Madinat al-Muslimeen Islamic Message Board
| Whom your right hand posseses? |
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| Anonymous |
| 07/04/01 at 20:08:39 |
| [slm] I was hesitant to post this question but then again there's no haya fil deen. So here's my question: In the qur'an the phrase "whom your right hand posseses" is mentioned. Does that apply to women who own male slaves as well? If so can the women have sexual relations with their male slaves? |
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| kiwi25 |
| 07/04/01 at 21:15:29 |
| salam, whoa, ok i heard that even if a man has slave girls he cant have sexual intercourse with them because theyre not his wives, islam doesnt treat woman as sexual objects weather theyre slaves or not? someone help us out here, wasalam nouha:) |
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| meraj |
| 07/04/01 at 22:02:12 |
| slm, ok well i dont have an answer to your question, but it might be worth mentioning that since after that time, slavery has been prohibited in islam. |
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| jannah |
| 07/04/01 at 22:20:00 |
| [quote]since after that time, slavery has been prohibited in islam.[/quote] hmm i don't know of any muslim scholar that has "banned slavery". slavery limitations and conditions were legislated by Allah. i think what is meant here is that slavery has been banned the world over by all countries so these questions have very little relevancy. |
| Re: Whom your right hand posseses? |
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| meraj |
| 07/04/01 at 22:31:21 |
| slm, yeah jaakallahu khair for clarifying that point... perhaps i should have stated it as a question instead of a fact :) |
| Re: Whom your right hand posseses? |
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| Anik |
| 07/05/01 at 00:37:24 |
| asalaamu alaikum, Allah forgive me first of all for even wondering this because indeed i hope i am wrong... could they be concubines? I once read in a book about that... sorry I am still learning... Jazak Allahu Khairun to everyone in advance for patience while I sort out the truth and libel. asalaamu alaikum. abdullah,. |
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| Mahmoodah |
| 07/05/01 at 02:06:38 |
| salam, there was this discussion abt concubines on sun descussion board, but i can't remember which discussion board it was!!! if i remember, i'll let u know:) wa-salam |
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| Mahmoodah |
| 07/05/01 at 02:11:46 |
| salam, i found the discussion on this:) http://members3.boardhost.com/shahaada_uk/msg/81.html this is the start of the discussion, read the responses!!! wa-salam |
| Re: Whom your right hand posseses? |
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| amatullah |
| 07/05/01 at 11:57:05 |
| Bimsillah and salam, I believe that the men can have relations with the female slave. But there are also scholars nowadays who say that the conditions of slavery that were then (true jihad) is barely existent so that is not happening. But the women cannot have relations with the man slave becuase it will cause a big problem of ansab (figuring out who's kid it is, money, inheritance, etc) But however i am almost 99% sure, she is allowed to show her hair, arms and part of the legs infront of her slaves. Maybe someone can verify this? |
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| Anik |
| 07/05/01 at 14:25:36 |
| asalaamu alaikum, wow if that is true what you say,I feel surprised... did Prophet Mohammad SAW decree or take part in any of this? You all have no idea how scared I am from Allah Subhana that in my asking, and it is honest wonder, that I am sinning as well. Allah Subhana forgive me. asalaamu alaikum. abdullah,. |
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| Anik |
| 07/05/01 at 14:32:31 |
| asalaamu alaikum, okay,I read that discussion string... our Prophet Mohammad SAW had a child through Maria, a concubine? just asking. how is it Islamically justified (not just by decree, I am sure there must be a reason although it is not required I guess). asalaamu alaikum. abdullah,. |
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| Lisha |
| 07/05/01 at 20:40:47 |
| [quote]But however i am almost 99% sure, she is allowed to show her hair, arms and part of the legs infront of her slaves. Maybe someone can verify this?[/quote]slm sister. I heard this is also true:) But it sounds kinda scary, I proably sound dumb n stupid but y would a man wanna _____ when he has a wife??? I find this sickening! ok i guess i'm not making ne sence w'salaam |
| Re: Whom your right hand posseses? |
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| bhaloo |
| 07/05/01 at 21:03:41 |
| slm Here is a question and answer session with Dr. Siddiqi (PRESIDENT OF ISNA) about slavery. Q 3. In the Qur'an when it talks about you have access to your wives and your slaves that your right hand possess.... What does this mean? Some people interpret it that since they can have sexual relationship with their slaves, so therefore it is OK for them to have girl friends so long as they are supporting them. When I was having a discussion with the same group of people, it was brought up that the Prophet -peace be upon him- had a child from a mistress that was sent to him by the king of Egypt. This statement shocked me, but I'm sure you know more. (A Muslim girl) A 3. According to the Qur'an, it was allowed to have sexual relations with "those women whom your right hands possess". This term is used in the Qur'an for women who were slaves or who came as prisoners of war and there was no way to return them to their people. Slavery existed in human societies from ancient times. However, Islam gave clear directions to Muslims to free the slaves. Islam also prohibited them from enslaving any free person. If Muslims had followed these teachings of Islam fully and faithfully, the slavery would have been eliminated long time ago. However, unfortunately, Muslims failed in eliminating this evil. Thanks to Allah, now the slavery is abolished and it is outlawed. Thus we can say that there are no "ma malakat aymanukum" now. Since Islam also prohibits enslaving a free person, Muslims are not allowed now to have any slaves, males or females. The only way possible for Muslims to have sexual relations now is through marriage and nothing beyond marriage. It is wrong to interpret this term as "girlfriend". A girlfriend is not a slave girl. She is a free woman. Muslim men are not allowed to have girlfriends also. If any one wants to have sex with a free woman, then he must marry her first. Without marriage any sexual relationship is haram and sinful. The Prophet -peace be upon him- did not have any mistresses. This is a false accusation. It is a grave sin to speak this way about the Messenger of Allah. The Muslims who utter such statements about the Prophet -peace be upon him- should repent and ask Allah's forgiveness, otherwise their faith is in danger. Sayyidah Maria Qibitiya -may Allah be pleased with her- was a slave girl that was presented to the Prophet -peace be upon him- by Maqawqas, the Coptic Archbishop of Egypt at that time. The Prophet accepted her in his household as an honorable woman. She accepted Islam and according to some traditions he married her. According to some others traditions, she remained as "ma malakat yaminuh". However, whatever the Prophet -peace be upon him- did was with the permission of Allah. It is prohibited to use this as an example to follow now. It is neither allowed for any Muslim king or rich man to give a woman as a present, nor is it allowed for any Muslim to accept any woman as a present. |
| NS |
| Re: Whom your right hand posseses? |
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| amal |
| 07/06/01 at 13:38:27 |
| This is an article i found on the net. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- How does Islam view slaves? Islam commands the Muslims to love and respect slaves and to treat them with kindness. Let us look at Noble Verse 2:177 "It is not righteousness that ye turn your faces Towards east or West; but it is righteousness to believe in God and the Last Day, and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to spend of your substance, out of love for Him, for your kin, for orphans, for the needy, for the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for the ransom of slaves; to be steadfast in prayer, and practice regular charity; to fulfil the contracts which ye have made; and to be firm and patient, in pain (or suffering) and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing." In this Noble Verse, we see that Allah Almighty orders Muslims to spend from their money and wealth and to give with love and respect the kin, orphans, the needy, the wayfarer, for those who ask, and for slaves. Muslims have to help those who need it in their community. Let us look at Noble Verse 2:221 "Do not marry unbelieving women (idolaters), until they believe: A slave woman who believes is better than an unbelieving woman, even though she allures you. Nor marry (your girls) to unbelievers until they believe: A man slave who believes is better than an unbeliever, even though he allures you. Unbelievers do (but) beckon you to the Fire. But God beckons by His Grace to the Garden (of bliss) and forgiveness, and makes His Signs clear to mankind: That they may celebrate His praise." In this Noble Verse, we see that Allah Almighty in some cases considers a slave to be better than a free human being. Allah Almighty orders Muslims not to marry from the Pagans, and He tells us that a slave Muslim (who is owned by a non Muslim) is better than a non believer, even if that non believer was beautiful. Let us look at Noble Verse 24:31 "And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husband's fathers, their sons, their husbands' sons, their brothers or their brothers' sons, or their sisters' sons, or their women, or the slaves whom their right hands possess, or male servants free of physical needs, or small children who have no sense of the shame of sex; and that they should not strike their feet in order to draw attention to their hidden ornaments. And O ye Believers! turn ye all together towards God, that ye may attain Bliss." In this Noble Verse, we see that Allah Almighty orders the Muslim women to guard their modesty and not to display their beauty to strangers. However, the Muslim women are allowed to display their beauty to their husbands, relatives, other women, and their slaves. This Noble Verse clearly shows a full respect to the slaves by allowing the Muslim women to display their beauty to them. Some teachings from Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him: Narrated Al-Ma'rur: At Ar-Rabadha I met Abu Dhar who was wearing a cloak, and his slave, too, was wearing a similar one. I asked about the reason for it. He replied, "I abused a person by calling his mother with bad names." The Prophet said to me, 'O Abu Dhar! Did you abuse him by calling his mother with bad names You still have some characteristics of ignorance. 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 (slaves) to do things beyond their capacity (power) and if you do so, then help them.' " (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Belief, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 29). Narrated Anas: The Prophet said, "None of you will have faith till he wishes for his (Muslim) brother [this includes slaves, since a slave is considered a brother as shown above] what he likes for himself." (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Belief, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 12). Narrated Abu Musa: Some people asked Allah's Apostle, "Whose Islam is the best? i.e. (Who is a very good Muslim)?" He replied, "One who avoids harming the Muslims with his tongue and hands." (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Belief, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 10). Narrated 'Abdullah bin 'Amr: A man asked the Prophet , "What sort of deeds or (what qualities of) Islam are good?" The Prophet replied, 'To feed (the poor) and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not Know." (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Belief, Volume 1, Book 2, Number 11). The Liberation of Slaves in Islam: The reason why Muslims had slaves is because when Islam was still weak and growing, the Arab Pagans' tribes used to launch continuous attacks on the Muslims to destroy Islam once and for all. Muslims had entered many bloody and vicious battles against the non believers which had cost both sides many lives from the men. When the Muslims used to enter a city after defeating its army, they would face a new dilemma. They often meet hundreds of non believing women and young children and elderly left without any support because their men had died in the battle field. For this reason, Allah Almighty allowed for the Muslims to take those people as slaves to help them survive. Keep in mind that during that time, the Muslims didn't have an Islamic government and welfare system to take care of the orphans and widows from the non believers. The Muslims had to take care of them from their own means. Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him ordered the Muslims to be very sensitive to their slaves. He ordered the Muslims to buy the slave young boys and girls the same quality of clothes and gifts that they would buy for their children. He also ordered Muslims not to hit or be violent to adult slaves. He ordered Muslims to be loving and caring for them. Prophet Muhammad also urged wealthy Muslims to buy slaves from the Pagan Arabs and to let them free after that. One of Prophet Muhammad's best friends was a slave from Africa called Bilal Al-Habashi. Bilal was bought from his Pagan master by Abu Baker Al-Siddeek, one of Muhammad's best friends. After Abu Baker bought Bilal, he set him free. Islam as I mentioned in the introduction came to fight slavery. Allah Almighty ordered the Muslims to gradually liberate slaves and to give them their freedom in many cases. Let us look at Noble Verse 4:92 "Never should a believer kill a believer; but (If it so happens) by mistake, (Compensation is due): If one (so) kills a believer, it is ordained that he should free a believing slave, and pay compensation to the deceased's family, unless they remit it freely. If the deceased belonged to a people at war with you, and he was a believer, the freeing of a believing slave (Is enough). If he belonged to a people with whom ye have treaty of Mutual alliance, compensation should be paid to his family, and a believing slave be freed. For those who find this beyond their means, (is prescribed) a fast for two months running: by way of repentance to God: for God hath all knowledge and all wisdom." In this Noble Verse, we see that Allah Almighty ordered to free a believing slave if a Muslim accidentally kills another Muslim. This Noble Verse came to encourage Muslims to liberate slaves. Let us look at Noble Verse 5:89 "God will not call you to account for what is futile in your oaths, but He will call you to account for your deliberate oaths: for expiation, feed ten indigent persons, on a scale of the average for the food of your families; or clothe them; or give a slave his freedom. If that is beyond your means, fast for three days. That is the expiation for the oaths ye have sworn. But keep to your oaths. Thus doth God make clear to you His signs, that ye may be grateful." This Noble Verse is also another proof that Allah Almighty did encourage Muslims to liberate slaves. Let us look at Noble Verse 58:3 "But those who divorce their wives by Zihar, then wish to go back on the words they uttered, (It is ordained that such a one) should free a slave before they touch each other: Thus are ye admonished to perform: and God is well-acquainted with (all) that ye do." This Noble Verse is another proof that Allah Almighty did encourage Muslims to liberate slaves. Narrated Asma: "No doubt the Prophet ordered people to manumit slaves during the solar eclipse. (Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Eclipses, Volume 2, Book 18, Number 163)" If a Muslim beats his slave or slaps him on the face, then he must set him free: "Zadhan reported that Ibn Umar called his slave and he found the marks (of beating) upon his back. He said to him: I have caused you pain. He said: No. But he (Ibn Umar) said: You are free. He then took hold of something from the earth and said: There is no reward for me even to the weight equal to it. I heard Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as 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. (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Oaths (Kitab Al-Aiman), Book 015, Number 4079)" Abu Mas'ud reported that he had been beating his slave and he had been saying: "I seek refuge with Allah, but he continued beating him, whereupon he said: I seek refuge with Allah's Messenger, and he spared him. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: By Allah, God has more dominance over you than you have over him (the slave). He said that he set him free. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Shu'ba with the same chain of transmitters, but made no mention of (these words) of his: I seek refuge with Allah, I seek refuge with Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). (Translation of Sahih Muslim, The Book of Oaths (Kitab Al-Aiman), Book 015, Number 4089)" More on freeing slaves: Narrated Salamah ibn Sakhr al-Bayadi: "I was a man who was more given than others to sexual intercourse with women. When the month of Ramadan came, I feared lest I should have intercourse with my wife, and this evil should remain with me till the morning. So I made my wife like my mother's back to me till the end of Ramadan. But one night when she was waiting upon me, something of her was revealed. Suddenly I jumped upon her. When the morning came I went to my people and informed them about this matter. I said: Go along with me to the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him). They said: No, by Allah. So I went to the Prophet (peace be upon him and informed him of the matter. He said: Have you really committed it, Salamah? I said: I committed it twice, Apostle of Allah. I am content with the Commandment of Allah, the Exalted; so take a decision about me according to what Allah has shown you. He said: Free a slave. I said: By Him Who sent you with truth, I do not possess a neck other than this: and I struck the surface of my neck. He said: Then fast two consecutive months. I said: Whatever I suffered is due to fasting. He said: Feed sixty poor people with a wasq of dates. I said: By Him Who sent you with truth, we passed the night hungry; there was no food in our house. He said: Then go to the collector of sadaqah of Banu Zurayq; he must give it to you. Then feed sixty poor people with a wasq of dates; and you and your family eat the remaining dates. Then I came back to my people, and said (to them): I found with you poverty and bad opinion; and I found with the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) prosperity and good opinion. He has commanded me to give alms to you. Ibn al-Ala' added: Ibn Idris said: Bayadah is a sub-clan of Banu Zurayq. (Translation of Sunan Abu-Dawud, Divorce (Kitab Al-Talaq), Book 12, Number 2207)" Narrated Khuwaylah, daughter of Malik ibn Tha'labah: "My husband, Aws ibn as-Samit, pronounced the words: You are like my mother. So I came to the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him), complaining to him about my husband. The Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) disputed with me and said: Remain dutiful to Allah; he is your cousin. I continued (complaining) until the Qur'anic verse came down: "Allah hath heard the words of her who disputeth with thee concerning her husband...." till the prescription of expiation. He then said: He should set free a slave. She said: He cannot afford it. He said: He should fast for two consecutive months. She said: Apostle of Allah, he is an old man; he cannot keep fasts. He said: He should feed sixty poor people. She said: He has nothing which he may give in alms. At that moment an araq (i.e. date-basket holding fifteen or sixteen sa's) was brought to him. I said: I shall help him with another date-basked ('araq). He said: You have done well. Go and feed sixty poor people on his behalf, and return to your cousin. The narrator said: An araq holds sixty sa's of dates. (Translation of Sunan Abu-Dawud, Divorce (Kitab Al-Talaq), Book 12, Number 2208)" There are a lot more Noble Verses from the Noble Quran and Sayings from our beloved Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him that push for freeing of slaves. The Islamic attitude toward slaves is very clear and straight forward: All slaves are eventually to be freed! And they were all freed during the times of Islam from the Judeo-Christian and Pagan slavery. Can a slave request his freedom from his Muslim owner? The Noble Quran not only allows slavas to request their freedom from their Muslim masters, but also orders the Muslim masters to pay the slaves money to help them stand on their feet and to be able to face life with a good jump start. Let us look at Noble Verse 24:33 "Let those who find not the wherewithal for marriage keep themselves chaste, until God gives them means out of His grace. And if any of your slaves ask for a deed in writing (to enable them to earn their freedom for a certain sum), give them such a deed if ye know any good in them: yea, give them something yourselves out of the means which God has given to you. But force not your maids to prostitution when they desire chastity, in order that ye may make a gain in the goods of this life. But if anyone compels them, yet, after such compulsion, is God, Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (to them)," In this Noble Verse, we see that if a slave requests his freedom from his Muslim master, then his master not only must help him earn his freedom if there is good in the Slave, but also pay him money so the slave can have a good start in his free life. Conclusion: Islam is a very merciful religion on slaves. Islam came and fought many bloody battles against the Arabs who believed in slavery and who brutally enslaved many people. Islam also sees the importance of liberating slaves, and had helped to gradually liberate slaves until all of them were ultimately freed. Islam allows for any slave to request from his Muslim owner his freedom, and orders the Muslim owner to grant that slave his freedom and to pay him money on top of it to help him get a good start in his new free life. |
| Re: Whom your right hand posseses? |
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| Mahmoodah |
| 07/07/01 at 08:47:26 |
[quote] our Prophet Mohammad SAW had a child through Maria, a concubine? just asking. [/quote] salam, that was one of his wives, not a concubine!!! Our prophet (pbuh) din't hav ne concubines!!! wa-salam |
| Re: Whom your right hand posseses? |
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| Mahmoodah |
| 07/07/01 at 08:48:47 |
| i got this from islam city!!! Question: Did the Prophet (SAW) had : Mariyah the Coptic. Raihana bint Zaid An-Nadriyah as CONCUBINES. and if yes It is not HARRAM in islam to have a concubine?!!!!!!!!!! Answer: Dear N. Greetings from IslamicityŐs Imam. Mariyah the Coptic was prophet MuhammadŐs wife not Concubine. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) never had any concubine, because prophets donŐt have concubine. As to the issue of having concubines for non-prophets, yes, Islam allowed concubines, but currently, it has not allowed because there are no justifications for them. Thank you for asking and God knows best |
| Re: Whom your right hand posseses? |
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| eleanor |
| 07/07/01 at 14:42:54 |
| slm I read this in Martin Ling's book "Muhammad" and I must say I was mildly surprised and a little shocked when I read it. It made me think about Muhammad and Islam a little differently.. "The Prophet's letter to the Muqawqis, summoning him to Islam, was answered evasively; but with his answer the ruler of Egypt sent a rich present of a thousand measures of gold, twenty robes of fine cloth, a mule, a she-ass and, as the crown of the gift, two Coptic Christian slave girls escorted by an elderly eunuch. The girls were sisters, Máriyah and SĂrĂ, and both were beautiful, but Máriyah was exceptionally so, and the Prophet marvelled at her beauty. He gave SĂrĂn to Hassan ibn Thabit, and lodged Mariyah in the nearby house where Safiyyah had lived before her apartment adjoining the Mosque was built. There he would visit her by both day and by night; but his wives became so openly jealous that she was unhappy, and he then lodged her in Upper Medina. 'A'isha and the others were at first relieved, but they soon found that they had gained nothing. For the Prophet did not visit Mariyah any the less often, and the added distance meant that his absences were even longer than before. They well knew that he was altogether within his rights - rights which had been recognised from the time of Abraham and before. Were they not all, except Safiyyah, descended from the union of Abraham with the bondmaid Hagar? Moreover the law revealed to Moses had corroboratedsuch rights, and the Koran itself expressly allowed a master to take his bondmaid as concubine on condition of her free consent." (p.277) And then later on in the next chapter: "Yet now, shortly after the death of his eldest daughter, it appeared that he was again to become a father. Mariyah his Coptic bondmaid, was expecting a child. She was already a centre of attention for the people of Medina who knew well the Prophet's affection for her, and who sought to please him by their kindness to her; and now their attentiveness was redoubled" So, if anyone can refute this, I'd like to hear it. And I know the Prophet had special dispensations (ie he had 10 wives!) but still... wasalaam eleanor |
| Re: Whom your right hand posseses? |
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| se7en |
| 07/07/01 at 14:55:38 |
Another article on slavery in islam: [i]How is it that Islam, a religion inspired by God for the good of humanity, allows slavery?[/i] [color=black] There are historical, social and psychological dimensions to this question, which we must work through patiently, if we are to arrive at a satisfactory answer. First of all, it is useful to recall why the institution of slavery is thought of or remembered with such revulsion. Images of the brutal treatment of slaves, especially in ancient Rome and Egypt, provokes sorrow and deep disgust. That is why even after so many centuries, our conception of slaves is of men and women carrying stones to the pyramids and being used up in the building process like mortar, or fighting wild animals in public arenas for the amusement of their owners. We picture slaves wearing shameful yokes and chains around their necks. Nearer modern times there is the practice of slavery on an enormous scale by the Western European nations; the barbarity and bestiality of this trade beggars all description. The trade was principally in Africans who were transported across the oceans, packed in specially designed ships, thought of and treated exactly like livestock. These slaves were forced to change their names and abandon their religion and their language, were never entitled to hope for freedom, and were kept, again like livestock, for hard labouring or for breeding purposes-a birth among them was celebrated as if it were a death. It is difficult to understand how human beings could conceive of fellow human beings in such a light, still less treat them thus. But it certainly happened: there is much documentary evidence that shows, for example, how ship-masters would throw their human cargo overboard in order to claim compensation for their loss. Slaves had no rights in law, only obligations; their owners had absolute rights over them to dispose of them as they wished-brothers and sisters, parents and children, would be separated or allowed to stay together according to the owner’s mood or his economic convenience. After centuries of this dreadful practice had made the West European nations rich from exploitation of such commodities as sugar, cotton, coffee, they abolished slavery-they abolished it, with much self-congratulation, first as a trade, then altogether. Yet the Muslim regions had also known considerable prosperity through the exploitation of sugar, cotton, coffee (these words in European languages are of Arabic origin), and achieved that prosperity without the use of slave labour. More important, let us also note, when the Europeans abolished slavery, it was the slave-owners who were compensated, not the slaves-in other words, the attitude to fellow human beings which allowed such treatment of them had not changed. It was not many years after the abolition of slavery that Africa was directly colonized by the Europeans with consequences for the Africans no less terrible than slavery itself. Further, because the attitude to non-Europeans has changed little, if at all, in modern times, their social and political condition remains, even where they live amid the Europeans and their descendants as fellow-citizens, that of despised inferiors. It is barely a couple of decades since the anthropological museums in the great capitals of the Western countries ceased to display, for public entertainment, the bones and stuffed bodies of their fellow human beings. And such displays were not organized by the worst among them, but by the best-the scientists, doctors, learned men, humanitarians. In short, it is not only the institution of slavery that causes revulsion in the human heart, it is the attitudes of inhumanity which sustain it. And the truth is, if the institution no longer formally exists but the attitudes persist, then humanity has not gained much, if at all. That is why colonial exploitation replaced slavery, and why the chains of unbearable, unrepayable international debt have replaced colonial exploitation: only slavery has gone, its structures of inhumanity and barbarism are still securely in place. Before we turn to the Islamic perspective on slavery, let us recall a name famous even among Western Europeans, that of Harun al-Rashid, and let us recall that this man who enjoyed such authority and power over all Muslims was the son of a slave. Nor is he the only such example; slaves and their children enjoyed enormous prestige, authority, respect and (shall we say it) freedom, within the Islamic system, in all areas of life, cultural as well as political. How could this have come about? Islam amended and educated the institution of slavery and the attitudes of masters to slaves. The Qur’an taught in many verses that all human beings are descended from a single ancestor, that none has an intrinsic right of superiority over another, whatever his race or his nation or his social standing. And from the Prophet’s teaching, upon him be peace, the Muslims learnt these principles, which they applied both as laws and as social norms: Whosoever kills his slave: he shall be killed. Whosoever imprisons his slave and starves him, he shall be imprisoned and starved himself, and whosoever castrates his slave shall himself be castrated. (Abu Dawud, Diyat, 70; Tirmidhi, Diyat, 17; Al-Nasa’i, Qasama, 10, 16) You are sons of Adam and Adam was created from clay. (Tirmidhi, Tafsir, 49; Manaqib, 73; Abu Dawud, Adab, 111) You should know that no Arab is superior over a non-Arab and, no non-Arab is superior over any Arab, no white is superior over black and no black is superior over white. Superiority is by righteousness and God-fearing [alone]. (Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 411) Because of this compassionate attitude, those who had lived their whole lives as slaves and who are described in ahadith as poor and lowly received respect from those who enjoyed high social status (Muslim, Birr, 138; Jannat, 48; Tirmidhi, Manaqib, 54, 65). ‘Umar was expressing his respect in this sense when he said: ‘Master Bilal whom Master Abu Bakr set free’ (Bukhari, Fada’il al-Sahaba, 23). Islam (unlike other civilizations) requires that slaves are thought of and treated as within the framework of universal human brotherhood, and not as outside it. The Prophet, upon him be peace, said: Your servants and your slaves are your brothers. Anyone who has slaves should give them from what he eats and wears. He should not charge them with work beyond their capabilities. If you must set them to hard work, in any case I advise you to help them. (Bukhari, Iman, 22; Adab, 44; Muslim, Iman, 38–40; Abu Dawud, Adab, 124) Not one of you should [when introducing someone] say ‘This is my slave’, ‘This is my concubine’. He should call them ‘my daughter’ or ‘my son’ or ‘my brother’. (Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 2, 4) For this reason ‘Umar and his servant took it in turns to ride on the camel from Madina to Jerusalem on their journey to take control of Masjid al-Aqsa. While he was the head of the state, ‘Uthman had his servant pull his own ears in front of the people since he had pulled his. Abu Dharr, applying the hadith literally, made his servant wear one half of his suit while he himself wore the other half. From these instances, it was being demonstrated to succeeding generations of Muslims, and a pattern of conduct established, that a slave is fully a human being, not different from other people in his need for respect and dignity and justice. This constructive and positive treatment necessarily had a consequence on the attitudes of slaves to their masters. The slave as slave still retained his humanity and moral dignity and a place beside other members of his master’s family. When (we shall explain how below) he obtained his freedom, he did not necessarily want to leave his former master. Starting with Zaid bin Harith, this practice became quite common. Although our Prophet, upon him be peace, had given Zayd his freedom and left him a free choice, Zayd preferred to stay with him. Masters and slaves were able to regard each other as brothers because their faith enabled them to understand that the worldly differences between people are a transient situation-a situation justifying neither haughtiness on the part of some, nor rancour on the part of others. There were, in addition, strict principles enforced as law: Whosoever kills his slave, he shall be killed, whosoever imprisons his slave and starves him, he shall be imprisoned and starved himself. (Tirmidhi, al-Ayman wa l-Nudhur, 13) Beside such sanctions which made the master behave with care, the slave also enjoyed the legal right to earn money and hold property independently of his master, the right to keep his religion and to have a family and family life with the attendant rights and obligations. As well as personal dignity and a degree of material security, the Islamic laws and norms allowed the slave a still more precious opening-the hope and means of freedom. Human freedom is by God, that is, it is the natural and proper condition which must be regarded as the norm. Thus, to restore a human life, wholly or partly, to this condition is one of the highest virtues. To set free half of a slave’s body has been considered equal to saving half of one’s own from wrath in the next world. In the same way to set free a slave’s whole body is considered equal to assurance of one’s whole body. Seeking freedom for enslaved people is one of the causes for which the banner of war may be raised in Islam. Muslims were encouraged by their faith to enter into agreements and contracts which enabled slaves to earn or be granted their freedom at the expiry of a certain term or, most typically, on the death of the owner. Unconditional emancipation was, naturally, regarded as the most meritorious kind, and worthiest of recognition in the life hereafter. There were occasions when whole groups of people, acting together, would buy and set free large numbers of slaves in order to obtain thereby the favour of God. Emancipation of a slave was also the legally required expiation for certain sins or failures in religious duties, for example, the breaking of an oath or the breaking of a fast: a good deed to balance or wipe out a lapse. The Qur’an commands that he who has killed a believer by mistake must set free a believing slave and pay the blood-money to the family of the slain (al-Nisa’, 4.92). A killing has repercussions for both society and the victim’s family. The blood-money is a partial compensation to the family of the victim. Similarly, the emancipation of a slave is a bill paid to the community-from the point of view of gaining a free person for that community. To set free a living person in return for a death was considered like bringing someone back to life. Both personal and public wealth were expended to obtain the freedom of slaves: the examples of the Prophet, upon him be peace, and of Abu Bakr are well known; later, especially during the rule of ‘Umar bin ‘Abd al-’Aziz, public zakat funds were used for this purpose. Alas, there are, even among Muslims themselves, people who feel the need to somehow ‘disprove’ the worth of Islam, especially on socio-political issues. In reality they feel this need because they have been more or less seduced by Western values, even though these values are only formal, theoretical utterances of law and principle and not, not by any means, lived realities. Such people do not go among the wretched and poor of the so-called ‘third world’ and ask them about the merits of Western values as they are practised. Rather, they listen to an account such as we have given of the practised reality of Islamic values and claim, on purely theoretical grounds, that Islam is lacking in the best principles. This is what they say: ‘It is true that Islam has commended humanity in the treatment of slaves, and encouraged most forcefully their emancipation. We can see from the history of many different peoples in the Islamic world that slaves quickly integrated into the main society and achieved positions of great prestige and power, some even before they gained their freedom. And yet, if Islam regards slavery as a social evil, why did the Qur’an or the Prophet not ban it outright? There are, after all, other social evils which pre-existed Islam, and which Islam sought to abolish altogether-for example, the consumption of alcohol, or gambling, or usury, or prostitution. Why does Islam, by not abolishing slavery, appear to condone it?’ Until the evil of the European trade in black slaves, slavery was largely a by-product of wars between nations, the conquered peoples becoming the slaves of their conquerors. In the formative years of Islam, no reliable system existed of exchanging prisoners of war. The available means of dealing with them were either (i) to put them all to the sword; or (ii) to hold them and attend to their care in prison; or (iii) to allow them to return to their own people; or (iv) to distribute them among the Muslims as part of the spoils of war. The first option must be ruled out on the grounds of its barbarity. The second is practicable only for small numbers for a limited period of time if resources permit-and it was, of course, practised-prisoners being held in this way against ransom, many so content with their treatment that they became Muslims and changed sides in the fighting. The third option is imprudent in time of war. This leaves, as a rule for general practice, only the fourth option, whence followed the humane laws and norms instituted by Islam for what is, in effect, the rehabilitation of prisoners of war. The slave in every Muslim house had the opportunity to see at close quarters the truth of Islam in practice. His heart would be won over by kind treatment and the humanity of Islam in general, especially by the access the slave had to many of the legal rights enjoyed by Muslims, and, ultimately, by getting his freedom. In this way, many thousands of the very best people have swelled the numbers of the great and famous in Islam, whose own example has then become a sunna, a norm, for the Muslims who succeeded them-imams such as Nafi’, Imam Malik’s sheikh, and Tawus bin Qaisan, to name only two. The reality is that in Islam it is overwhelmingly the case that being a slave was a temporary condition. Unlike Western civilisation, whose values are so much in fashion, slavery was not passed down, generation after generation in a deepening spiral of degradation and despair, with no hope for the slaves to escape their condition or their status. On the contrary, regarded as fundamentally equal, the slaves in Muslim society could and did live in secure possession of their dignity as creatures of the same Creator, and had steady access to the mainstream of Islamic culture and civilisation-to which, as we have noted, they contributed greatly. In the Western societies where slavery was widespread, particularly in North and South America, the children of the slaves, generations after their formal emancipation, remain for the most part on the fringes of society, as a sub-culture or anti-culture-which is only sometimes tolerated, and mostly despised, by the still dominant community. But why, our critics will ask, when the Muslims were secure in their conquests did they not grant emancipation wholesale to former captives or slaves? The answer has, again, to do with realities not theories. Those former captives or slaves would not have either the personal, psychological resources or the economic resources needed to establish a secure, dignified independence. Those who doubt this would do well to examine the consequences upon the slaves in the former European or American colonies of their sudden emancipation-many were abruptly reduced to destitution, rendered homeless and resourceless by owners who (themselves compensated for their loss of property) no longer accepted any kind of responsibility for their former slaves. We have already noted the failure of these ex-slaves to enter upon or make a mark in the wider society from which they had been so long excluded by law. By contrast, every good Muslim who embraced his slave as a brother, encouraged him to work for his freedom, observed all his rights, helped him to support a family, to find a place in the society before emancipating him, might well be pleased with an institution that opened to him a means of pleasing God. The example that comes first to mind: Zayd bin Harith who was brought up in the Prophet’s own household and set free, who married a noblewoman, who was appointed as the commander of a Muslim army which included many of noble birth. But one might swell the list of examples to many thousands if one had the space. Ah yes, our critics will say, it may be so, but now there are exchanges of prisoners if there are wars, now the institution of slavery does not exist, so are not the Islamic injunctions, however good, an irrelevance? No, indeed. There is nothing in Islam whose origin is in the commands and guidance of the Qur’an which can ever become irrelevant. Rather, we would say to these critics: open your eyes, study by what subtle means wars are now conducted, by what cunning devices whole nations are now conquered; how they are reduced to a state of absolute slavery (which is yet not called slavery) and made to devote their whole energies, indeed to dedicate the lives of their children for generations to come, to sustain their masters (who are yet not called masters) in a lifestyle of unbelievable affluence. We say, study how national currencies are bought and sold, how impossible sums of money are lent on terms of extraordinary brutality, not in order to help the poor nations, but in order to permanently entrap them in a state of dependence. To those who say, now there is no slavery, we say look into the faces of the earth’s poor peasants, striving to grow (in an increasingly barren soil) commodities which are not food for themselves but luxuries for the rich, and only if they have grown enough of these, have they some hope of buying something to eat-but there are still millions of others too poor to be poor peasants, who live upon mountains of urban rubbish, earn from it, eat from it. If you study the expressions of such people, locked in endless, fruitless toil, you will understand that slavery is not an evil that Western civilisation has eradicated, rather one which Western civilization has ably disguised and distanced from itself. Let no person, at least let no Muslim, claim that mankind has nothing now to learn from Islamic values about how to deal with the problem of slavery. On the contrary, we have everything to learn. How urgent, then, is our need to pray for guidance of God lest we persist in error, for His forbearance lest we persist in arrogance, for His help in finding a sure way to end the domination of those who do not know compassion except as a fine-sounding word. |
| NS |
| Re: Whom your right hand posseses? |
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| Arsalan |
| 07/07/01 at 15:31:41 |
| [slm] Eleanor, your post brought a smile on my face :) Remember all the threads in the House of Kabobs in which people were criticizing Martin Lings' book because of several problems that it contains? Well, you have just encountered one of those problematic passages! The passage in Lings' book which describes the whole incident of Sayyidatana Mariyah (may Allah be pleased with her) is very misleading. I would suggest you to check out Raheeq-al-Makhtum for a more authentic account of how things happened. Wassalamu alaikum. |
| Re: Whom your right hand posseses? |
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| Anik |
| 07/08/01 at 00:39:01 |
| A.A. when and how were concubines ever justified? I heard one response from the molana of my masjid saying that it actually elevated the women's status, giving them chance to become married. He said that they must free the slave and marry her... and that it gave the women a place in the society... but isn't that ... as this modern society may ask, disrespectful... to women? why would they need concubines? many other societies and men live without them. and when u free a slave for sex... freedom for sex? hmmmm... I hope someone can reply. A.A. abdullah,. |
| Re: Whom your right hand posseses? |
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| jannah |
| 07/08/01 at 03:06:08 |
| In the same way there is a wisdom behind the permissibility behind marrying four wives, there is one for the permissibility of having slaves. There may be times where it makes much more sense than the times we live in. It's hard for us to understand the rulings on slaves and such in the Quran because in our age the conditions for it do not exist. I think the important thing to remember about shari'ah is that it is legislated for our own good and that our Creator knows what is good for us and what the right way to go about things is. What "modern society" thinks is respectful or not should have no impact on the shari'ah. We know that the whole noble purpose of shari'ah is to enjoin the good and forbid the evil. therefore, whatever is legislated is good for us, and whatever is forbidden is bad for us. why would someone need a concubine? why would someone need a second wife? many societies live without both true. but there are conditions and there are reasons. just because we don't understand it doesn't mean we discount it. and perhaps that we don't understand it shows that human beings really are limited. as for the freedom for sex comment, i'm not sure what is meant. perhaps you can go back and read what was previously posted. the only thing i see about that is that one author said the only way you can have relations with someone who is 'free' ie not a slave is through marriage. |
| Re: Whom your right hand posseses? |
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| bhaloo |
| 07/08/01 at 08:51:24 |
| slm This was on Islam-Qa.com Question: I've heard that it is allowed for men to have intercourse with their slaves. Does that stand for women too, & if men can have intercourse with their slaves (the ones they have bought) then why is it so much ill thought of the prostitutes...they too are, kind of bought at others will, for shorter time period perhaps. Can you make all this clear & why is it so that Islam did not stop slavery....they are humans as well, & are against their will kept in captivity & against their will may be forced into intercourse? Praise be to Allaah. Slavery in Islam was originally prescribed because of Kufr. If there is jihaad between the Muslims and the kuffaar, and a number of kuffaar are taken prisoner, the commander is given the choice of sharing them out, doing them a favour (by releasing them) or paying their ransom. If they are shared out as part of the booty, they become slaves, subject to the laws governing products which may be sold. But at the same time, Islam urges the freeing of slaves and makes doing so an act of expiation for numerous sins. In principle, slavery is not something that is desirable; what is encouraged in Islam is the freeing of slaves. If a woman is enslaved according to sharee’ah, it is permissible for her master to have intercourse with her. This is unlike prostitution or zinaa, which Islam has forbidden as a precaution against mixing lineages and other reasons for which it is forbidden. There is no comparison between the two, because if a slave woman becomes pregnant, the child belongs to the master and she becomes free when he dies, because she has become the mother of the master’s child (umm walad), and is subject to the same rulings as a wife. And Allaah knows best. Written by al-Khudayr |
| NS |
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