By IMAM ABDUL MALIK MUJAHID
Thanks be to God that we now live in a world where there is a global consensus against slavery.
Our gratitude is intensified when we recognize that slavery was a persistent evil that existed not just in our ancient past, but continued until not very long ago in virtually all cultures.
Yet, despite all this progress, slavery has yet to be fully eradicated from the world. Today, Daesh is abusing the Qur’an to justify their crimes of enslaving prisoners and taking women prisoners as concubines. And although rape does not need a theology, Daesh claims to offer one. For this reason, it is of the utmost importance for faith-based voices to speak loudly against the atrocities of Daesh and provide clear, informed responses based on Islamic sources.
From a spiritual perspective, God describes the first step in the journey toward Him as one of freeing slaves, “But he did not take the difficult path. And how would you know what is the difficult path? It is to free a slave, or to feed on a day of hunger an orphaned relative,†(90:10–14). Within Islamic law itself, the freeing of slaves was incorporated into expiations and punishments for crimes. These verses were reaffirmed in a 2014 letter to Daesh leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, signed by more than one hundred of the top Islamic scholars from around the world.
In addition, there are numerous verses in the Qur’an that speak of the emancipation of slaves. For example, in Surah 2, Verse 177, God teaches that one’s piety is personified by the freeing of slaves. The Qur’an also teaches that the emancipation of slaves may be used to compensate for sin or a crime: “A believer should never kill another believer, but mistakes happen. If someone kills a believer by mistake, he must free one believing slave and pay compensation to the victim’s relatives, unless they willingly forgo compensation. If the victim is a believer, but belonged to a community with which you are at war, then the compensation is only to free a believing slave†(4:92).
This theme continues in 58:3: “Those of you who divorce your wives by equating them with your mothers, then wish to go back on what you said, must set free a slave before they touch one another,†and “God does not hold you accountable for oaths thoughtlessly sworn, but He will take you to task for earnestly sworn oaths. So, the breaking of an oath must be atoned by feeding ten needy persons with the same food as you would want for your own family, or by clothing them, or by freeing a slave, and if a person cannot find the means to do this, he will fast for three days†(5:89).
Likewise, the Qur’an speaks strongly against taking female prisoners as concubines, which is seen in Surah 4, Verse 25:
“If any of you does not have the means to marry free believing women, then marry a believer from those whom your right hands held in trust. God knows all about your faith; each one of you is part of the same human family. Marry them with their guardian’s consent, and give them their rightful bridal-gifts. Make them married women, not adulterous fornicators or lovers. If they commit adultery when they are married, their punishment should be half that of free women. This permission is for those of you who fear they will sin. It is better for you to practice self-control. God is most forgiving and Merciful-to-all.â€
Moreover, there is not a single verse in the Qur’an that encourages or commands people to take others as slaves. Also, there is nothing to suggest that it is the Divine Will for the practice of slavery to continue until the end of time, as Daesh would like everyone to believe.
Following these commandments, the Prophet Muhammad launched an anti-slavery movement in which he personally liberated all of his slaves, and even promised prisoners of war their freedom if they taught ten Muslims how to read. The Prophet’s Companions followed his example, freeing tens of thousands of slaves of their own volition. To the Prophet and his Companions, liberating slaves was not merely one specific good deed out of a long list of potential opportunities for good; rather, it was one of the ultimate means of reaching moral and spiritual excellence. This is why his wife, Khadijah, and his most beloved companion, Abu Bakr, both wealthy businesspersons, became almost penniless buying slaves their freedom.
It was because of this anti-slavery movement that most people who accepted the Prophet’s invitation to believe in One God and join his peace movement were slaves. It was this core message of the equality of all human beings as explained in Surah 49, Verse 13, “People, We created you from a male and a female and made you nations and tribes so that you may know one another. The best among you in the sight of God is the one who is most mindful of God. God is All-knowing and All-Aware,†that attracted Malik El-Shabazz (Malcolm X), Muhammad Ali, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, among hundreds of thousands of African Americans, as well as former untouchables in India, to Islam.
It should be noted that there is one Qur’anic verse that authorizes the capture of human beings; not as slaves, but as prisoners of war, “So, when you encounter the unbelievers (in battle), strike at their necks. Then, once they are defeated, bind them firmly. Then either release them by grace, or by ransom, until the war is over. God could have defeated them Himself if He had willed, but He wants to test some of you by means of others. As for those who are killed in the cause of God, He will not let their deeds go to waste,†(47:4). This was ordered in a context when there were no prison systems or prisoner-of-war camps. Army commanders were either to free prisoners without financial compensation or to hold them for ransom.
Another aspect of the Prophet’s anti-slavery movement was to challenge the exploitation of enslaved women or concubines, who were often treated as sexual pawns and prostituted to the highest bidder. Using both legal and moral measures to address this practice, the Prophet made the prostitution of all women illegal and ruled that sexual intercourse must require marital consent.
In addition, Muslim men who owned female slaves were highly encouraged to emancipate them, instead of living in a system that promoted their exploitation. The Prophet Muhammad said: “Whoever educates a slave woman, treats her nicely, liberates her, and marries her, will be rewarded twice.†In short, the aim was to end both the sexual exploitation of women, and slavery in general. The Prophet also forbade the division of slave families, prohibited selling-off mothers, encouraged Muslims to marry slave women, and enacted equal inheritance laws among the children of both free and slave women.
Thus, slavery should not be revived in the name of Islam, as the act of reinstituting slavery goes against direct encouragements and commandments that speak towards setting people free, and go against God’s plan and the Prophet’s movement to eliminate it.
Daesh grossly misinterprets the mere mention of the existence of slavery in the Qur’an, equating it withapproval and encouragement, while ignoring the clear verses that speak towards its abolition. It is a clear violation of Islamic principles and teachings, as Islamic scholars in America and the Muslim world have made clear.
Although Daesh does not seem amenable to reason, there is an Islamic theological reasoning against the revival of slavery that must be made clear: God has never ordered anyone to establish slavery, nor is there any verse in the Qur’an that commands the practice to be continued or reinstated. Likewise, God has instructed us to follow Him, the Prophet, and our Leaders: “Believers, obey God and the messenger and those among you who have been entrusted with authority. If you have a dispute about anything, refer it to God and the Messenger, if you truly believe in God and the Last Day. This is best to do and in turn gives the best results†(4:59). They have all prohibited slavery through their commandments and treaties, and it is a sin to violate such treaties.
Muslims around the world must be at the forefront of speaking out against slavery and rape based on God’s Commandments for emancipation, Islam’s emphasis on establishing an egalitarian society, and the Prophet’s movement for the liberation of slaves. Our voices must be louder than those of groups like Daesh and Boko Haram.
Supporting the anti-slavery movement is in line with a Muslim’s duty to be just, as emphasized in the Qur’an: “O you who believe! stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses for God, even if it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin. Whether one is rich or poor, God can best protect both. So do not ever follow prejudice, so as to do justice; and in case you twist or veer away, then surely God has been Ever-Cognizant of whatever you do.†(4:135).
