Slavery and Islam

[Naved from Noakhali]

Why didn't Allah (swt) outlaw slavery outright? In another thread on another site, a non-muslim criticized Islam by saying that Muslims have their moral out of whack for outlawing pork but not slavery outrightly.

[lumumba_s]

As salamu `alaykum,

Because slavery had a practical function during "medieval" times, given the nature and societal consequences of warfare during that epoch. That did not change until the Transatlantic Slave Trade forever altered the institution of slavery and during that time, when the scholars and rulers in the Muslim lands saw the consequences of this shift, they were amongst the first to ban slavery in their lands - both the Moguls and Ottomans. You cannot condemn the rest of the world for Western Europe's own immorality and barbarity.

[Naved from Noakhali]

As salamu `alaykum,

Because slavery had a practical function during "medieval" times, given the nature and societal consequences of warfare during that epoch. That did not change until the Transatlantic Slave Trade forever altered the institution of slavery and during that time, when the scholars and rulers in the Muslim lands saw the consequences of this shift, they were amongst the first to ban slavery in their lands - both the Moguls and Ottomans. You cannot condemn the rest of the world for Western Europe's own immorality and barbarity.

Could you give me some sources about the Ottoman Empire and Moghul Empire outlawing slavery? Usually the propagandists on the other side usually say that the Muslim nations didn't outlaw slavery until after the West.

Also, what about the claim that why ban pork outright but not slavery? This was argued by a Black American, he is not pro-Western, he's just anti-whatever is against his conception of "black."

[Guest]

Assalaamu'alaikum Noah


Also, what about the claim that why ban pork outright but not slavery? Firstly, because Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala decides what is going now and what is going later. For everything there is an ajal, a decreed moment. The straight up answer, even if you cannot find any reason whatsoever is, that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala decided the time. End of story.

I will endeavour to give my thoughts on the issue however, on some reasons.

The build up of the society in those days was that slaves were not people from the local society - they were people captured in war, or stolen from their homelands, or other such reasons. When a slave was kept, it was on the owner to feed him, clothe him et cetera. If the slave is freed, he probably could make his own living, but it was unlikely that he would last long in a time where people were killed just for fun, and without tribal protection, you were as good as dead. Now, if the law had come in such a way as to completely outcast slavery from the start, the initial stages of that would have caused a lot of trouble for those who were in slavery ~ and we are talking easily in the 10s of thousands. What do you do with all these people? Most of them probably from Africa, how do you send them back, they have no tribe here, no protection e.t.c... what is to become of them?

Having said that, Islam did not rule out slavery from the start, but began the encouragement of freeing slaves and made it obligatory to be kind to them, to give them their rights e.t.c. No nation in history gave slaves right - even the Western nations simply dissolved slavery rather than give rights to slaves. If I may quote the Qur'an al-Kareem:


وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْعَقَبَةُ

فَكُّ رَقَبَةٍ

"And what will explain to thee the path that is steep?

It is freeing the bondman."
[Surat-ul-Balad, Chapter 90, Ayahs 12-13]

Notice that the very first thing that Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says of High Path, it is freeing slaves. This was the practice amongst many of the Sahaba Ikraam radhiAllahu'anhum. All in all, Islam saw to the end of slavery in a much more decent, calmer, thought-out way than anyone else (especially the West).

Regards ~ Wassalaam

[lumumba_s]

Slavery was not the same institution in Egypt or Turkey as it was in North Carolina and Jamaica. The ban of slavery was a response to the excesses of the Western Europeans and there was not an inherent need to limit something more than the shari'ah already had until it became evident that the Atlantic Slave Trade had cross all the beyonds of decency. It was not an exploitive enterprise and had a practical function in the shari'ah. Pork, alcohol and other such things were banned because it was the intent of the Lawgiver. Slavery was limited and restricted because it was the intent of the Lawgiver. The only reason why it is an issue is because of the collective memory of Black Americans like myself and the collective societal guilt of European and American Christians who implemented one of the most oppressive institutions that the world has ever seen.

[razwan1979]

Why didn't Allah (swt) outlaw slavery outright? In another thread on another site, a non-muslim criticized Islam by saying that Muslims have their moral out of whack for outlawing pork but not slavery outrightly.

Why did God reveal Islam to Arabs and then allow them to spread it to all other non-Arab peoples?

Why did God reveal Islam in a period of empires and then allow nation-states to spread around the world?

Why did God reveal Islam to a man and then address His Message to women also?

And a dozen other questions we can dream up but have no genuine interest in answering.

A "jurdicial" answer could be that slavery is a 'civil' matter (mu'amulat) which is prone to change, and not eating pork is a ritual matter (ibada) which is not.


Usually the propagandists on the other side usually say that the Muslim nations didn't outlaw slavery until after the West.

Ah, yes the misinformed masquerading as fountains of knowledge.

Point to them this BBC documentary as a first step:

Coolies -- How Britain Reinvented Slavery (http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8146344291595038205&q=coolies&total=2985&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=6)

[timepass]

Why didn't Allah (swt) outlaw slavery outright? In another thread on another site, a non-muslim criticized Islam by saying that Muslims have their moral out of whack for outlawing pork but not slavery outrightly.

are you referring to this discussion.
http://www.ummah.com/forum/showthread.php?t=122896
non muslim would be babbage.

if not then pleaese give the source.

[Ron]

Naved from Noakhali,

Why didn't Allah (swt) outlaw slavery outright? In another thread on another site, a non-muslim criticized Islam by saying that Muslims have their moral out of whack for outlawing pork but not slavery outrightly.
For the same reason no where in the world that could have been done without undermining the very core of the civilization. It had to be phased out. In most situations around the world, historically speaking, the economic factor had to be reevaluated and replaced. Stopping people from eating pork is not a revolution but changing the very basic foundations of their lives is.

Regards

[Pipman]

I just don't know why people now abolish slavery but do not abolish polygamy

[Ron]

I just don't know why people now abolish slavery but do not abolish polygamy
Are you suggesting that slavery and polygamy are the same? Explain how if you would please.

[Pipman]

Well both existed before the prophet and both were widely practiced in the Arabian peninsula and else and both were discouraged but not abolished by the Quran.

Yet it seems that when it comes to issues regarding women, many Muslims do not see the need to modernize. Slavery is banned in all Muslim countries even though many companions had slaves but polygamy is still going on. Yes slavery might have been somehwat worse, but not that much. Many women suffered greatly under polygamy and still do.

Why is it that women issues are never given priority with Muslims today. The Islamist and clerics now seemed to have abandoned everything except hijab and polygamy. These two issues continue to be their last hold.