Is slavery over?

Dear Brother / Sister,

It is thought to be the soft underbelly of Islam and the enemies of Islam and the flagbearers of Islamophobia bring these issues into question over and over again. Although it is clear that reasonable and convincing answers have been given for several centuries to correct misunderstandings, that Muslims have no problems in this regard, and that non-Muslims of all ages, and especially non-Muslims, who learn Islam do not hesitate to be guided, those who seek help from this issue and similar ones will continue to come up empty-handed.

Recently, a few questions were related to this issue; they asked, “Why did Islam not abolish slavery?”

There are many answers on our website to answer this question; you can look at them.

We will give a summary here:

If Muslims had correctly understood and implemented Islam’s goal related to slavery, there would have been no slaves in Islamic society, and perhaps in the world, for two reasons:

1. Through the means of emancipation, which we will explain a little later.

2. Through a treaty led by the Islamic state to abolish slavery - for whatever reason - all over the world. Once that treaty had been concluded, the need for retaliation would have been eliminated and there would have been no resources left.

The measures, provisions and remedies that Islam introduced to free slaves and concubines without causing chaos in social life are summarized as follows:

1. In numerous verses of the Quran and hadiths, the virtue, thawab and reward of freeing slaves for the sake of Allah are mentioned and Muslims are encouraged to do so.

2. Significant improvements were made related to the treatment of slaves and concubines. The following is stated in the hadiths:

- “Feed them from what you eat; clothe them from what you wear; do not burden them with heavy loads...” (Bukhari, Itq, 15)
- “If a person slaps his slave in the face or beats him, the atonement is to free the slave.” (Abu-Dawud, no: 5168)

3. The atonement (spiritual penalty) for causing accidental death is the freeing of a slave.

4. The atonement for breaking an oath is the freeing of a slave.

5. The atonement for the act called zihar, which is like a vow not to approach one’s wife, is the freeing of a slave.

6. One of the places where zakah is spent is the freeing of slaves.

7. It is commanded that if a slave wants to be freed by working or by paying for it through other means, his offer be accepted and financial assistance be given to him.

8. If a person makes a vow to free a slave, it is obligatory for him to free a slave when he achieves his intention.

On the one hand, the reduction of the source to one and the fact that it is not obligatory (being left to the discretion of the ruler), and on the other hand, the existence of ways, some of which are obligatory and some encouraged, to free the existing slaves; if they had been fulfilled, there would have been no slaves and concubines in the Islamic society centuries ago.

So, what was done and what did Muslims do?

- They increased the means (sources) of enslavement in illegitimate forms.

- They did not treat slaves and concubines well (in a way that is in accordance with the Sunnah).

- They did not use the means of emancipation.

The abolition of slavery centuries later, even on paper, was the realization of one of the goals of Islam.

Is there no slavery today?

Slavery still continues all over the world in an intensive manner.

According to the data of the International Labor Organization, there are approximately 30 million slaves in the world today.

According to the International Labor Organization, approximately 1 million 200 thousand women and girls are forcibly abducted and sold for money by traffickers and prostitution gangs. The number of women who are subjected to rape and torture every minute is increasing day by day...

In migrant smuggling, which is a different concept from human trafficking, the relationship between the migrant and the criminal organization ends after the border is crossed whereas in human trafficking, the forced detention continues. Illegal migrant smuggling, which is one of the most important problems of our time, results in many people losing their lives on ships that sink during smuggling.

The fact that it has been many years since slavery was abolished is a complete lie

Questions on Islam