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Does Islam allow Slavery?

 

Question: I am a Captain in the Pakistan army and would like to know if can we have sexual relations with the women we are able to capture in wars? I have heard that in one of the wars during the time of the Prophet (sws), the whole Muslim army raped slave women offered to them provided that they practiced ‘Azal (coitus interruptus).

Answer: Well I am afraid you cannot do so. Since the question you have raised is an important one. I’ll give you a detailed answer:

In my opinion, among many other misconceptions about Islam is the notion that it gives sanction to slavery and permits its followers to enslave prisoners of war, particularly women and establish extra-marital relations with them. Islam, I must strongly affirm, has not the slightest link with slavery and concubinage. On the contrary, it completely forbids these practices. It is quite outrageous to associate such barbarities with a religion revealed to upgrade humanity.

The point which needs to be appreciated and which, perhaps, is the real cause of the misconception is that Islam had adopted a gradual process to abolish the institution of slavery because of the social conditions prevalent in Arabia at that time. It must be kept in mind that slavery was an integral part of the pre-Islamic Arab society. There were scores of slave men and women in almost every house. This was largely due to two reasons: First, during those times, the standard practice of dispensing with prisoners of war was to distribute them among the army who captured them. Second, there were extensive slave markets in Arabia in that period where free as well as men and women of all ages were sold like animals.

In these circumstances, in which slavery had become an essential constituent of the Arab society, Islam adopted a gradual way to eliminate it. An immediate order of prohibition would have created immense social and economic problems. It would have become impossible for the society to cater for the needs of a large army of slaves, who were, otherwise, dependent on various families. Also, the national treasury was in no position to provide them all on a permanent basis. A large number among them were old and incapable of supporting themselves. The only alternative left for them, if they were instantly freed, would have been to turn to beggary and become an economic burden for the society. The question of slave girls and women was even more critical, keeping in view their own low moral standards. Freeing them, all of a sudden, would have only resulted in a tremendous increase in brothels.

Perhaps, the reason behind this gradual eradication can be understood better if one considers the position which interest occupies in the economy of Pakistan today. No one can refute Pakistan’s national economic structure is interest oriented. How the parasite of interest has crippled the national economy is apparent to every keen eye. However, there is no denying the fact that without it our present economic system cannot sustain itself. Every reasonable person will acknowledge that today if a government wishes to rid the economy from this menace then, in spite of its utter prohibition in Islam, it will have to adopt a gradual methodology. During this interim period interest oriented deals will have to be tolerated and temporary laws will have to be enacted to handle them, just as the Qur’an had given certain provisional directives about slaves during the interim period of their gradual eradication. An alternative economic framework will have to be steadily incorporated in place of the existing one. A sudden abolition, without another parallel base, will only hasten the total collapse of the economic system, which, of course, will be disastrous for the country.

To avert a similar disaster and to ward off a similar catastrophe, Islam had adopted a progressive and a gradual scheme, fourteen hundred years ago, to do away with the inhuman institution of slavery. Following are some of the measures it took in this regard:

1. In the early Makkan period, it pronounced that slave emancipation was a great deed of piety. The very initial Makkan surahs appealed to the Muslims to liberate as many slaves as they could.

2. The Prophet (sws), unequivocally, directed the Muslims to raise the standard of living of the slaves and bring it equal to their own standard. This, of course, was meant to discourage people from persisting with them.

3. For the atonement of many sins manumission of slaves was divinely ordained.

4. All slave men and women who could support themselves in the society were directed to marry one another, in order to raise their moral and social status.

5. A permanent head in the public treasury was fixed to set free slave men and women.

6. Prostitution, which was largely carried out through slave women, who were mostly forced by their masters do so, was totally prohibited.

7. The affronting names of ‘abd (slave-man) and amah (slave-woman) by which slave men and women were called, were abrogated so that people should stop regarding them as slaves. In their place, the words fata (boy) and fatat (girl) were introduced.

8. Finally, the law of mukatibat provided very easy access for the slaves to the gateway to freedom. Every slave who was capable of supporting himself was allowed by law to free himself, provided that he either gave a certain monetary amount to his master or carried out certain errands for him. After this, he could live as a free man. A special head in the treasury was fixed for this purpose; also, wealthy people were urged to help the slaves in this regard. The net result of this law was that only handicapped and old slaves were left to be provided for by their masters, which not only went in their own favour but also prevented them from becoming an economic burden on the society.

As far as the war you have referred to, let me correct you on your information.

In the battle of Bani Mustaliq, the prisoners captured were either freed in the battlefield as a favour while some others were freed on ransom. The Prophet (sws) brought the remaining prisoners to Madinah and while waiting for their families to procure them, gave them into the temporary custody of his Companions (rta). Since at that time, the prohibition of slavery was passing through the interim period when it was still intact for reasons stated earlier, the Prophet (sws) accepted the right of masters to have sexual intercourse with the slave women as was the international law at that time but set about taking steps that could prevent this from actually happening. Let me explain the most important measure he adopted:

Among the prisoners of this battle was Sayyidah Jawayriyyah as well. Her father arrived with some camels as ransom. The Prophet (sws) inquired about the two well-bred camels he had hid behind. This astounded him so much – for he knew that there could be no way that the Prophet (sws) could have had knowledge of them – that he accepted faith. At this, Sayyidah Jawayriyyah also accepted faith. The Prophet (sws) proposed for her to which her father consented. Upon this, the marriage was solemnized. The result of this marriage was that all the remaining prisoners of war were set free by the Muslim soldiers, since they thought that it was not appropriate to keep the Prophet’s in-laws in captivity.

So actually no such instance of sexual intercourse with the slave women took place. It is totally wrong that they were raped. Also today as far as prisoners of was are concerned, they cannot be taken to be slaves and sexually benefited from. After the abolition of slavery that took place in the time of the Prophet (sws) as described above, no one dare maltreat a p.o.w. let alone sexually harass them.

 

 

Torment in the Grave

 

Question: I wanted to know about the torment that sinners would be put through in their graves? I have read many hair raising accounts of this agony.

Answer: The punishment mentioned in the grave is specifically for people on whom the truth is totally unveiled in this world and they deliberately reject it. Such people are treated as criminals are before receiving their punishments and shown their dwelling place in Hell. This is a kind of a mental torture for him. We know from the Qur’an that the Pharaoh and his people who deliberately rejected the message of Moses (sws) are put through this torment ever since their death:

 

So Allah saved him from the evils that they plotted [against Him], while an evil torment encompassed the Pharaoh’s people. The Fire, they are exposed to it, morning and afternoon. And on the Day of Judgement it will be said to the angels: ‘Cast the Pharaoh’s people in a more severe torment. (40:45-6)

 

People on whom the truth is not unveiled in its ultimate form in this world, do not undergo this torment. It is evident from the Qur’an that their souls are put to sleep and they will be rewarded or punished on the Day of Judgement when they will be presented with the account of their deeds.

Moreover, it should be noted that this punishment does not take place in the grave because the soul is not there. It is only the physical remains of a person that are found there and which are incapable of feeling any pain or anguish. It is the soul which is tormented. It is known from the Qur’an (23:100) that souls of the dead reside in a place beyond the barrier of Barzakh, whose details we know very little of.

 

 

Should a Wife ask her Husband b efore Leaving the House?

 

Question: Is it true that according to Islam a wife needs her husbands permission to leave the home? To what extent is this obligatory? Why should a wife always show obedience to her husband? Please explain in detail.

Answer: In Islam, for the welfare and harmony of the family set up, Islam requires that the wife adopt an attitude of adjustment and harmony with the husband and the husband is required to be affectionate and accommodating as far as possible to the needs of his wife. He must not impose any undue restrictions on her for this will ignite the wrath of God upon him.

With regard to a wife seeking her husband’s permission before leaving the house, the proper perspective must be understood. In general circumstances of mutual trust, there is no need for a wife to ask permission from her husband to go out. However, in certain circumstances in which the husband genuinely considers that going out might disrupt the family in any way, he has the authority to exercise his right of stopping her and in these circumstances, she should always ask permission to leave the house. In this regard, the husband must remember that if he imposes himself without any sound and justifiable reason, he would be crossing the bounds and invoking the displeasure of the Almighty. His wrong behavior may even lead the wife to abandon him for which he would be solely responsible if he adopts an unreasonable attitude.

As far as the second part of your question is concerned, the concept of a wife being obedient to her husband and showing submission to him must be understood in the proper perspective. A family by analogy is similar to a state. All citizens of a state are expected to abide by the rules and regulations of the country they live in. They are expected to adopt an attitude of adjustment and harmony with the country. This, of course, does not mean that they cannot differ with its policies. They have the inalienable democratic right to differ and present their differences in a befitting manner. This submission is actually an essential requirement for discipline and order without which anarchy may result. Similarly, in the case of a family set up, it is essential that the person who is its head be shown obedience. In other words, submission to authority is not specific to the gender of the authority. Whoever is the authority, must be submitted to. Gender does not dictate submissiveness -- it is authority which does. It is common knowledge that in different sphere of activities people have different abilities and justice entails that a person be made responsible according to his or her abilities and given authority on that basis. We have been informed by divine revelation that it is the husband who is more suitable to be the head of the family. Owing to this relative superiority, women are directed to submit to men not because men are superior human beings, but because in this particular case it is the men who have been vested with authority in accordance with the following verse:

 

Men are the guardians of women because Allah has given one superiority over the other and because they [-- men --] support them from their means. (4:34)

 

If women had been more suitable for the task of heading a family, men would have been similarly directed to adopt this attitude of adjustment.

 

 

Did the Prophet Marry the Widow of his Adopted Son?

 

Question: Is it true that the Prophet (sws) married the widow of his adopted son. If so why and is this allowed? Please explain.

Answer: Adoption is of two types:

a) To adopt a child during his suckling age so that he can drink the milk of the mother who has adopted him. In this case, the child will be her foster-son and there will be no difference between him or her and the mother’s real children in any manner. He or she will possess the same rights in all affairs (eg inheritance) as the real children possess. This relation is as strong as the real or blood relation.

b) To adopt a child when he is past his suckling age. In this case, he of course will not be the son of the parents who have adopted him in the legal sense. He will be called by the name of his previous father. The parents who have adopted him can of course address him as ‘son’. The child will consequently not inherit their wealth after them, unless of course they make a will in his favour. This type of relation is not recognized as strong as the real or blood relation.

In Arabia, both types of adoption prevailed. However, the two were not differentiated between. In spite of the fact that the second type did not establish a real relation , it carried the same restrictions as the first one in which a real relationship is established between the two. The need arose to reform this evil social practice and the Almighty chose none other than the Prophet (sws) Himself to do away with this custom considering its deep roots in the society.

 

 

Surrogate Motherhood

 

Question: What is your view on surrogate motherhood? The case I am talking about is one in which the fertilized egg is injected into the surrogate mother because the real mother is too sick to endure pregnancy.

Answer: Islam does not recognize surrogate motherhood because it challenges its concept of parenthood and thereby disrupts the bond of family relationship between a mother and her child. The ovum and the sperm whether fertilized in the embryo or outside must be nourished inside the mother’s belly or outside it for a while, as may be the case sometimes.

 

 

Is Marriage Obligatory?

 

Question: It is known that some great persons of Muslim history never married. Imam Ibn Taymiyyah and Imam Bukhari are two examples. Did not they disobey the Prophet (sws) who has directed his followers to marry?

Answer: Like all directives of Islam, the directive to marry also has common sense exceptions. In normal circumstances  marriage is something which a person must undertake because it sprouts from his very instincts. Consequently, Prophets prior to Muhammad (sws) also directed their believers to marry and refrain from celibacy. However, if in certain exceptional circumstances a person is not able to do so, he should have a genuine plea. In other words, a person who does not marry should not idealize celibacy or some similar ideology. He or she should remain a bachelor or a spinster because of some genuine reason.