Part 1: Muslims and Slavery.
A bitter hate has been increasingly growing like a wildfire in the hearts of Americans against Islam, and justifiably so, for modern acts of terror are typically enacted by people shrouded in the cloak of the Muslim religion. What should Americans believe when we are told that this religion advocates violence and death?
It’s those extremist organizations, such as Boko Haram and Al-Qaeda, who’ve smeared Islam with an utterly black stain, making it ugly in the eyes of the world. I assure you, these extremists are closer to Pluto than they are to the religion that they exploit for their own petty ambitions. In April 2014, a band of militants named Boko Haram kidnapped about 300 school girls in Nigeria, and then again in October approximately 60 more were abducted from their homes. The extremists then claimed to have sold them all into slavery. “All of them have accepted Islam and are now married,” Boko Haram was quoted as saying. “Anybody that said plans are underway for the release of the girls is just daydreaming. They would not be returned.” And all this in the name of Islam. Boko Haram’s recent actions have provoked me to discuss one of the controversial points about Islam.
How could a religion claiming to be just, tolerate slavery? Does Islam permit slavery? It’s true that slavery has existed long before the religion was made manifest in the early 600s, even in the Arabian Peninsula. However, since Islam coexisted with slavery, we have the modern impression that it’s a nation of slavers. This cannot be farther from the truth. It’s a clear, studiable fact that Islam established a gradual system to abrogate slavery, which had already existed. Regrettably, it could not have been abolished abruptly.
If its abolishment was sudden, there would’ve been an enormous amount of unemployed, extremely poor, homeless people in the streets. This would’ve caused a great social and economic burden. There would be no way to efficiently support the freed slaves. The worst of its consequences would be that those who were starving would find a way to feed themselves be it through brothels, prostitution, muggings, bandits, highway robbery, or thievery. So, Islam gave a gradual, safe method of dealing with slavery as it did with intoxicants, usury, oppression, and every other parasitical plague of society. All methods of moral progression in Islamic society are a sort of rehab, always a surprisingly wise way of handling these problems. In Islam, it’s a pious deed to liberate slaves. The religion teaches that the emancipation of slaves is as charity. Remember, slavery existed before Islam. The religion was not established to enslave, but to do the opposite.
The following statements regarding Islam’s view of slavery are called hadiths– authentic, historical traditions containing accounts of the Islamic prophet’s practices as well as sayings. They are, in fact, the major source of guidance for Muslims apart from the Quran.
Narrated by Qais: “When Abu Huraira accompanied by his slave came intending to embrace Islam, they lost each other on the way. When the slave showed up Abu Huraira said to the Prophet, ‘I make you witness that the slave is free for Allah’s Cause.’” –Bukhari
Wait. Doesn’t Boko Haram declare the opposite of slave emancipation for God’s cause? Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram said, “Allah says I should sell [people]. I will sell women.” He’s simply wrong. Islam has never ordered this. Here is what the religion of Islam says:
Narrated by Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “Whoever frees a Muslim slave, Allah will save all the parts of his body from the Fire (Hell) as he has freed the body-parts of the slave.” –Bukhari
Narrated by Abu Musa: The Prophet said, “He who has a slave-girl and educates and treats her nicely and then manumits [frees], and marries her, will get a double reward.” –Bukhari
Abu Mas’ud al-Ansari reported: “When I was beating my servant, I heard a voice behind me saying: ‘Abu Mas’ud, bear in mind Allah has more dominance over you than you have on him.’ I turned and found him to be Allah’s Messenger [Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon him]. I said: Allah’s Messenger, I set him free for the sake of Allah. Thereupon he said: Had you not done that, Hell would have opened for you, or the fire would have burnt you.” –Sahih Muslim
Narrated by Abu Musa Al-Ash’ari: The Prophet said, “Give food to the hungry, pay a visit to the sick and release the one in captivity (by paying his ransom).” –Bukhari
Muslims commonly bought slaves from non-Muslim people just to set them free as deeds of righteousness. Surely then, these were not advocators of slavery, but rejecters of it. Even to atone for many sins, such as breaking an oath, Muslims were ordered to set slaves free, if possible (Quran- 5:89). Eventually, a law called Mukatabah was ordained. It stated that slaves can gain their own freedom through a set amount of labor or earned money, if necessary. Furthermore, the law urges the people to assist the freed slaves financially after their liberation to get them back on their feet (Quran- 24:33).
Is this the nation of slavers that many speak of? I know of no other nation that strived for human freedom like this one. If only more people would look honestly into this matter, such extremists would be incapable of deceiving us, telling us “This is Islam,” while defining it in whatever perverse way pleases them.
The opposite is true. The religion completely transformed the world’s conception of slavery. It made it non-abusive while it existed and raised the slaves’ standards of living to that of the owner so much so that they could no longer be called slaves, especially because they could earn their freedom through a contract. Because of this, the prophet Muhammad gave them new titles and told Muslims to not call them “slaves” for their conditions could no longer be defined as “slavery.”
Narrated by Abu Huraira: the prophet said: “One of you should not say: ‘abd’ [my slave] and ‘amati’ [my slave-girl]. All of you are the slaves of Allah and all of your women are the slave-girls of Allah. Rather let him say: My ‘ghulam’ [boy] and my ‘jariyah’ [girl] and my ‘fata’ [young boy] and my ‘fatati’ [young girl].” –Muslim
The religion orders its followers to consider captives equal to all human beings.
Narrated by Abu Dhar: the prophet said: “Your slaves are your brothers and Allah has put them under your command, so whoever has a brother under his command should feed him of what he eats and dress him of what he wears. Do not ask them to do things beyond their capacity, and if you do so, then help them.” –Bukhari
It is even forbidden that a slave should be beaten or even hit if he had not committed a crime.
“Narrated Ibn Umar: “I heard Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) saying: He who beats a slave without cognizable offence of his or slaps him, then expiation for it is that he should set him free.”
While Islam endeavored to break the chains of slavery, it also took care to raise the standards of the captives’ lives while they remained in bondage.
However, if we’re to discern the truth, then we must inquire: Why did Muslims enslave? Certainly, this can’t be the path to societal purification. In Islam’s early years, it was no more than a necessity of war. Those who waged war against Islam began enslaving Muslims upon victory. Muslims, on the other hand, are prohibited from any sort of violence except in terms of self-defense or to free an oppressed people. Even in war, there are restrictions that are not to be crossed only and until an aggressor crosses them. Slavery was one such restriction. The Muslims matched their enemies’ war tactics to preserve their nation lest it should be lost to treacherous tribes that, indeed, did enslave and oppress unjustly. But even these captured slaves were well-treated, well-fed, and eventually released. At times, entire battalions or armies would be captured and then collectively released all together to return to their tribes. For example, 68 prisoners of war were released after the Battle of Badr on the condition that they’d teach some Muslims literacy if they were unable to pay a ransom. On other occasions, they’d try to exchange the prisoners of war with Muslims who had been captured by their enemies. Muslims sought not to kill or enslave, but to defend themselves. And many people, slave and free, converted into the religion willingly, which they would not have done had it been a religion of violence and hate, as extremists are practicing it today.
It is very clear now that the Muslim fanatics are hypocrites and what you’re seeing from them is not Islam, but a belief system meant to satisfy their selfish ambitions. Certainly, they cannot explain why they enslave when it is now nowhere near a necessity to do so, as it was in the past as a mechanism of self-defense. Furthermore, groups such as Boko Haram have enslaved their own people and without good justification, for there can be no justification for treachery.
The actions of these groups regarding Islam are prohibited in the religion they claim to devoutly follow. As a devout Muslim, I feel obliged to explain that the extremists who make news headlines with their violent, cruel acts do not represent Islam. Everything that they are doing is in direct contradiction to the very religion they declare to follow.
I lay aside my pen, hoping its luminescent ink will reveal the truth of a grave misconception. I hope these words will inspire your search for the truth on these matters. I will continue to write about the grave misconceptions that international news forces upon Americans. Future articles will clarify Muslim beliefs on topics such as education for girls, forced religious conversions, and the current militant uprising in the Middle East.