>>>>>>>>>> If you like to get the answer to this question, it would be "Proper" and "Fair" to understand how the term "Slavery" is used in Muslim world.
For example, in western world, generally dark skinned men/women are slaves and fair skinned men/women are masters. That is the image we have when we think of slavery.
However in religious term, the concept of slavery is covers all of us. ALL Muslims are "Slaves" of Allah(SWT).
I am going share a little bit about it from an article by Bilal from USA...
Men are never "Owned" by another man rather "Responsible" for them. Which asks the person who have slaves to take care of them according to the standard of Islam. Which includes that, he/she be treated like brothers and sisters. History shows us slaves became ruler of lands as well. Which was IMPOSSIBLE in western world or ancient India. A lower caste person NEVER had any rights over person who owned them or belonged to a higher caste (By birth).
Islam also offered different ways to earn their freedom.
When we take a job (Chakurijibi), we are a part time slaves (Chakor) of our employers. We may not realize it but that is how we function in our "Modern world". Anyone or any company who treats employees better are encouraged. Islam is the only religion that CODIFIED in laws about "Rights of slaves".
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was known for freeing slaves NOT for enslaving free men just to do chores.
As another member pointed out, Islam also codified to FREE slaves as a sign of "Mercy".
Lastly I want to offer a hadith for our members....
In short, there are many per-conditions to meet before any Muslim can think of enslaving anyone and in modern world it is almost impossible to imagine to find such a condition. So ALL Muslim majority countries declared slavery illegal.
Hope this helps a bit.
Shalom!
From: Sukhamaya Bain <subain1@yahoo.com>
To: mukto-mona <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Mon, Jan 30, 2012 3:45 am
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] How to follow religions correctly
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, January 27, 2012 11:20 AM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] How to follow religions correctly
From: Sukhamaya Bain <subain1@yahoo.com>
To: mukto-mona <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Fri, Jan 27, 2012 7:30 am
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] How to follow religions correctly
To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2012 8:23 AM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] How to follow religions correctly
To start with it is nor right to expect Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) to ban slavery overnight. Let me offer an example.
All of us can agree that child labor is a horrible thing for countries like Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. HOWEVER if you have to cancel it overnight, it would cause more pain to those children and their families unless it is a slow gradual process.
Islam is a religion of middle path and a practical religion (If you understand it properly). So it was clearly against making free people into slaves. The Qur'an says...
I'll share a little from a German scholar on Islam
Shalom!!
From: Sukhamaya Bain <subain1@yahoo.com>
To: mukto-mona <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wed, Jan 25, 2012 3:40 am
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] How to follow religions correctly
To: Sukhamaya Bain <subain1@yahoo.com>; Jiten Roy <jnrsr53@yahoo.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 22, 2012 11:15 PM
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To: mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Saturday, January 21, 2012 11:57 AM
Subject: Re: [mukto-mona] How to follow religions correctly
To: "mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com" <mukto-mona@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2012 8:19 AM
Subject: [mukto-mona] How to follow religions correctly
"I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it".
-Beatrice Hall [pseudonym: S.G. Tallentyre], 190 
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Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Re: [mukto-mona] How to follow religions correctly
Now let me ask the same question to everyone who identifies himself/herself as a Muslim: is it enough for a civilized world to treat the slaves fairly, to consider freeing a slave to be good deed, and to provide some rewards for freeing a slave?
I heard the Prophet saying, "Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians praised the son of Mary, for I am only a slave. So, call me the Slave of Allah and His Apostle."
[ Source: Hadith - Bukhari 4.654, Narrated Umar, r.a. ]
Submitted by Bilal (United States), Jun 17, 2006 at 15:39
Slavery like prostitution probably existed at one time or other throughout the world. However, it woudl be unfair to treat all types of slavery as one. In Pre-Islamic & post-Islamic Arabia slavery was not a defined by the color of your skin as it was in the Western Hemisphere specifically in the early history of the United States. In the ancient world - people entered into slavery because of personal and financial debts or because they were captured as prisoners of war. Relatives of the slaves could ransom and free their loved ones. Thus the status of the slave could change - it was not tied to the colour of the skin.
Prohet Mohammed also had a slave - before his calling - an Arab slave given to him as a gift by his older wife Khadija. When the relatives of the boy became aware that he is in the possession of the Prophet - they came to free him by paying for his bondage; however, the slave refused to go with his parents and continued to serve the Prophet. The Prophet then emancipated him by adopting him as his son and declaring his decision to the city of Mecca. Thus here once a slave - now became the legal heir of the Prophet.
At the early stages of Islam one abyssinian male named Bilal accepted Islam. He was still owned then by his non-muslim master until he was emancipated by one of the early companion of the Prophet by way of monetary compensation. Then he became one of the equals and his skin colour no longer determined his status. This type of slavery is indeed different from what was/is practised in other parts of the world. Let's take the example of the harijans of India (dalits/untouchables). They are yet to be fully emancipated despite the governments efforts to reward them with education and mobility. Harijans or outcastes had a lower status from which they could never escape - they do the menial work of the society - cleaning of tiolets - garbage collection etc. They could not marry outside their caste and are considered sub-humans by the pandits (cannot enter certain temple or drink and eat within vacinity of a brahmin - upper caste)............
He will not enter Paradise who behaveth ill to his slaves. The Companions said, 'O Apostle of God! have you not told us, that there will be a great many slaves and orphans amongst your disciples?' He said, 'Yes; then be kind to them as to your own children, and give them to eat what you eat yourselves. The slaves that say their prayers are your brothers.
Be kind to slaves as to your own children...and those that say their prayers are your brethren.
They (slaves or servants) are your brothers, and Allah has put them under your command. So the one under whose hand Allah has put his brother, should feed him of what he eats, and give him dresses of what he wears, and should not ask him to do a thing beyond his capacity. And if at all he asks him to do a hard task, he should help him therein.'
'There are three categories of people against whom I shall myself be a plaintiff on the Day of Judgement. Of these three, one is he who enslaves a free man, then sells him and eats this money'.
[Source: al-Bukhari and Ibn Majjah ]
-----Original Message-----
Mr. A. Q. Rahman thinks that his religion is perfect is spite of the fact that it does not abolish or condemn slavery.
Now let me ask the same question to everyone who identifies himself/herself as a Muslim: is it enough for a civilized world to treat the slaves fairly, to consider freeing a slave to be good deed, and to provide some rewards for freeing a slave?
Hopefully, I will comment more on the subject after hearing from some other Muslims.
Sukhamaya Bain
From: qar <qrahman@netscape.net>
.......................
QAR quotes SB: But do not claim it to be perfect, as you should be able to see from this particular example.
>>And QAR comments: So far my religion has been "Perfect" for me. ........................
-----Original Message-----
I had already read these two verses, and a few more, in the Koran, and commented that "the religion asks its followers to treat slaves with fairness, and considers freeing a slave to be a good deed." Mr. Q. A. Rahman said the same thing below, diluting it in a full page of gibberish.
Let me comment here on Mr. Mustafizur Rahman's statement also. He wrote "Rewards for freeing a slave are numerous in Hadith." Let me just trust that he read the Hadith and knows this for a fact.
Having agreed with both the Rahmans, let me ask them; is it adequate for a civilized world to treat the slaves fairly, to consider freeing a slave to be good deed, and to provide some rewards for freeing a slave?
To me, there is no such thing as "treating a slave fairly." Once you brand someone as a slave, you are already too unfair to him/her. Reward and praise for freeing a slave is not enough for a decent world; we needed abolition of slavery. Today slavery is prohibited in all the respectable societies and countries of the world. As the human civilization progresses, I have no doubt, more and more of the unfairness and injustices will be gone from the world.
As for religions, the bottom line is, if an honest reading of your religious books allows you to respect the religion, please do so. But do not claim it to be perfect, as you should be able to see from this particular example.
Sukhamaya Bain
From: qar <qrahman@netscape.net>
I think I can add couple of cents to this dialogue. It also ordered it's followers to treat slaves fairly.
It is not Al-Birr (piety, righteousness, and each and every act of obedience to Allâh, etc.) that you turn your faces towards east and (or) west (in prayers); but Al-Birr is (the quality of) the one who believes in Allâh, the Last Day, the Angels, the Book, the Prophets and gives his wealth, in spite of love for it, to the kinsfolk, to the orphans, and to Al-Masâkin (the poor), and to the wayfarer, and to those who ask, and to set slaves free, performs As-Salât (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and gives the Zakât, and who fulfill their covenant when they make it, and who are As-Sâbirin (the patient ones, etc.) in extreme poverty and ailment (disease) and at the time of fighting (during the battles). Such are the people of the truth and they are AlMuttaqûn (pious).
[ Source: The Noble Qur'ân Al-Baqarah 2:177 ]
and Islam motivated it's followers to get out of the system of slavery.
Allâh 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 Masâkin (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 Allâh make clear to you His Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) that you may be grateful.
[ Source: The Noble Qur'ân An-Nur 2:221 ]
I saw Abu Dhar Al-Ghifari wearing a cloak, and his slave, too, was wearing a cloak. We asked him about that (i.e. how both were wearing similar cloaks). He replied, "Once I abused a man and he complained of me to the Prophet. The Prophet (peace be upon him) asked me, 'Did you abuse him by slighting his mother?' He added, 'Your slaves are your brethren upon whom Allah has given you authority. So, if one has one's brethren under one's control, one should feed them with the like of what one eats and clothe them with the like of what one wears. You should not overburden them with what they cannot bear, and if you do so, help them (in their hard job).' "
[ Source: Hadith - Sahih Al-Bukhari 3.721, Narrated Al Marur bin Suwaid ]
I think most of us know the story of Bilal (RA). By asking him to call people to prayer, prophet Muhammad (PBUH) elevated this dark skinned ex-slave in front of Arabs. These are revolutionary steps when you understand all these were done over 1400 years ago!!
Annemarie Schimmel in "Islam: An Introduction", p. 67
Slavery was not abolished by the Koran, but believers are constantly admonished to treat their slaves well. In case of illness a slave has to be looked after and well cared for. To manumit [free] a slave is highly meritorious; the slave can ransom himself by paying some of the money he has earned while conducting his own business. Only children of slaves or non-Muslim prisoners of war can become slaves, never a freeborn Muslim; therefore slavery is theoretically doomed to disappear with the expansion of Islam. The entire history of Islam proves that slaves could occupy any office, and many former military slaves, usually recruited from among the Central Asian Turks, became military leaders and often even rulers as in eastern Iran, India (the Slave Dynasty of Delhi), and medieval Egypt (the Mamluks). Eunuchs too served in important capacities, not only as the guardians of the women's quarters, but also in high administrative and military positions.
Hope this will help members to understand Islamic point of view on this topic.
-----Original Message----- Presentation of a relevant fact does not have to be professional or scholarly.
I suppose the position of Islam on slavery was not the best example for "following the essence of what is good in a religion"; it was an OK example. My reading of the Koran actually tells me that the religion asks its followers to treat slaves with fairness, and considers freeing a slave to be a good deed. It does not condemn slavery, nor does it provide any clear cut reward for freeing a slave.
However, that does not change my concept of how to follow religions properly or correctly. I do not think following anything in any religion that is more than a thousand years old should be done literally. Even the good things in them should be judged for their essence, and adapted to fit the good common senses of the civilized human minds.
Sukhamaya Bain
From: subimal chakrabarty <subimal@yahoo.com>
From: Kamal Das <kamalctgu@...>
Muhammad himself was not rich enough to possess any slave. However, after marriage, he owned a few. The most prominent of them was Bilal who became the first muezzin in Islam. History also records him punishing another bunch of slaves who escaped with death. I wonder if Subimal Chakravarty found this article 'scholarly'.
From: Sukhamaya Bain <subain1@yahoo.com>
To me, following any religion "correctly" would be to follow the essence of what is good in it, dump what is bad in it, and not waste too much time trying to prove something in it to be good when it actually looks pretty bad. I do not have the patience to hear the context in which something hateful was uttered in a religious book. Hateful words in a religious book do necessarily make that religion bad. To me, the context does not matter, because a hateful utterance is very likely to make the average follower hateful; the average follower is likely to have no time or wisdom to see the context. Also because most human beings should not have too much time to spend on religions; they need to keep using, developing and improving science and technology, without which even the religious fanatics would not have the quality of life that they are enjoying.
Here is an example of what I call "following the essence of what is good in religions." Mohammad's preaching of Islam had praise and rewards for people who freed slaves; he did not abolish slavery through his religion. To me, that was great in the 6th century; and I can respect him for that. But now, we are not as primitive as the 6th century people, we can do better than that. We not only abolish slavery, we treat all innocent humans with respect and dignity; we even afford a good deal of dignified treatment to criminals.
Sukhamaya Bain
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