Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Slavery: Difference between revisions

As was common amongst all states and faith communities found in Europe and Asia in Late Antiquity, the Muslim tradition specifically allows slavery. In fact slaves and the taking of slaves make up an important part of the [[sira]] about Muhammad's life; slaves were a form of [[Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Muhammad and Booty|booty]] and almost always the most valuable part, so the taking of slaves formed a huge part of the impetus behind the prophet's military campaigns. As is extremely clear from the rest of the tradition, female slaves taken by Muslim [[Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Mujahids|mujaahideen]] must submit sexually to their new masters, and sex with them is specifically permitted, as is the beating of disobedient slaves. The two legitimate sources of slaves agreed upon by the Ulama were captives taken in war, and children born to slaves (unless the slave-owner was the father). Never the less, the tradition also makes the freeing of slaves a virtue to be rewarded by Allah, but no scholar in the classical period ever extrapolated this to a general abolitionist sentiment, as the tradition is far too clear on the fact that Muhammad took many, many slaves and was actually very supportive of the institution. Slavery was eventually made illegal throughout the Muslim world in the 19th and 20th centuries, and is now considered forbidden in the modern context by most scholars, though a minority, such as Saudi Sheikh Saleh Al-Fawzan, argue that slavery remains Islamically legitimate.

 

==Allah's Opinion of Slaves==

 

The common Muslim epithet 'slave of Allah' suggests that, according to Islam, slavery is in fact humanity's natural state. Moreover Allah plainly takes a dim view of slaves:

{{Quote|{{Quran|16|71}}|And Allah hath favored some of you above others in provision. Now those who are more favored will by no means hand over their provision to those (slaves) whom their right hands possess, so that they may be equal with them in respect thereof. Is it then the grace of Allah that they deny?}}

==Rape of Female Slaves or Captives==

See the article [[Rape in Islamic Law]]

{{Quote|{{Quran-range|4|23|24}}|Prohibited to you (For marriage) are:- Your mothers, daughters, sisters; father's sisters, Mother's sisters; brother's daughters, sister's daughters; foster-mothers (Who gave you suck), foster-sisters; your wives' mothers; your step-daughters under your guardianship, born of your wives to whom ye have gone in,- no prohibition if ye have not gone in;- (Those who have been) wives of your sons proceeding from your loins; and two sisters in wedlock at one and the same time, except for what is past; for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful;-'''Also (prohibited are) women already married, except those whom your right hands possess''': Thus hath Allah ordained (Prohibitions) against you: Except for these, all others are lawful, provided ye seek (them in marriage) with gifts from your property,- desiring chastity, not lust, seeing that ye derive benefit from them, give them their dowers (at least) as prescribed; but if, after a dower is prescribed, agree Mutually (to vary it), there is no blame on you, and Allah is All-knowing, All-wise.}}

{{Quote|{{Quran-range|23|1|6}}|Successful indeed are the believers Who are humble in their prayers, And who shun vain conversation, And who are payers of the poor-due; And who guard their modesty - '''Save from their wives or the (slaves) that their right hands possess''', for then they are not blameworthy}}

{{Quote|{{Quran|33|50}}|'''O Prophet! Lo! We have made lawful unto thee''' thy wives unto whom thou hast paid their dowries, '''and those whom thy right hand possesseth of those whom Allah hath given thee as spoils of war''', and the daughters of thine uncle on the father's side and the daughters of thine aunts on the father's side, and the daughters of thine uncle on the mother's side and the daughters of thine aunts on the mother's side who emigrated with thee, and a believing woman if she give herself unto the Prophet and the Prophet desire to ask her in marriage - a privilege for thee only, not for the (rest of) believers - '''We are Aware of that which We enjoined upon them concerning their wives and those whom their right hands possess''' - that thou mayst be free from blame, for Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.}}

{{Quote|{{Quran-range|70|29|30}}|And those who guard their chastity, Except with their wives and the (captives) whom their right hands possess,- for (then) they are not to be blamed,}}

==Slave masters determine who their slaves may marry==

{{Quote|{{Quran|24|32}}|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.}}

==Muslims can keep Muslims as slaves==

{{Quote|{{Quran|2|221}}|Do not marry idolatresses until they embrace faith. '''A faithful slave girl is better than an idolatress''', though she should impress you. And do not marry [your daughters] to idolaters until they embrace faith. '''A faithful slave is better than an idolater''', though he should impress you. Those invite [others] to the Fire, but Allah invites to paradise and pardon, by His will, and He clarifies His signs for the people so that they may take admonition.}}

==Islam Permits Raping Captives and Slaves==

{{Main|Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Rape}}

 

{{Quote|{{Muslim|8|3432}}|Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported that at the Battle of Hunain Allah's Messenger sent an army to Autas and encountered the enemy and fought with them. Having overcome them and taken them captives, the Companions of Allah's Messenger seemed to refrain from having intercourse with captive women because of their husbands being polytheists. Then Allah, Most High, sent down regarding that:" And women already married, except those whom your right hands possess (Quran 4:. 24)" (i. e. they were lawful for them when their 'Idda period came to an end).}}

{{Quote|{{Muslim|8|3383}}|Jabir (Allah be pleased with him) reported that a man came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said: I have a slave-girl who is our servant and she carries water for us and I have intercourse with her, but I do not want her to conceive. He said: Practise 'azl, if you so like, but what is decreed for her will come to her. The person stayed back (for some time) and then came and said: The girl has become pregnant, whereupon he said: I told you what was decreed for her would come to her.}}

==Muhammad Had No Animosity With Slavery==

{{Quote|Zad al-Ma'ad, pp. 114-116|"These are the names of Muhammad's male slaves: Yakan Abu Sharh, Aflah, 'Ubayd, Dhakwan, Tahman, Mirwan, Hunayn, Sanad, Fadala Yamamin, Anjasha al-Hadi, Mad'am, Karkara, Abu Rafi', Thawban, Ab Kabsha, Salih, Rabah, Yara Nubyan, Fadila, Waqid, Mabur, Abu Waqid, Kasam, Abu 'Ayb, Abu Muwayhiba, Zayd Ibn Haritha, and also a black slave called Mahran, who was re-named (by Muhammad) Safina (`ship')."<ref name="Zad al-Ma'ad">Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, Zad al-Ma'ad, Part 1, pp. 114-116</ref>}}

{{Quote|Zad al-Ma'ad, pp. 114-116|Muhammad's Maid Slaves "are Salma Um Rafi', Maymuna daughter of Abu Asib, Maymuna daughter of Sa'd, Khadra, Radwa, Razina, Um Damira, Rayhana, Mary the Coptic, in addition to two other maid-slaves, one of them given to him as a present by his cousin, Zaynab, and the other one captured in a war."<ref name="Zad al-Ma'ad"></ref>}}

{{Quote|Zad al-Ma'ad, p. 160|"Mohammed had many male and female slaves. He used to buy and sell them, but he purchased more slaves than he sold, especially after God empowered him by His message, as well as after his immigration from Mecca. He once sold one black slave for two. His name was Jacob al-Mudbir. His purchases of slaves were more than he sold. He was used to renting out and hiring many slaves, but he hired more slaves than he rented out."<ref>Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya, Zad al-Ma'ad, Part 1, p. 160</ref>}}

===Origins of Mahran's (The "Ship"'s) Nickname===

{{Quote||"The apostle of God and his companions went on a trip. (When) their belongings became too heavy for them to carry, Muhammad told me, `Spread your garment.' They filled it with their belongings, then they put it on me. The apostle of God told me, `Carry (it), for you are a ship.' Even if I was carrying the load of six or seven donkeys while we were on a journey, anyone who felt weak would throw his clothes or his shield or his sword on me so I would carry that, a heavy load. The prophet told me, `You are a ship"' <ref>Ibn Qayyim, Pages 115-116; al-Hulya, Volume 1, Page 369, quoted from Ahmad 5:222</ref>}}

A hadith collected by al Bayhaqi (d. 1066 CE) is commonly translated such that Umar's slave-girls' breasts were shaking, though this is unclear in the Arabic of this hadith. An alternative interpretation is that his slave-women had uncovered hair which was falling on their breasts: