Islam and Slavery

Islam and Slavery, documents the Qur'an's stance on slavery and the role that slavery played in Islam. Islam does not forbid slavery, but it does consider freeing a slave a good deed or as a punishment or penance for many sins, freeing a slave was required. The Qur'an has many verses (Ayat) supporting this view:

Some of the Ayats citing freeing slaves as penance

It is not for a believer to kill a believer except (that it be) by mistake; and whosoever kills a believer by mistake, (it is ordained that) he must set free a believing slave and a compensation (blood-money, i.e. Diya) be given to the deceased’s family unless they remit it. If the deceased belonged to a people at war with you and he was a believer, the freeing of a believing slave (is prescribed); and if he belonged to a people with whom you have a treaty of mutual alliance, compensation (blood-money - Diya) must be paid to his family, and a believing slave must be freed. And whoso finds this (the penance of freeing a slave) beyond his means, he must fast for two consecutive months in order to seek repentance from Allâh. And Allâh is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise. Sura An-Nisa:92 (4:92)

Allâh will not punish you for what is unintentional in your oaths, but He will punish you for your deliberate oaths; for its expiation feed ten Masâkîn (poor persons), on a scale of the average of that with which you feed your own families, or clothe them or manumit a slave. But whosoever cannot afford (that), then he should fast for three days. That is the expiation for the oaths when you have swornAnd protect your oaths (i.e. do not swear much)[2. Thus Allâh make clear to you His Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) that you may be grateful. Sura Al-Ma'ida:89 (5:89)

And those who make unlawful to them their wives by Zihâr and wish to free themselves from what they uttered, (the penalty) in that case is the freeing of a slave before they touch each other. That is an admonition to you (so that you may not repeat such an ill thing). And Allâh is All-Aware of what you do. Sura Al-Mujadila:3 (58:3)

--Pieter DeGroot 10:49, 9 July 2006 (UTC)your

Arab slave trade in history

Main Article: Arab slave trade

In the 8th century Africa was dominated by Arab-Berbers in the north: Islam moved southwards along the Nile and along the desert trails.

The Sahara was thinly populated. Nevertheless, since Antiquity there had been cities living on a trade in salt, gold, slaves, cloth, and on agriculture enabled by irrigation: Tahert, Oualata, Sijilmasa, Zaouila, and others. They were ruled by Arab or Berber chiefs (Tuaregs). Their independence was relative and depended on the power of the Maghrebi and Egyptian states.
In the Middle Ages, sub-Saharan Africa was called Sûdân in Arabic, meaning land of the Blacks. It provided a pool of manual labour for North Africa and Saharan Africa. This region was dominated by certain states: the Ghana Empire, the Empire of Mali, the Kanem-Bornu Empire.
In eastern Africa, the coasts of the Red Sea and Indian Ocean were controlled by Asian Muslims. Nubia had been a "supply zone" for slaves since Antiquity. In the Middle Ages, Arabs crossed the Red Sea and settled on the Ethiopian coast, first founding some trading colonies for slave traffic. (In the Dahlak archipelago, Aydam, and Suakim, for instance.)

Gradually, they moved further into the territory and established small autonomous sultanates in Ethiopia: the sultanate of Adal, for example, exported slaves. On the coast of the Indian Ocean too, slave-trading posts were set up by Arabs and Persians. The archipelago of Zanzibar, along the coast of present-day Tanzania, is undoubtedly the most notorious example of these trading colonies. East Africa and the Indian Ocean continued as an important region for the Oriental slave trade up until the 19th century. Livingstone and Stanley were then the first Europeans to penetrate to the interior of the Congo basin and to discover the scale of slavery there. The Arab Tippu Tib extended his influence and made many people slaves. After Europeans had settled in the Gulf of Guinea, the trans-Saharan slave trade became less important. In Zanzibar, slavery was abolished late, in 1897, under Sultan Hamoud bin Mohammed.

The rest of Africa had no direct contact with Muslim slave-traders.

Islam also encouraged freeing slaves:

It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, and each and every act of obedience to Allâh, etc.) that you turn your faces towards east and (or) west (in prayers); but Al-Birr is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allâh, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, and to Al-Masâkîn (the poor), and to the wayfarer, and to those who ask, and to set slaves free, performs As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât; prayer ), and gives the Zakât, and who fulfil their covenant when they make it, and who are patient in extreme poverty and ailment (disease) and at the time of fighting (during the battles). Such are the people of the truth and they are Al-Muttaqûn (the pious) Sura Al-Baqara:177 (2:177)

And what will make you know the path that is steep? 12.(It is) freeing a neck (slave)13. Or giving food in a day of hunger (famine)14. Sura Al-Balad:12-14(90:12-14)

As-Sadaqât (here it means Zakat ) are only for the Fuqarâ’ (poor), and Al-Masâkin (the poor) and those employed to collect (the funds), and to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islâm), and to free the captives, and for those in debt, and for Allâh’s Cause (i.e. for Mujahidûn - those fighting in a holy battle), and for the wayfarer (a traveler who is cut off from everything); a duty imposed by Allâh. And Allâh is All-Knower, All-Wise. Sura At-Tawba:60 (9:60)

Treatment of the captive

And they give food, in spite of their love for it (or for the love of Him), to the Miskîn (the poor), the orphan, and the captive Sura Al-Insan:8 (76:8)
It was narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said, concerning the prisoners of Awtaas: “Do not have intercourse with a pregnant woman until she gives birth, or with one who is not pregnant until she has menstruated once.” Narrated by Abu Dawood, 2157. This hadeeth was classed as saheeh by Shaykh al-Albaani in Irwa’ al-Ghaleel, 187.

Slavery in modern Muslim countries

The Sunday Times reported that Gul Khan (not to be mistaken with Gul Hassan Khan, former Chief Army Staff, Pakistan), a wealthy militant who uses the base of Jamaat-ud Daawa (JUD) near Lahore was involved in the kidnap and enslavement of Christian children from Punjab, Pakistan. It was further claimed that this money was used to fund terrorism.^*

External Links

Fundamental Human Dignity and the Mathematics of Slavery by Dr. Mohammad Omar Farooq