When speaking about slavery, we must define the term to ensure clarity and understanding. This is important because the Islamic term "slavery" differs from the Western definition of the word, as it holds a different connotation in the English language than in Islam. The term slavery in the West is more closely associated with brutal depictions seen in Hollywood movies and disturbing accounts found in the annals of American history.
When European settlers first arrived in America at the beginning of the 16th century, they abducted and enslaved approximately 11 million Africans for 300 years to work under abhorrent, inhumane conditions, generating wealth and opportunity for the American people. At the same time, two million enslaved people died at sea on their way to America. The Islamic term slavery does not reference such abhorrent conditions. Never would Islam allow such horrific treatment of human beings.
This brings us to the Islamic understanding of slavery. There was a time in history when slavery was not considered immoral, and almost every middle-class family owned a slave. They would kidnap free people from other lands and sell them into slavery. The act of enslaving people was a common practice in many areas. At a time when the inability to pay off one's debt could result in the enslavement of the debtor, Islam was the only religion to prohibit this form of practice and initiate laws about slavery.
Islam states that all human beings are free and that no human has the right to withhold freedom from anyone unlawfully. Therefore, Islam did not allow free people to be taken, sold, or turned into enslaved people. It prohibited all forms of slavery except for instances in which captives of war were claimed, an act having nothing to do with race or skin color.
To reaffirm, the only type of slavery Islam allowed was the taking of prisoners of war during the fighting of a battle. If two tribes were at battle and one side reigned victorious, taking enemy soldiers and citizens as captives of war, they could keep them. In modern times, soldiers of the opposite side can be imprisoned if captured because we now have prison institutions to house thousands of prisoners of war when needed.
However, back in the Prophet Muhammad PBUH's time, such institutions did not exist. At that time, prisoners of war would be killed, ransomed, or taken into homes as enslaved people. Instead of killing them, Islam allowed them to live humanely in the homes of Muslims without any form of abuse. The faith initiated laws dealing with prisoners of war that were not ransomed.
For those offended by the concept of wartime imprisonment: What else would Muslims have done with the prisoners they captured, enemies who had tried to fight and kill them? If they released them, those people could make another attempt on their lives. They didn't have prisons then, and even if they had housed captives of war, the prisoners would have lived in a harsher environment, especially when kept in the desert. Islamic scholars state that the law regarding treating war captives no longer applies today.
Whereas Islam allowed only the taking of prisoners of war, the faith did not abruptly abolish slavery altogether, commanding everyone who had slaves to release them. Islam decreased the practice of slavery by degrees to maintain social and economic stability. If everyone freed their slaves simultaneously, the act would have negatively affected their economy and society, putting thousands of people out of work without shelter. Islam encouraged and offered many avenues for people to release their slaves. Islam mandated freeing enslaved people as a requirement for forgiveness for specific sins. The Holy Quran referenced the freeing of an enslaved person as a sign of piety.
When speaking about slavery, we must define the term to ensure clarity and understanding. This is important because the Islamic term "slavery" differs from the Western definition of the word, as it holds a different connotation in the English language than in Islam. The term slavery in the West is more closely associated with brutal depictions seen in Hollywood movies and disturbing accounts found in the annals of American history.
When European settlers first arrived in America at the beginning of the 16th century, they abducted and enslaved approximately 11 million Africans for 300 years to work under abhorrent, inhumane conditions, generating wealth and opportunity for the American people. At the same time, two million enslaved people died at sea on their way to America. The Islamic term slavery does not reference such abhorrent conditions. Never would Islam allow such horrific treatment of human beings.
This brings us to the Islamic understanding of slavery. There was a time in history when slavery was not considered immoral, and almost every middle-class family owned a slave. They would kidnap free people from other lands and sell them into slavery. The act of enslaving people was a common practice in many areas. At a time when the inability to pay off one's debt could result in the enslavement of the debtor, Islam was the only religion to prohibit this form of practice and initiate laws about slavery.
Islam states that all human beings are free and that no human has the right to withhold freedom from anyone unlawfully. Therefore, Islam did not allow free people to be taken, sold, or turned into enslaved people. It prohibited all forms of slavery except for instances in which captives of war were claimed, an act having nothing to do with race or skin color.
To reaffirm, the only type of slavery Islam allowed was the taking of prisoners of war during the fighting of a battle. If two tribes were at battle and one side reigned victorious, taking enemy soldiers and citizens as captives of war, they could keep them. In modern times, soldiers of the opposite side can be imprisoned if captured because we now have prison institutions to house thousands of prisoners of war when needed.
However, back in the Prophet Muhammad PBUH's time, such institutions did not exist. At that time, prisoners of war would be killed, ransomed, or taken into homes as enslaved people. Instead of killing them, Islam allowed them to live humanely in the homes of Muslims without any form of abuse. The faith initiated laws dealing with prisoners of war that were not ransomed.
For those offended by the concept of wartime imprisonment: What else would Muslims have done with the prisoners they captured, enemies who had tried to fight and kill them? If they released them, those people could make another attempt on their lives. They didn't have prisons then, and even if they had housed captives of war, the prisoners would have lived in a harsher environment, especially when kept in the desert. Islamic scholars state that the law regarding treating war captives no longer applies today.
Whereas Islam allowed only the taking of prisoners of war, the faith did not abruptly abolish slavery altogether, commanding everyone who had slaves to release them. Islam decreased the practice of slavery by degrees to maintain social and economic stability. If everyone freed their slaves simultaneously, the act would have negatively affected their economy and society, putting thousands of people out of work without shelter. Islam encouraged and offered many avenues for people to release their slaves. Islam mandated freeing enslaved people as a requirement for forgiveness for specific sins. The Holy Quran referenced the freeing of an enslaved person as a sign of piety.