I’ve two questions about slavery:
1. Why Quran not banned the slavery system as banned wine, gambling, prostitution etc.
2. Why one of Prophet’s maids (Hazrat Rehana) not accepted to become wife? Were there any attractions of the Islamic Slavery System which we do not know?
WASSALAAM
Dr. Imran Niazi
June 2010
Dear Brother
Assalam o alaikum wa Rahmatullah e wa Barakatuhu
Many thanks for your email. Regarding slavery, their is nothing which can be named as “Islamic Slavery System”. This term is invented by some biased orientalists to defame Islam. Slavery prevailed throughout the history of humankind. Islam (at the time of Prophet Moses and Muhammad علیہما الصلوۃ والسلام) treated it in the best possible manner. About your questions:
1. There were specific reasons for not banning. Banning was not a solution at all. I’ve answered this question in detail. Please see the following link:
2. No maid preferred slavery. Syeda Rehana رضی اللہ عنہا was manumitted and the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم married with her. Due to his marriage, most of the companions manumitted the slave-women of Banu Quraiza and married with them. You can see the details at:
You can see the biography of Syeda Rehana in Tabaqat of Ibn Sa’ad.
wassalaam
Mubashir
Dear Brother
Assalam o Alaikum wa Rahmatullah e wa Barakatuhu
Sorry for being very late. I am very careful about my friends esp. nice and good friends. your reply is very precious for me. i read all your replies in detail. i am much satisfied but not fully satisfied.because i read differences between kufria and Islamic slavery system .so i named Quranic slavery system as Islamic because it was very different than of “kufria” slavery system.i am very happy to read your argument that Islam make it possible to sale services not the man . it is great really. i read Christian claimed that when they captured the Muslim world slavery system was at peak in Muslims.you know Qutub din Aibik, Anarkali, Yaqoot of Razia Sultana, Altamash etc all were slaves. Christians claimed that when they banned slavery in their USA and European countries meanwhile they banned it in all captured Muslim countries too. so where our slow evolution gone if the Christian did a good thing in Muslims ??? so we can not claim that we ultimately finished the slavery system. then would we thankful to Christianity to do something good with Islam ???
Dr. Imran
June 2010
Dear Brother
Wa alaikum us salam wa Rahmatullah e wa Barakatuhu
Thanks for your reply. In my opinion, the terms ‘Islamic’ or ‘Kufria’ are not appropriate in this case. Better terms are ‘humane’ and ‘inhumane’. The religion of all the Prophets is Islam. It is religious aristocracy which distorted the teachings of Prophet Moses, Jesus & Muhammad علیہم الصلوۃ والسلام otherwise the teachings of all the Prophets were the same. Islam has always tried its best to abolish / minimize slavery through it teachings. In the history, true Islamic States were established twice: at the time of Prophet Moses and then at the time of Prophet Muhammad علیہما الصلوۃ والسلام.
In Torah, a procedure for emancipation of slaves is made the part of the Divine Law. You can see the details in the Chapter 3 of my book:
Prophet Muhammad صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم and his Caliphs did the same. The details of their steps to abolish the slavery are available in Chapter 7 to 13. If the Khilafat-e-Rashida would have been continued, the slavery must have been abolished.
In later centuries, the Muslims distorted the teachings of the Quran and Sunnah and practised slavery for centuries. I’ve discussed that in Chapter 14 to 16. I agree with you that the slavery in the Muslim world was more humane as compared to Europe & Americas.
Later on, the Westerners (whether Christians or Secularists) abolished the slavery in their countries and subsequently in their colonies in the Muslim world. As unbiased evaluators, we should be thankful to them for this achievement. Actually, we did not follow the teachings of our religion but they implemented such teachings of Islam. I’ve also tried to identify the reasons for that in Chapter 17, 19 & 20.
I’ll really appreciate if you can read these chapters. Then it will be better to discuss any other questions arising in your mind.
wassalaam
Mubashir
Assalam O alaikum :
Dear Brother:
I am not agreed with you about your working on slavery. because islam allowed this system when christian world prohibited slavery system in their society muslim world was under the christians (and except Iran Muslim world is still slave our independence is a fraud, because all muslim world is independent as Iraq And Afghanistan which is an opened fraud) . there is no verse about the prohibition of slavery then how you wrote this book ? your another work on tableegh e Isalm is marvellous I am much impressed by it.. I am waiting your reply. thanks
Dr. Imran Niazi Butt
May 2010
Dear Brother
Wa alaikum us salaam wa Rahmatullah e wa Barakatuhu
Many thanks for your comments on my work. You do have the right to disagree with me based on your arguments. I’m very open on this matter. In my opinion, everyone is free to adopt any point of view based on his/her arguments. We can exchange ideas and arguments with each other and if convinced with other’s arguments, we can change our views.
Although there is no explicit verse banning slavery but I’ve presented various verses and Ahadith mentioning that Islam is very much interested in giving freedom to people. That’s the view I’ve presented in my book with dozens of arguments. If you can read the Chapter 7-12 and criticize on the arguments, it will be a great contribution for me.
Remember in your prayers
wassalaam
Mubashir
Sir,
Thanks for notice i download ur book “ISLAM MAIN JISMANI OR ZAHANI GHOLAMI KI TAREEKH” its a very fruitful book in this subject
Regards
Arslan Yousaf
January 2010
Assalam o alaikum
Many thanks for your kind comments.
Mubashir
Jan 2010
Dear Sir,
I am Sajjad from Saudi Arab. I have been searching for a comprehensive book on the topic, Slavery, since so long. Now i have found your book through website.
Sir you have done outstanding work in this field . I would like to congratulate you on this masterpiece. Sir would you please give the address so i can purchase the hard copy of this book .
Thanking you.
Your’s Sincerly
Sajjad Durrani
Dammam, Saudi Arab
April 2009
Dear Sajjad sb
Assalam o alaikum wa Rahmatullah e wa Barakatuhu
Many thanks for your kind comments. I had a lot of questions in my mind about this issue which forced me to conduct this research. Unfortunately, the book is only available online. It is not published yet.
If you have any queries or comments, please feel free to contact me. I live at Jeddah. I’ll really appreciate if you also provide me your contact numbers.
wassalaam
Mubashir
April 2009
Don’t hesitate to share your questions and comments. They will be highly appreciated. I’ll reply ASAP if I know the answer. Send at mubashirnazir100@gmail.com .