the relatively recent horrors of African-American slavery, why have Muslims not put an end to slavery in the Muslim world?

I suspect that the answer to this lies in the fact that in most areas of the Muslim world, Muslims are themselves not free to act politically, that they are preoccupied with other local struggles against injustice, or are constrained by poverty. If my suspicion is correct, in the future as Muslims gradually emerge from the bondage of neocolonial dictatorships and/or poverty, we should see Muslims at the forefront of those activists who are striving to end all forms of slavery.

On the other hand, if Muslims do not actively work to end slavery, Islam will no doubt lose much of its appeal to people for whom oppression is a reality.

http://saif_w.tripod.com/questions/slavery/slavery_never_race.htm

[abdulhakeem]

"Slavery" African Style

Date: February 14, 1998
BBC Correspondent, Dakar, Senegal
Press Contact: David Hecht

by David Hecht

DAKAR, Senagal -- Charles Jacobs, of the American Anti-Slavery Group, attempts to defame me (The Washington Post, Saturday, January 24, 1998 Page A23) when he says "David Hecht, a man who interviewed slaves in the presence of their masters and concluded that slavery was not so terrible." Except for the fact that I did also interview slaves when they were not in the presence of their masters, he is correct: While I think the trans-Atlantic slave trade is perhaps the most horrific event in the history of Western civilization, the sort of slavery that still exists in many parts of Africa is not the same thing.

Jacobs is referring to my dispatch in The New Republic (May 12, 1997) called "Virtual slavery" from the impoverished desert nation of Mauritania. Here many people have never used money. So they don't want to exchange their labor for a wage. Rather, they expect those they call their 'masters' to feed them and take care of them and not to fire them as soon as they are no longer needed.

That's one reason they still call themselves 'Haratan' or slaves. Another is it has become part of their Moorish heritage. The slave/master relationship is a form of kinship. Though slaves are mostly black Africans and masters or "Bidan" have more Arab Berber blood in them, they are all members of the same clans and in some cases the blacks are the chiefs.

Furthermore today there are slaves who are in fact richer than their masters. While others say they are slaves but have never been owned by anyone. Haratin are in the minority but they are well represented in the government. One is a former UN Representative to Mauritania at the UN.

Clearly, when people say they are 'Haratin' it doesn't mean they are not free, and yet it's the reason the US Congress has blocked aid to Mauritania.

The interviews that I made, which Jacobs refers to, was in the poorest section of the desert town of Bootilimit where Haratin and Bidan live together, often in the same raggedy old tents in the sand. They reminded me of impoverished whites and blacks living together the US, only of course much poorer.

I later went to a slightly wealthier part of town, where I was invited to the home of a local businessmen which consisted of a larger, more colorful tent in the sand. We lay on mats and were served traditional green tea by a woman who said the businessmen in French was his 'esclave'. It turned out she was also his wife. Haratin and Bidan often intermarry and it's not an issue.

There are, in fact, other castes amongst the Moors of Mauritania who are worse off than the Haratin such as the 'Znaga' or shepherd caste. And there has been terrible persecution of non-Moor ethnic minorities from the south, such as the Hal-Pulaar. But, as no one can say these people are enslaved, their plight gets little international attention.

Mauritania is not an easy society to understand but what is simply, despite the misinformation of Jacobs and his anti-slavery group, is that there is not the kind of slavery here that existed in the Americas a hundred or so years ago. To claim there is, is to deny the uniquely dehumanizing experience that African Americans suffered.

Even in the Hollywood version of American slavery that Steven Spielberg paints in his latest film the Amistad, one evil character argues that enslaving Africans is acceptable because Africans enslave each other. The reason this argument is wrong, we learn, is because slavery in Africa is not the same thing.

In Mauritania there are no plantations, no big mansions on top of the hill. If Americans are still finding it hard to get beyond their own historical experience of slavery, maybe they are not yet in the best position to judge others.

[David Hecht is a BBC Correspondent based in Dakar, Senegal, and the author of a book on government in Africa. The preceding article is his Letter on "Slavery" in Mauritania to The Washington Post - the Post declined publication.]

http://www.twf.org/News/Y1998/SlaveryAfrica.html

[abdulhakeem]

Slavery

From Islamic and Christian Perspectives

by
Sayyid Sa'eed Akhtar Rizvi

Published by:
Vancouver Islamic Educational Foundation
British Columbia - Canada
ISBN 0-920675-07-7

Prefaces

Publisher's Preface to the First Edition

Slavery is one of the oldest evils of society which defied the attempts of reformers for so many centuries. Ancient civilisations could not eradicate slavery, so they compromised with it. Some of these civilisations even patronised slavery. The Christian churches participated in slave-trade. Their priests blessed the ships carrying human cargo and admonished the slaves to be obedient, but never urged the masters to be kind. As late as 1970, Roman Catholics purchased 1500 Indian girls because European girls did not like to live as nuns. Among all the religions it was only Islam that attacked the very foundations of this evil. But it is the irony of the history that the people who nourished slavery, supported it, and derived benefit from it, later became champions of its abolition.

'Allamah Sayyid Sa'eed Akhtar Rizvi, the Chief Missionary of Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania has very ably and painstakingly written this book. Like a research scholar that he is, he has objectively treated the theme of this book. He has marshalled fact after fact from history; quoted from the Holy Qur'an, the traditions, and contemporary writers on the subject; and cited Islamic and ancient laws. He has clearly and vividly shown that Western civilisation is not so great a champion of emancipation of slaves as it poses to be. In fact this book will prove to he an eye-opener for those who blindly nod in approval to the propaganda about Western humanism.

Peermahomed Ebrahim Trust proudly presents this volume to the readers and hopes that it will gain approval of the public.

Trustees,

Peermahomed Ebrahim Trust Karachi, Pakistan

15 Jamadi I, 1392

27 June, 1972

Author's Preface To The Second Edition

This book was written on the request of late Haji Hasanali P. Ebrahim, who published it from Peermahomed Ebrahim Trust, Karachi, in 1972. It went out of stock very soon, but the demand continues. Responding to that demand, my son, Hujjatul Islam Sayyid Muhammad Rizvi has now prepared this second edition.

Some minor changes have been made in chapters' arrangement; paragraphs have been added here and there; and my son has prepared the foot-notes which has enhanced the academic value of the book. May Allah grant him long life and strength him to serve the cause of true Islam with sincerity.

I am also thankful to all the friends who have contributed in any way to this publication.

S. S. A. Rizvi

Gopalpur (India)

28 November, 1987.

http://www.al-islam.org/slavery/0.htm

[abdulhakeem]

Chapter 1

Slavery in Ancient Times

"O you men!
We have created you of a male and a female,
and then We made you
(into different) races and tribes
so that you may know each other.
Surely the most honourable of you with Allah
is the one who is most pious among you;
surely Allah Is All-Knowing & Aware."
(The Qur'an 49:13)

Slavery was not an institution invented by Christianity or Islam. It was there long before these religions came into being. Just to give a glimpse of ancient slavery, let me quote from Justice Ameer Ali:

The practice of slavery is coeval with human existence. Historically its traces are visible in every age and in every nation...The Jews, the Greeks, the Romans and the ancient Germans, people whose legal and social institutions have most affected modern manners and customs, recognised and practised both kinds of slavery, praedial servitude as well as household slavery. With establishment of the Western and Northern barbarians on the ruins of the Roman empire, besides personal slavery, territorial servitude, scarcely known to the Romans, became general in all the newly settled countries...The barbaric codes, like the Roman, regarded slavery as an ordinary condition of mankind; and if any protection was afforded the slave, it was chiefly as the property of his master, who alone, besides the State, had the power of the life and death over him.[1]

In Persia the palace of the Emperor had twelve thousand women slaves. When the Byzantine Emperor sat on the throne, thousands of slaves remained in attendance with full attention and hundreds of them bowed when he bent to put on his shoes. In Greece, the number of slaves was far greater than the number of free men, although Greece had produced great advocates of humanity and justice. Every Greek army which entered with ridings of victory over the enemy was followed by a host of slaves. Aristotle, the famous ancient philosopher, while discussing the question whether or not any one is intended by nature to he a slave, says, "There is no difficulty in answering this question, on grounds both of reason and of fact. For that some should rule and others be ruled is a thing not only necessary, but expedient from the hour of their birth, some are marked out for subjection, others for rule." Then he concludes, "...some men are by nature free, and others slave, and that for these latter slavery is both expedient and right."[2] With Imperial Rome, the slavery of the ancient world reached its zenith, but when Roman Empire began its decline, the lot of slaves began to improve in some tiny degrees. But the canker of slavery was too evident. It had defeated the skill of Roman legality as it had defeated the subtlety of Greek philosophy. To be compassionate with slaves was regarded not as a natural feeling but as a personal idiosyncrasy. The slave was hardly human; he had no right, he had no soul.[3]

At the time of the advent of Islam (in 7th century CE) slavery was rampant throughout India, Persia, Rome, the Arabian Peninsula, Rumania and Greece. The elite and educated class of these countries did not regard the slaves eligible even for the basic human rights. He was regarded as a commodity not worthier than cattle.[4] Often he was sold cheaper than sheep and goat. On special social occasions the distinguished citizens of the State used to get together with the Head of the State to watch the gladiatorial games in which the slaves were made to fight with swords and spears just like the shows of cock-fights and partridges in our old feudal society. The people cheered the hands until one of the fighters was killed. The audience would then applaud the winner heartily.[5]

On the one side, the Arabian Peninsula was surrounded by countries which still bore traces of the grandeur of the then declining Roman-Greek civilisation, and on the other side, by countries wrapped in Zoroastrianism and Hinduism. As mentioned above, in all these countries slavery was a recognised institution. The twelve Tablets had given its official seal of approval to this institution. The unmitigated hardship and cruelty which the slaves were made to suffer had not abated but, if anything, the slaves were now accepted as animals whose fate was only to work and die for those who owned them. I do not intend this book to be a chronicle of the inhumanity which the slaves suffered but suffice it to say that man must forever carry in his conscience a sense of guilt for having once indulged in slavery.

Notes:

[1]. Ameer Ali, Spirit of Islam (London: University Paper-back, 1965), pp. 259-261; also see Will Durant, The Story of Civilization, vol. III (New York, 1944), p.397.

[2]. Aristotle, Politics, Book I, chp. 5 (New York: Modern Library, 1943), pp.58-60.

[3]. Durant, W., op. cit., vol. III, p., 397; vol. IV (New York, 1950), p.29.

[4]. Ibid.

[5]. Ibid.

[B]Slavery in Ancient Times

http://www.al-islam.org/slavery/1.htm

[abdulhakeem]

Chapter 2

Christianity and Slavery

Though slavery was an ancient institution which started in pre-historic era of mankind, it is safe to say that the volume of this trade reached its zenith through the Christian nations of Europe and America who, as is their nature, turned it into a meticulously organised commerce and started capturing slaves by thousands. Before we describe the nefarious trade in slave started by the Portuguese, the Spaniards and other maritime powers of the Christian West for their newly acquired colonies, let us see if Christianity, as a system and as a creed, did anything in the earliest period to alleviate the lot of slaves.
Justice Ameer Ali writes about Christianity:

It found slavery a recognised institution of the empire; it adopted the system without any endeavour to mitigate its baneful character, or promise its gradual abolition, or to improve the status of slaves. Under the civil law, slaves were mere chattels. They remained so under the Christian domination. Slavery had flourished among the Romans from the earliest times. The slaves whether of native or foreign birth, whether acquired by war or purchase, were regarded simply as chattels. Their masters possessed the power of life and death over them.. Christianity had failed utterly in abolishing slavery or alleviating its evil.[6]
Will Durant describes the position of the Church as follows:

The Church did not condemn slavery. Orthodox and heretic, Roman and barbarian alike assumed the institution to he natural and in-destructible. Pagan laws condemned to slavery any free woman who married a slave; the laws of Constantine [a Christian emperor] ordered the woman to be executed, and the slave to be burned alive. The Emperor Gratian decreed that a slave who accused his master of any offence except high treason to the state should be burned alive at once, without inquiring into the justice of the charge.[7]

The only redress prescribed by Christianity is seen in the letter of St. Paul to a certai