PROOF-TEXTS AND CROSS-REFERENCES
Ex. 21v2-11 [1], v20-21 [1]; Lev. 25v44-46 [1]; Eph. 6v5 [1], v9 [15]; 1 Tim. 1v10 [15], 6v1-2 [1]
ISLAM
While most Muslims are morally opposed to slavery, the truth is that slavery is tolerated throughout the Quran.
Muhammad himself “began to take slaves after he moved to Medina” [15].
In fact, “Islam institutionalized slavery” [15].
Under Islamic law “children of slaves or non-Muslim prisoners of war could become slaves” [14|17], but “never a freeborn Muslim” [14|17].
Slaves were usually taken in raids on nearby Arab tribes, or during war, either offensive or defensive. Islam allows the taking of slaves as ‘booty’, or reward for fighting. This has led to numerous “jihads” by Muslim states and tribes against other non-Muslim groups to obtain slaves.
Islamic jurisprudence laid down regulations for the proper treatment of slaves. However, “abuses have occurred throughout history” [15].
What the Quran Actually Says About Slavery
Not only does the Quran speak of slaves, but it also promotes, tolerates, and justifies slavery.
“O Prophet (Muhammad SAW)! Verily, We have made lawful to you your wives, to whom you have paid their Mahr (bridal money given by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage), and THOSE (CAPTIVES OR SLAVES) WHOM YOUR RIGHT HAND POSSESSES – WHOM ALLAH HAS GIVEN TO YOU, and the daughters of your ‘Amm (paternal uncles) and the daughters of your ‘Ammah (paternal aunts) and the daughters of your Khal (maternal uncles) and the daughters of your Khalah (maternal aunts) who migrated (from Makkah) with you, and a believing woman if she offers herself to the Prophet, and the Prophet wishes to marry her; a privilege for you only, not for the (rest of) the believers. Indeed We know what We have enjoined upon them about their wives and THOSE (CAPTIVES OR SLAVES) WHOM THEIR RIGHT HANDS POSSESS, – in order that there should be no difficulty on you. And Allah is Ever OftForgiving, Most Merciful.” (Surat Al-‘Aĥzāb 33v50; Muhsin Khan translation)
Surat Al-‘Aĥzāb 33v50 clearly shows, that Muslims believe that capturing slaves during war was a God-given right.
“O you who believe! LET YOUR LEGAL SLAVES AND SLAVE-GIRLS, and those among you who have not come to the age of puberty ask your permission (before they come to your presence) on three occasions; before Fajr (morning) prayer, and while you put off your clothes for the noonday (rest), and after the ‘Isha’ (late-night) prayer. (These) three times are of privacy for you, other than these times there is no sin on you or on them to move about, attending (helping) you each other. Thus Allah makes clear the Ayat (the Verses of this Quran, showing proofs for the legal aspects of permission for visits, etc.) to you. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.” (Surat An-Nūr 24v58; Muhsin Khan translation)
“And those who GUARD THEIR CHASTITY (I.E. PRIVATE PARTS, FROM ILLEGAL SEXUAL ACTS). EXCEPT FROM THEIR WIVES OR (THE CAPTIVES AND SLAVES) THAT THEIR RIGHT HANDS POSSESS, for then, they are free from blame;” (Surat Al-Mu’minūn 23v5-6; Muhsin Khan translation)
The passage’s context details how Muslim males are allowed to have sexual relations with their wives and slave girls. Implicit in this is that Muslim males had slave-concubines.
“The Book of The Major Classes” [or “Kitab Tabaqat Al-Kubra” in Arabic], by Sunni Muslim scholar, Ibn Sa’d al-Baghdadi (784-845 CE), gives a clear description of Muhammad’s “relations” with at least one of his Coptic slave girls, named Mariyah. Mariyah and her sister, Sirin, were slaves given as gifts to Muhammad. Muhammad gave Sirin to Hasan Thabit, the poet. Ibn Sa’d says that Muhammad “liked Mariyah, who was of white complexion, with curly hair and pretty.” [18]
According to Ibn Sa’d, Mariyah bore Muhammad a son named Ibrahim, who died 18 months later. [15|18] Sa’d writes:
“If he had lived, NO MATERNAL UNCLE OF HIS would have remained in bondage” [15|18]
This shows, that at the time, there were also other Coptic slaves owned by Muslims.
While the Quran tolerates slavery, it at least instructs Muslims NOT to force their female slaves into prostitution, that is, not to prostitute their slaves for gain.
“And let those who find not the financial means for marriage keep themselves chaste, until Allah enriches them of His Bounty. And such of your slaves as seek a writing (of emancipation), give them such writing, if you know that they are good and trustworthy. And give them something yourselves out of the wealth of Allah which He has bestowed upon you. And FORCE NOT YOUR MAIDS TO PROSTITUTION, if they desire chastity, in order that you may make a gain in the (perishable) goods of this worldly life. But if anyone compels them (to prostitution), then after such compulsion, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (to those women, i.e. He will forgive them because they have been forced to do this evil action unwillingly).” (Surat An-Nūr 24v33; Muhsin Khan translation)
The Quran also allows Muslims to marry slaves if they so desire.
“Also (forbidden are) women already married, EXCEPT THOSE (CAPTIVES AND SLAVES) WHOM YOUR RIGHT HANDS POSSESS. THUS HAS ALLAH ORDAINED FOR YOU. All others are lawful, provided you seek (them in marriage) with Mahr (bridal money given by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage) from your property, desiring chastity, not committing illegal sexual intercourse, so with those of whom you have enjoyed sexual relations, give them their Mahr as prescribed; but if after a Mahr is prescribed, you agree mutually (to give more), there is no sin on you. Surely, Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise.” (Surat An-Nisā’ 4v24; Muhsin Khan translation)
Muslims were also allowed to free slaves, at times, as a penalty for crime or sin.
“It is not for a believer to kill a believer except (that it be) by mistake, and whosoever kills a believer by mistake, (it is ordained that) HE MUST SET FREE A BELIEVING SLAVE and a compensation (blood money, i.e Diya) be given to the deceased’s family, unless they remit it. If the deceased belonged to a people at war with you and he was a believer; THE FREEING OF A BELIEVING SLAVE (IS PRESCRIBED), and if he belonged to a people with whom you have a treaty of mutual alliance, compensation (blood money – Diya) must be paid to his family, and A BELIEVING SLAVE MUST BE FREED. And whoso finds this (the penance of freeing a slave) beyond his means, he must fast for two consecutive months in order to seek repentance from Allah. And Allah is Ever All-Knowing, All-Wise.” (Surat An-Nisā’ 4v92; Muhsin Khan translation)
“Allah will not punish you for what is uninentional in your oaths, but He will punish you for your deliberate oaths; for its expiation (a deliberate oath) feed ten Masakin (poor persons), on a scale of the average of that with which you feed your own families; or clothe them; OR MANUMIT A SLAVE. But whosoever cannot afford (that), then he should fast for three days. That is the expiation for the oaths when you have sworn. And protect your oaths (i.e. do not swear much). Thus Allah make clear to you His Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) that you may be grateful.” (Surat Al-Mā’idah 5v89; Muhsin Khan translation)
“And those who make unlawful to them (their wives) (by Az-Zihar) and wish to free themselves from what they uttered, (THE PENALTY) IN THAT CASE (IS) THE FREEING OF A SLAVE before they touch each other. That is an admonition to you (so that you may not return to such an ill thing). And Allah is All-Aware of what you do.” (Surat Al-Mujādila 58v3; Muhsin Khan translation)
While I think it is nice to allow a slave to obtain his freedom – at his master’s discretion – it is tragic that Islam allows them to be enslaved in the first place. In the words of Silas:
“That’s like robbing a bank and giving some of the money back to the bank, and thinking you did the right thing!” [15]
The reality is, that slaves who get too old to perform service, or sexually satisfy their masters, are often set free. Now aged and worn out, they are put out on the streets to fend for themselves.
Yet, the former Muslim owner are said to have committed a magnificent act of righteousness, in freeing a slave! He gets rid of the burdensome slave, and gets a bonus in heaven. What a religion?!
In addition, Muslim slavery are also mentioned in the Hadith: reports of the teachings, deeds and sayings of the ‘prophet’ Muhammad.
Sahih al-Bukhari’s Hadith on Slavery
The hadith of Persian Muslim scholar, Sahih al-Bukhari, had the following to say about slavery:
“WE GOT FEMALE CAPTIVES IN THE WAR BOOTY AND WE USED TO DO COITUS INTERRUPTUS WITH THEM. So we asked Allah’s messenger about it and he said, ‘Do you really do that?’ repeating the question thrice, ‘There is no soul that is destined to exist but will come into existence, till the Day of Resurrection’.” (Volume 7, Number 137; narrated by Abu al-Khudri) [15]
“I entered the mosque and saw Abu Khudri and sat beside him and asked him about coitus interruptus. Abu said, ‘WE WENT OUT WITH ALLAH’S MESSENGER FOR THE GHAZWA (ATTACK UPON) BANU MUSTALIQ AND WE RECEIVED CAPTIVES FROM AMONG THE ARAB CAPTIVES AND WE DESIRED WOMEN AND CELIBACY BECAME HARD ON US AND WE LOVED TO DO COITUS INTERRUPTUS. So when we intended to do coitus interruptus we said ‘How can we do coitus interruptus without asking Allah’s messenger while he is present among us?’ We asked (him) about it and he said ‘It is better for you not to do so, for if any soul (till the Day of Resurrection) is predestined to exist, it will exist.'” (Volume 5, Number 459; narrated by Ibn Muhairiz) [15]
According to Bukhari’s hadith, Muslims soldiers raped the women [female prisoners] they abducted during a war with Banu Mustaliq. Muhammad had no problem with this, only admonishing them NOT to practice Coitus Interruptus.
The reason why they practiced Coitus Interruptus, ie because “they didn’t want to get the women pregnant because they wanted to be able to sell them later on. Under Islamic law they were not allowed to sell pregnant female slaves.” [15]
“‘Do you know, O Allah’s Apostle, that I have manumitted my slave-girl?’ He said, ‘Have you really?’ She replied in the affirmative. He said, ‘You would have got more reward if you had given her (i.e. the slave-girl) to one of your maternal uncles’.” (Volume 3, Number 765; narrated by Kuraib) [15]
According to Bukhari’s hadith, the freed slave of Ibn ‘Abbas, that Maimuna bint Al-Harith told him that she manumitted [released] a slave-girl without asking the permission of the ‘prophet’ Muhammad. On the day when it was her turn to be with Muhammad, she mentioned it to him. Muhammad responded saying, that she would have gotten more [heavenly] reward if she had given the slave-girl to one of her uncles, thus keeping the slave-girl in slavery.
Bukhari’s hadith also reveals, that Muhammad himself had slaves.
“AT THE DOOR OF THE [MUHAMMAD’S] ROOM THERE WAS A SLAVE to whom I went and said, ‘Ask the permission for me to enter'” (Volume 7, Chapter 734) [15]
The quote reveals that Muhammad had slaves working in his house.
“ALLAH’S MESSENGER WENT TO THE HOUSE OF HIS SLAVE TAILOR, and he was offered a dish of gourd of which he started eating. I have loved to eat gourd since I saw Allah’s messenger eating it.” (Volume 7, Number 344; narrated by Anas) [15]
He also had a slave that was a tailor. More details in Volume 7, Number 346.
“When we conquered Khaibar, we gained neither gold nor silver as booty, but we gained cows, camels, goods and gardens. Then we departed with Allah’s apostle to the valley of Al-Qira, and at that time ALLAH’S MESSENGER [MOHAMMAD] HAD A SLAVE CALLED MIDAM who had been presented to him by one of Banu Ad-Dibbab. While the slave was dismounting the saddle of Allah’s messenger an arrow the thrower of which was unknown, came and hit him …” (Volume 5, Number 541; narrated by Abu Huraira) [15]
Apparently Mohammad had a slave called “Midam”, who was struck by an arrow.
“…..THE PROPHET had their warriors killed, THEIR OFFSPRING AND WOMAN TAKEN AS CAPTIVES….” (Volume 5, Number 512; narrated by Anas)
According to Bukhari’s hadith, it was Muhammad himself, who had the Jewish soldiers of Khaibar killed, and their offspring and woman captured as slaves.
“The Ghazwa (attack upon) Uyaina bin Hisn waged against Banu Al-Anbar, a branch of Banu Tamim. THE PROPHET SENT UYAINA TO RAID THEM. HE RAIDED THEM AND KILLED SOME OF THEM AND TOOK SOME OTHERS AS CAPTIVES.” (Volume 5, Chapter 67; narrated by Ibn Ishaq) [15]
According to Bukhari’s hadith, it was Muhammad himself who sent out his men to attack another tribe, killing some, while capturing others.
Bukhari’s hadith also confirms, that many of Muhammad’s followers had slaves.
“ABU BAKR HAD A SLAVE who used to give him some of his earnings.” (Volume 5, Number 182; narrated by Aisha) [15]
“The slave of Al-Mughira…” (Volume 5, Number 50; narrated by Amr Maimun) [15]
Abu Dawud’s Hadith on Slavery
The hadith of Iranian Sunni Muslim scholar, Abu Dawud (817/18-889 CE), had the following to say about slavery:
In Volume 2, Chapter 597, Number 1814, “On a Man who Beats His Slave While he is in the Sacred State (wearing Ihram)”, he writes:
“[Abu Bakr] began to beat him [Bakr’s slave] while the apostle of Allah was smiling and saying: ‘Look at this man who is in the sacred state, what is he doing?'” [15]
According to the note for this Hadith, “Abu Bakr beat his slave to teach him [a] sense of responsibility.” [15]
In Volume 2, Chapter 683, Number 2074, “On the Marriage of a Slave without the Permission of His Masters”, he writes:
“Ibn Umar reported the prophet as saying: ‘If a slave marries without the permission of his master, his marriage is null and void.'” [15]
In Volume 2, Chapter 1317, Number 3499-3500, regarding the “Contractual Obligation of a Slave”, he writes:
“The contractual obligation of a slave is three days. If he finds defect in the slave within three days, he may return it without any evidence; if he finds a defect after three days, he will be required to produce evidence that the slave had the defect when he brought it.” [15]
Imam Malik’s Muwatta on Slavery
The Muwatta, “a book of Islamic jurisprudence” [15], by Sunni Muslim scholar, Imam Malik (711-795 CE), shows just how intrinsic slavery was during Muhammad’s life, and that of the Caliphs.
The book is filled with “regulations on dealing with slaves” [15], including:
Chapter 368 – “Who takes the Property of a Slave When He is Freed”
Chapter 371 – “Slaves who cannot be set Free in the Obligatory Freeing of a Slave”
Chapter 383 – “Cohabitation with a Slave Girl after Declaring Her ‘Mudabbir'” (free after the master’s death).
Chapter 387 – “Who is Entitled to the Property of a Slave or Slave Girl at the time of Sale.”
Chapter 388 – “The Limit of Responsibility of the Seller in the Sale of a Slave or Slave Girl.”
Chapter 390 – “On the Conditional Sale of a Slave Girl.”
Judging from the amount of Hadith, it is safe to assume, that “slaves were used throughout the Islamic world” [15].
Islamic Slavery Confirmed by Islamic Historians
The great Islamic scholar and historian, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya (1292-1350 AD), confirmed Muhammad’s slavery in his book, “Zad al-Ma’ad”, Part 1, Page 160:
“MUHAMMAD HAD MANY MALE AND FEMALE SLAVES. HE USED TO BUY AND SELL THEM, BUT HE PURCHASED MORE SLAVES THEN HE SOLD. HE ONCE SOLD ONE BLACK SLAVE FOR TWO. HIS PURCHASES OF SLAVES WERE MORE THAN HE SOLD…. MUHAMMAD HAD A NUMBER OF BLACK SLAVES. One of them was named ‘Mahran’. Muhammad forced him to do more labor than the average man. Whenever Muhammad went on a trip and he, or his people, got tired of carrying their stuff, he made Mahran carry it. Mahran said ‘Even if I were already carrying the load of 6 or 7 donkeys while we were on a journey, anyone who felt weak would throw his clothes or his shield or his sword on me so I would carry that, a heavy load’. TABARI AND JAWZIYYA BOTH RECORD THIS, SO ISLAM ACCEPTS THIS AS TRUE.” [15|19]
The Sirah Rasul Allah Biographies on Islamic Slavery
According to the traditional Muslim Sirah Rasul Allah biographies Muhammad’s son-in-law, Ali, “whipped Aisha’s slave in front of Muhammad to make her talk about the adultery charges against Aisha. Muhammad did not say a word to Ali about beating the female slave.” [15|20]
The biographies also confirm, that Muhammad massacred 800 males and took their women and children as slaves. He kept at least one Jewish female named Rayhana as his concubine, and gave the rest away to the Muslims:
“THEN THE APOSTLE DIVIDED THE PROPERTY, WIVES, AND CHILDREN OF BANU QURAYZA AMONG THE MUSLIMS…. Then the apostle sent Sa’d Zayd brother of Ashhal with some of the captive women of Banu Qurayza to Najd and he sold them for horse and weapons.” [15|20]
The Rights of Slaves Under Islamic Law
According to the Hughes Dictionary of Islam
➢ Slaves have no civil liberty, but are entirely under the authority of their owners.
➢ Muslim men were allowed to have sex with females slaves whenever they wished. (Sura 4:3, 4:29, 33:49)
➢ Slaves are as helpless before their masters as idols are before God. (Sura 16:77)
➢ According to Islamic Tradition, people at the time of their capture were either to be killed, or enslaved.
➢ According to Islamic jurisprudence, slaves were merchandise. The sales of slaves was in accordance with the sale of animals.
➢ Muhammad ordered that some slaves who were freed by their master be RE-ENSLAVED!
➢ It is permissible under Islamic law to whip slaves.
➢ According to Islam, a Muslim could not be put to death for murdering a slave. Ref. 2:178 and the Jalalayn confirm this.
➢ According to Islam, the testimony of slaves is not admissible in court. Ibn Timiyya and Bukhari state this.
➢ According to Islamic jurisprudence, slaves cannot choose their own marriage mate. (Ibn Hazm, Vol. 6, Part 9)
➢ According to Islamic jurisprudence, slaves can be forced to marry who their masters want. (Malik ibn Anas, Vol. 2, Page 155)
Who Can Be Enslaved Under Islamic Law?
➢ Islam allows Muslims to make slaves out of anyone who is captured during war. After Muslim armies attacked and conquered Spain, they took thousands of slaves back to Damascus. The key prize? 1000 virgins. [15]
➢ Islam allows the children of slaves to be raised as slaves. [15]
➢ Non-Muslims in Muslim countries, could be enslaved, unless they made a treaty with the ruling Muslims to pay “protection money”. This allowed Muslim leaders to extort money from non-Muslims. [15]
The Slave Revolt of Basrah
Robert Payne tells of a famous black slave revolt in Iraq, where thousands of black slaves forced to work in large Muslim saltpeter mines, revolted and killed tens of thousands of Arabs in Basrah. During their revolt, they conquered city after city, including Basrah. Their revolt lasted for about 11 years. [21]
Islamic Slavery Still Practiced Today
The sad reality is, that since “Muhammad intended [slavery] to be a perpetual institution”, “slavery is in complete harmony with Islam” [15], and therefore, continue until this very day.
Less than 60 years ago, Sean O’Callaghan published a book, entitled “The Slave Trade Today”, wherein he exposed Islamic slavery.
During his tours to the Mideast and Africa, Sean covertly visited many slave markets. Since Islam allows for slavery and slave trading, he was able to see much of the real world of Islamic slavery.
In Djibouti he writes:
“Ten boys were ranged in a circle on the dais (used to display the slaves), their buttocks toward us. They were all naked, and I saw with horror that FIVE HAD BEEN CASTRATED. The [slave dealer] said that USUALLY 10% OF THE BOYS ARE CASTRATED, BEING PURCHASED BY SAUDI HOMOSEXUALS, or by Yemenis, who own harems, as guards…. ‘Why had the girls (female slaves who had just been sold) had accepted their fate without a murmur, THE BOYS HOWLED AND CRIED?’ ‘Simple’ said the Somali, we tell the girls from a very early age – 7 or 8 that they are made for love, at age NINE we let them practice with each other, and a year later with the boys’.” [15|23]
In Aden he writes:
“The Yemeni told me that the girls (slave girls used as prostitutes) were encouraged to have children, especially by white men. For if a slave girl had a white child, she was given a bonus of 20 pounds when the child was taken from her.” [15|23]
As you can see, the child of a slave remained a slave, the owner could sell the child and make money. This sale is acceptable under Islamic law.
“Only one offense was severely punished; attempting to escape from the harem… The wretched girl was stripped and spread eagle in the courtyard…punishment was administer by a eunuch, a huge powerful Negro who seemed to enjoy his task. 70 lashes were given…. Because of this [the fact that eunuchs can perform sexually], THE EUNUCH OFTEN HAS HIS PENIS REMOVED AS WELL AS HIS TESTICLES“ [15|23]
This is also legal under Islamic law, since it is preparing the slave for service.
In Saudi Arabia he writes:
“The slave population was estimated at 450,000!…. Slave auctions are no longer held regularly, only in an alley in Mecca…. I was awakened by shouts and screams coming from the courtyard. Rushing to the window I looked down to see a dozen slaves being herded through a door at the far end of the yard. They were being driven in like cattle by three hefty guards armed with long lashed whips. Even as I watched, one of the poor wretches, a Sudanese girl with huge breasts, received a savage lash across her naked buttocks let out a shriek of agony…. As the next slave was led in, a murmur of excitement went up among the buyers and they crowded closer around the rostrum. He was a slender boy of about 12 years old with beautiful classical Arab features. Although much has been written about Arab brotherhood and solidarity, I knew that the Arab has no compunction in enslaving his fellows should they fall into his hands. The boy was naked and tried to cover his privates with his little hands and he ran up the steps of the rostrum…. there is an age old saying among the Bedouin: ‘A goat for use, a girl for enjoyment, but a boy for ecstasy’. He [the now purchased slave boy] was claimed by a tall bearded Arab who led him from the rostrum with an arm around his waist.” [15|23]
This is just a portion of what O’Callaghan saw.
Less than 50 years ago, Allan Fisher published a book, entitled “Slavery and Muslim Society in Africa”, wherein he also exposed Muslim slavery.
In Mecca he writes:
“We take note of 20 tall Negroes in turbans walking near the Kaba. They are eunuch slaves and are employed as police in the great Mosque. There are about 50 of them all together…. The streets are full of slaves… we see a few old slave women. They are recognized by the poverty of clothing… but we see nothing of the younger women slaves who are kept in the houses of the city…. As we move along we see two or three very old men and women who look like black skeletons. If we go to the mosque at sunrise we shall see some of these, if we go at sunset they will be there too, and if we pass by at midnight, we shall see them there still…. Sleeping on the stones in their rags. They have no home but the mosque, and no food but what they receive in alms; (they were) turned out to seek the bounty of Allah, as their masters would say. Speaking of how Saudi obtains so many black slaves: ‘they (the slave traders) pose as Muslim missionaries who guide their compatriots [black African Muslims], to the Holy Places of Islam, to make the Pilgrimage, and be instructed in the Quran in Arabic.’ Once transported, they are made into slaves…. So with the connivance of the Saudi authorities the ancient trade in black ivory is perpetuated in our time in spite of the international conventions.” [15|22]
Fisher also notes that white slaves are most highly prized.
JUDAISM
While most Jews and Christians are morally opposed to slavery, the truth is that “slavery is rampant throughout the Bible in both the Old and New Testaments.” [5]
In fact, “The Bible clearly approves of slavery in many passages, and it goes so far as to tell how to obtain slaves, how hard you can beat them, and when you can have sex with the female slaves.” [5]
Yet, many Jews and Christians will claim, that “the Bible doesn’t tolerate slavery” [3], and that these slaves were merely ‘servants’, or ‘indentured servants’.
In a similar vein, many Bible translations would employ the words “servant”, “bondservant”, or “manservant”, instead of “slave” to make the Bible seem less immoral, than it really is.
What the Bible Actually Says About Slavery
While many slaves may indeed have worked as household servants, that does NOT mean that they were not slaves who were bought, sold, and treated worse than livestock.
“However, YOU MAY PURCHASE MALE OR FEMALE SLAVES from among the foreigners who live among you. YOU MAY ALSO PURCHASE THE CHILDREN OF SUCH RESIDENT FOREIGNERS, including those who have been born in your land. YOU MAY TREAT THEM AS YOUR PROPERTY, PASSING THEM ON TO YOUR CHILDREN AS A PERMANENT INHERITANCE. YOU MAY TREAT YOUR SLAVES LIKE THIS, but the people of Israel, YOUR RELATIVES, MUST NEVER BE TREATED THIS WAY.” (Lev. 25v44-46; NLT)
Things were only slightly more ‘bearable’ for Hebrew slaves.
“If you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for only six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. IF HE WAS SINGLE WHEN HE BECAME YOUR SLAVE AND THEN MARRIED AFTERWARD, ONLY HE WILL GO FREE IN THE SEVENTH YEAR. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife will be freed with him. If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave, and they had sons or daughters, then the man will be free in the seventh year, BUT HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN WILL STILL BELONG TO HIS MASTER. But the slave may plainly declare, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I would rather not go free.’ If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, THE SLAVE WILL BELONG TO HIS MASTER FOREVER.” (Ex. 21v2-6; NLT)
Notice how they can get a male Hebrew slave to become a permanent slave, by keeping his wife and children hostage until he says he wants to become a permanent slave?!
And then, of course, there were Sex Slavery.
“When a man SELLS HIS DAUGHTER AS A SLAVE, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. IF SHE DOES NOT PLEASE THE MAN WHO BOUGHT HER, HE MAY ALLOW HER TO BE BOUGHT BACK AGAIN. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her. And if the slave girl’s owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave girl, but he must treat her as his daughter. If he himself marries her and then takes another wife, he may not reduce her food or clothing or fail to sleep with her as his wife. If he fails in any of these three ways, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment.” (Ex. 21v7-11; NLT)
Are these ‘moral family values’, that a man can buy as many sex slaves as he wants as long as he feeds them, clothes them, and screws them?!
“How can anyone think it is moral to sell your own daughter as a sex slave?” [1]
Finally, you could beat both, your male AND FEMALE slaves, to death, provided that they suffer at least a day!
“When a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod so hard that the slave dies under his hand, he shall be punished. IF, HOWEVER, THE SLAVE SURVIVES FOR A DAY OR TWO, HE IS NOT TO BE PUNISHED, SINCE THE SLAVE IS HIS OWN PROPERTY.” (Ex. 21v20-21; NAB)
CHRISTIANITY
One would think that Jesus and the New Testament would have a different view of slavery, but slavery is still tolerated in the New Testament.
“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ.” (Eph. 6v5; NLT)
“Christians who are slaves should give their masters full respect so that the name of God and his teaching will not be shamed. IF YOUR MASTER IS A CHRISTIAN, that is no excuse for being disrespectful. You should work all the harder because you are helping another believer by your efforts. Teach these truths, Timothy, and encourage everyone to obey them.” (1 Tim. 6v1-2; NLT)
Apparently it’s lawful for a Christian to own slaves.
Yet, strangely enough, the New Testament also “condemns slave trading in 1 Tim 1:10″ [15].
“For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for MENSTEALERS, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine;…” (1 Tim. 1v10, KJV)
“The law is for people who are sexually immoral, or who practice homosexuality, or ARE SLAVE TRADERS, liars, promise breakers, or who do anything else that contradicts the wholesome teaching” (1 Tim. 1v10, NLT)
This, of course, begs the question: How can you possibly ‘own slaves’ (1 Tim. 6v1-2), without being a ‘slave traders’ (1 Tim. 1v10) ?!
OBJECTIONS
Nonsense, as a Moderate Christian/Muslim I Am Opposed to Slavery
Wonderful. Glad to hear that.
BUT why then devote your life to a book, and a God, that promote and tolerate slavery? Does that not seem a bit hypocritical?
The Objections of N.T. Wright
When asked, “If the Bible seems to tolerate slavery and sexism, can we trust it on sexuality?” [3], N.T. Wright (1948-) responds:
“It depends what we mean by ‘tolerate’. The word ‘tolerate’ is basically an 18th century word, which is, which is not a very happy way into anything specifically Christian. Uhm. Is toleration? You know I can tolerate you [on] the other side of the street. Tolerance is a kind of cheap low grade parody of love. Tolerance is not a great virtue to aspire too. Love is much tougher and harder. You have to engage with somebody. You have to discover who they really are. Have to figure out what it might be to live in the same room as this person, in a relationship with them. Tolerance just allows things to fall apart, but, but slavery, THE BIBLE DOESN’T DOESN’T TOLERATE SLAVERY. The Bible contains a great story from beginning to end, which has as some of it’s key moments in the story, A MESSAGE ABOUT A GOD WHICH SETS SLAVES FREE. THE BOOK OF EXODUS IS ALL ABOUT THAT. Israel goes back to it again and again. The Psalms looked back to that moment when God freed the slaves. And that’s not just one odd thing that God happened to do. It’s a formative narrative … the Jews … celebrated their existence as the freed slave people. That runs all the way through. And then when Jesus comes and dies under the weight and slavery of sin, and is liberated from that. And He is today. Then Paul and other writers say, actually this is the great moment of redemption… So, the idea of slaves being set free is woven deep into the narrative, point after point. So, when then you get Paul saying ‘slaves obey your masters’ in Ephesians or Colossians or whatever, this does not mean he is colluding with slavery. No. I tell you what it’s like: In 300 years from now, if there still is a world 300 years from now, God help us, people will look back on this period in history and say, ‘You know those Europeans and Americans, they knew perfectly well, that driving those tin cans around with all that petrol being pumped out into the atmosphere was polluting the world, and was running the risk of actually allowing the world to have terrible things happen to it, and they went on doing it. And we’ve searched, we’ve ransacked the websites of the Church of the Holy Spirit and everywhere else, and we cannot find any sermons of people telling you, that you should give up using cars.’ In the same way we look back and we say, ‘Why weren’t you guys in the first century preaching against slavery?’ Slavery was to them, like cars are to us, just a part of the way the world works.” [3]
Now that is a copout response, if ever I heard one. See what he did there?
➢ One. He sought to draw attention away from the issue of slavery, by launching into a somewhat pointless attempt at ‘redefining tolerance’.
➢ Two. He then calls upon the book of Exodus, as proof of God’s redemptive nature, as ‘a God who sets slaves free’.
Yet, what he selectively failed to mention, is that while it was God who led the Jews out of slavery in Egypt, it was also He who abandoned them there in the first place. [4]
➢ Three. Wright employes an “Argument from Analogy” [5], a logical fallacy, by which he sought to compare two imcomparable things, namely the Bible’s tolerance of slavery, and the Church’s lack of obedience in conservation.
Contrary to Wright’s analogy, slavery was [and still is] promoted and tolerated by the Bible (Ex. 21v2-11, v20-21; Lev. 25v44-46; Eph. 6v5; 1 Tim. 6v1-2), while negligence was [and still is] condemned. The church’s disobedience in conservation, can in no way justify the Bible’s tolerance of slavery. Two wrongs does not make a right.
Finally, the reason why they did not preach against slavery in the first century, is because the Bible [God’s infallible Word] justified it.
What Wright does not seem to realize, is that he inadvertently pointed out a contradiction, namely God’s approval of slavery on the one hand, and His alleged opposition to it on the other.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, Muslims may enslave anyone, except their own. Jews and Christians, on the other hand, may enslave anyone, even their own.
In the words of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865):
“Whenever I hear anyone arguing FOR slavery, I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.”
QUESTIONS
What can I do to help stop slavery?
➢ One. Create awareness by sharing this article with your family and friends.
➢ Two. Do NOT engage in any form of slavery yourself.
➢ Three. Do NOT support ANY religion that condones slavery in ANY form.
➢ Four. Boycot the products of companies that support slavery.
➢ Five. Support the work of End Slavery Now, Free 2 Work, Not For Sale, and Songs Against Slavery.
VIDEOS
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Chris “Ali Baba” Thiefe. Slavery in the Bible (Evil Bible; 23 February 2015) ✔
2. Mike Floorwalker. 10 Reasons for Man to Leave Religion Behind (Listverse; 23 March 2013)
3. VIDEO: The Bible on Slavery, Sexism and Homosexuality — Bishop N.T. Wright (YouTube; 21 March 2010) ✔
4. EJ Hill. God On Trial, 2008 (Hillside; 24 February 2015) ✔
5. Argument from analogy (Wikipedia; 16 February 2015) ✔
6. Slavery (Wikipedia; 24 February 2015)
7. Sexual Slavery (Wikipedia; 24 February 2015)
8. History of slavery (Wikipedia; 24 February 2015)
9. Atlantic slave trade (Wikipedia; 24 February 2015)
10. Slavery in Africa (Wikipedia; 24 February 2015)
11. Slavery In South Africa (Wikipedia; 24 February 2015)
12. Slavery in the United States (Wikipedia; 24 February 2015)
13. Abolition of slavery timeline (Wikipedia; 24 February 2015)
14. Islamic views on slavery (Wikipedia; 25 February 2015)
15. Silas. Slavery In Islam (Answering Islam; 25 February 2015) ✔
16. Manumission (Wikipedia; 25 February 2015)
17. Roger Du Pasquier. Unveiling Islam, p.67 ✔
18. Ibn Sa’d. Book of the Major Classes [“Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir”] p.151, 164 ✔
19. Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya. “Zad al-Ma’ad”, Part 1, Page 160 ✔
20. Sirah Rasul Allah, p.466, 496 ✔
21. Robert Payne. The History of Islam, p.185 ✔
22. Allan Fisher. Slavery and Muslim Society in Africa (1971) ✔
23. Sean O’Callaghan. The Slave Trade Today (1961) p.75 ✔
For more information on Slavery, please visit the Action Coalition on Human Trafficking in Alberta, the Alliance Against Modern Slavery, Allies Against Slavery, Anti-Slavery, Anti-Trafficking Armenia, Artists Against Slavery, Beyond Borders, California Against Slavery, End Slavery Now, Free 2 Work, Free The Slaves, Free-Them, Historians Against Slavery, the London Anti-Human Trafficking Committee, Men Against Sexual Trafficking (MAST), Not For Sale, Persons Against the Crime of Trafficking in Humans (PACT), Ratanak International, Seattle Against Slavery, Shared Hope International, Songs Against Slavery, the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario Forced Marriage Project, Southern Arizona Against Slavery, Stand Against Slavery, The Global Slavery Index, the United Nations Action for Cooperation Against Trafficking in Persons (UN ACT), Stop Human Trafficking, and the Understanding Slavery Initiative; the Slavery Archives at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Deliberation, Global Peace and Conflict, Mail Online, News24, Ortho Cuban, The Blaze, and YouTube; or simply run a Bing, DuckDuckGo, Google, or SOHO Search.
UPDATES
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REVISIONS
20.01.2015 / 23-26.02.2015