Owning Slaves

alf2

Islam is a way of life
Is owning slaves okay in Islam? It was my understanding that it is not okay.
Did Prophet Muhammad (saw) own slaves even after he became a prophet??

NO OPINIONS.
ONLY SUPPORT YOUR ANSWER FROM QUR'AN AND HADITH.
 

Aapa

Mirajmom
Assalaam walaikum,

How often is it written that a true Believer has the option of manumit a slave. The Wives of the Prophet, were amongst the first to manumit slaves. There are many instances found whereas a person could fast or manumit a slave.

Our souls belong to Allah.
 

Perseveranze

Junior Member
Asalaamu Alaikum,

Him and his companions free'd over 300,000 slaves in the Prophet(pbuh)'s time. Slaves were treated like family and it was one of the best deeds if you free'd a slave (and not only free them, but also made sure they could live by themselves).

If Muslims had followed the Prophet(pbuh) in these teachings, slavery would've been abolished long before it was. For anyone that asks why didn't the Prophet(pbuh) just do it there and then, well if He did that then Islam couldn't have spread.

There's alot of deep research into the subject, so it's important you get a good understanding on it.

ps. Under Shariah Law today, Slavery isn't allowed.
 

Perseveranze

Junior Member
I respectfully disagree. The reason he did not, IMHO, is the same as the reason the prohibition of intoxication and usury was gradual: Breaking a bad, but strong habit cannot be done by a decree! How many people succeeded in quitting smoking cold-turkey? After Lincoln freed the slaves by decree, the bloodiest war in US history was launched and he was assassinated!

Compare that approach to this teaching of the Quran,
"Should he not then conquer the obstacle? And what may make you understand what the obstacle is? Untying of a neck! (freeing a slave)" (90:11-13)

Asalaamu Alaikum,

That is another good point. I am just saying that, if Muhammad(pbuh) stopped slavery there and then, alot of people would've suffered because of it. In times of wars, there are orphans, widows and people who have nothing or no-one to care for themselves, these people would likely end up dead or become the slave of the Polythiest and we all know how they treated slaves. By still allowing slavery, the Prophet(pbuh) put in strict rules in their treatment, many of these slaves would later be freed and during their time under slavery would be cared for and treated in a just manner.

The Prophet(pbuh) used to say that marrying your daughter to a Muslim slave is far better then marrying your daughter to any Non-Muslim. The first person to do the Athaan was a former slave, Bilaal (may allah be pleased with him).

There's such a deep research on this, it's quite fascinating when you have an in-depth understanding of slavery during the time of the Prophet(pbuh). I don't have this though, just the basic concept of why Slavery was around at the time and how Islam was as an antidote a gradual breaking of slavery.

edit: woops, I completly missed the main point :S I also meant to say was that if people were captured by Polythiests as slaves, they would later be forced to fight against the Muslims which would make it more difficult.
 

Al-Kashmiri

Well-Known Member
Staff member
As-salaamu `alaykum

I can't comment much as others have already done so sufficiently inshaa' Allaah (via posts, links), but I seriously recommend that one reads S.E. Al-Djazairi's "The Myth of Muslim Barbarism and its Aims", wherein the author deals with subject matter in over 50 pages. He demonstrates very accurately that for the large part of humanity, it has been the Western Christian who has enslaved the masses and treated slaves in the most appalling of fashions.

He also deals with the charges of historians against Islam on the subject, showing how they dump their burdens on Muslim shoulders, blaming the Arabs for the enslavement of Africans, though the Arab enslaving of Africans was nothing compared to what the 'just' and 'civilised' West did. He also provides accounts of Westerners themselves complaining of Western Slavery, many a time expressing their wishes to have been captivated by the more just Turks, and how slaves were able to start their own businesses under Muslims whereas they didn't even receive basic food and a wage under Western subjugators...

A part of the book can be read here,

http://www.baytalhikma.co.uk/MMBIntroduction.htm
 

Aapa

Mirajmom
Assalaam walaikum,

Brother,

We can not blame anyone for the evils that Muslims committed in participating in the slave trade. Chattel slavery was an abomination and we are still suffering from the consequences of the slave trades.
It does not matter what the West did. The Muslims were evil in the capture of Muslims and non-Muslims. And we have to accept the fact that they sold their souls for a miserable price.
This has been documented.
To make a comparison with non-Muslims is unfair.
 

Al-Kashmiri

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Assalaam walaikum,

Brother,

We can not blame anyone for the evils that Muslims committed in participating in the slave trade. Chattel slavery was an abomination and we are still suffering from the consequences of the slave trades.
It does not matter what the West did. The Muslims were evil in the capture of Muslims and non-Muslims. And we have to accept the fact that they sold their souls for a miserable price.
This has been documented.
To make a comparison with non-Muslims is unfair.

Wa`alaykum us-Salaam Respected sister,

We know that they too were unjust, and no, making comparisons is not unfair when the point is to bring out the reality and truth of the matter... it is unfair to conceal the truth and a need is there to reply to the arguments and charges against us based on knowledge and wisdom. Sometimes it requires that these facts are brought to the spot-light.

The book is an excellent read and very well researched. The author expresses over and over that his purpose isn't to blame, so if my post came out that way, then it's my own doing...
 
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