To Shakeel: Free a slave and go to jannat

Submitted by Plato (United Arab Emirates), May 24, 2007 at 00:25

[1400 years ago, slavery was deep rooted and many families from wealthy to poor depends on slaves. Islam did not ban it out rightly but it introduced reforms which were to finally eliminate slavery.]

Allah bans usury in one step. Allah bans alcohol in three steps. Why did it take Allah 1400 years to get rid of slavery, perhaps the most immoral and unethical thing one human can do to another. It was finally abolished from the land of the Rasool around 1960 because of the revulsion felt by the UNISLAMIC world and under threat from the West. What does it say about the moral and ethical standard of Allah? What could be so deep-rooted about slavery. Would people perish if they did not have slaves? Why did not Allah have them converted to free servants instead of keeping them in bondage. Shakeel,don't hide the fact that your so-called reform applied only to Muslim slaves.

If wine and usury can be condemned in the Koran why is there no condemnation of the disgusting practice of salve-holding? Saudi 'scholars' still say slavery is halal. Your Koran has not been able to convince the Saudis that slavery is a revolting practice after 1400 years of Koranic reform! Also remember your Rasool had plenty of them. Why did he not set an example. Maria was a slave. He did not reject this beautiful slave girl gift, instead kept her as a concubine and fathered a child with her, all with Allah's blessing of course. The Rasool's sunnah is sacrosanct for you. Shakeel Allah will not punish you if you keep a slave in your house. Show me one 'scholar' of Islam who condemns slavery outright. You have an Islamic right to keep slaves.

[Free people cannot be enslaved]

Sure they cannot. But when the Rasool captured people during his holy gazwas they became unfree and so could be made into slaves. Remember Saad Muad's ruling of sending the widows and orphans of the Banu Quraiza into slavery. They were free before they were captured.

[Muslims should free slaves for earning good life in Hereafter]

What an immoral reason for freeing slaves. You free slaves for the very selfish reason of grabbing a spot in paradise and not because keeping a slave is inherently unethical and immoral. That is the kind of depraved thinking that continues to amaze us polytheists and atheists.

[It is the duty of Islamic government to allocate a part of money collected from Zakat to free slaves]

Do you have any evidence of any Islamic government in the past or present keeping aside zakat money to free slaves, even Muslim slaves?

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".