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Liberation of slaves, emancipation

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Liberation of slaves, emancipation

2020. november 28. - 18:13

In my article on the Islamic economy and taxation, I mentioned the eight categories where the revenues from the Zakah should be invested.

There are two of the eight items that need further explanation. They are “those in bondage and debt ( ل ا َ ا ِّب و َ ِّق الر َ اِّرِّمين َ غ ( 9:60”.

Islam came to find slavery existing in every part of the world. At that time, slavery was practiced through different means; people were enslaved through kidnapping and abduction, wars, and debts. Islam abolished all of these means with the exclusion of the enslavement of war prisoners. In its characteristic manner of introducing rulings, Islam did not abruptly abolish slavery but banned it by degrees to maintain social stability. The phenomenon of slavery existed in all the communities around the world and slaves were considered an important resource in the social and economic life of ancient times.állapotának létrehozásában, ezért kérem, hogy a Korán szavaihoz, lelkületéhez forduljunk támaszért, ne emberhez.
Islam observed a noble stance towards the institution of slavery; it limited its sources, increased the means towards their freedom, and exhorted Muslims to treat them kindly and emancipate them. This differed from what prevailed worldwide at that time and [the evil practices] of slave traders in later centuries after the discovery of the new world.Because, that's not to be forgotten either. I’m talking about the slave trade in regard of the new world where we, Muslims were involved totally. Because it didn’t happen that African people sang nice songs and voluntarily bound their hands, necks with chains and sailed to America. The truth is that they were betrayed partly by their own tribal chief or marketed as booty by other black tribes, but this activity flourished largely due to the brutal deeds of Muslim slave traders until 1833 when slavery was officially abolished, however de facto it continues even today. Yes, in a physical sense, there are continents, countries where there is human trafficking. Europe and even Hungary are not free from this. Or maybe you don’t know about selling girls to work in German, Dutch and other whore-houses? It works even within our nice country.

The Islamic interpretation of slavery includes other items as well. Any compulsion that distracts you from your normal life path and you are a victim of an event you don’t want, is slavery. So, it is also slavery to get into the debt or interest trap of banks and you become indebted. It is also slavery for a woman with four children, having no other means, to earn her family’s income on the street without doing it for pleasure. This is slavery, because the situation was not shaped by her to be so. However, if a secretary establishes sexual relationship with her boss just to gain influence over him, it’s not slavery, but real prostitution.

Since we, Muslims are as depraved in spirit as anyone else and are involved in creating a state of exposure and dependence, I suggest that we turn to the words and spirit of the Quran in order to get support, not to man.

Let those who find not the wherewithal for marriage keep themselves chaste, until Allah gives them means out of His grace. And if any of your slaves ask for a deed in writing (to enable them to earn their freedom for a certain sum), give them such a deed if ye know any good in them: yea, give them something yourselves out of the means which Allah has given to you. But force not your maids to prostitution when they desire chastity, in order that ye may make a gain in the goods of this life. But if anyone compels them, yet, after such compulsion, is Allah, Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful (to them), (Quran 24:33)

A Muslim marriage requires some sort of a dower for the wife. If the man cannot afford that, he must wait and keep himself chaste. It is no excuse for him to say that he must satisfy his natural cravings within or outside marriage.
It must be within marriage. The law of slavery in the legal sense of the term is now obsolete. While it had any meaning, Islam made the slave's lot as easy as possible. A slave, male or female, could ask for conditional manumission by a written deed fixing the amount required for manumission and allowing the slave meanwhile to earn money by lawful means. Such a deed was not to be refused if the request was genuine and the slave had character. Not only that, but the master is directed to help with money out of his own resources in order to enable the slave to earn his or her own liberty.
"Forcing" a person necessarily means that it is against the wish or inclination of the person forced. Even if they were to give a formal consent, it is not valid because the persons concerned are in (legal, or now) economic slavery.

In Sahih Muslim, 1505 (Book 20, Hadith 18) Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported: A'isha (Allah be pleated with her) thought of buying a slave-girl and emancipating her, but her owners refused to (sell her but on the condition) that the right of inheritance would vest in them. She made a mention of that to Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him), whereupon he said: Let this (condition) not stand in your way for the right of inheritance vests with one who emancipates.

The aya and hadith were born at an age when the institution of slavery was common. Nevertheless, the law of God prescribes the emancipation and the elimination of states of dependence. It would not be fair if God takes in account the deeds on the Day of Judgment that we commit under compulsion. But He is just and judges only the deeds that we committed according to our decisions of free will. Therefore, it is the duty of every Muslim to put an end to conditions where our fellow human beings cannot have free will. Slavery still exists today, it works even in the most developed countries, so we have a lot of work to do.