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). Nevertheless, 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==

 

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

{{Quote|{{{Quran|4|36}}|Worship Allah and associate nothing with Him, and to parents do good, and to relatives, orphans, the needy, the near neighbor, the neighbor farther away, the companion at your side, the traveler, '''and those whom your right hands possess'''. Indeed, Allah does not like those who are self-deluding and boastful.}}

==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==

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: