What is the meaning of "female captives in your possession" mentioned in the Quran? And does it still exist today? Why did Islam legislate it?
ما معنى "ما ملكت أيمانكم" الوارد ذكرها في القرآن؟ وهل لا زالت موجودة إلى يومنا هذا؟ ولم شرعها الإسلام أصلا؟
To understand the Islamic approach to slavery, one must examine the historical context, the unprecedented rights granted to captives, and the continuous push toward total emancipation.
لفهم المنهج الإسلامي في التعامل مع الرق، يجب على المرء أن يدرس السياق التاريخي، والحقوق غير المسبوقة الممنوحة للأسرى، والسعي المستمر نحو التحرير الكامل.
The Definition and Historical Context | التعريف والسياق التاريخي
1. What Does It Mean?
First, the "female captive in your possession" is the woman who is taken from the captives during combat for the sake of Allah. This no longer exists today because warfare in that historical sense has ceased, and international agreements required cancelling this legislation, which was originally implemented based on reciprocal treatment.
1. ما المقصود بها؟
أولا: ملك اليمين هي المرأة التي تؤخذ من السبي في الجهاد في سبيل الله، وهي لم تعد موجودة اليوم، وذلك لأنه لم يعد هناك قتال بهذا المعنى، كما أن الاتفاقات الدولية اقتضت إسقاط العمل بهذا التشريع لأن العمل به كان من باب المقابلة بالمثل.
2. Did Islam Invent Slavery?
Secondly, Islam did not legislate this action in the first place. At the time of the descent of the Islamic Sharia, the entire world was already practicing it. Slavery existed among Christians, Jews, pagans, and atheists. People enslaved others through kidnapping, banditry, and debt. Some even sold their own children, and farmers were often treated as inferior laborers meant for dirty work. What Islam introduced was a radical refinement and restriction of this existing global system.
2. هل ابتدع الإسلام الرق؟
ثانيا: الإسلام لم يشرعها ابتداء وإنما شرعها من باب المقابلة، لأن العالم في وقت نزول الشريعة كان يعمل بها. الرق كان موجودا عند النصارى واليهود والوثنيين والملحدين. وللرق عندهم أسباب متعددة في الحرب والسبي والخطف واللصوصية، بل يبيع أحدهم أولاده، وبعضهم يعدون الفلاحين أرقاء للأعمال القذرة والشاقة. ما جاء به الإسلام هو تهذيب لهذا التشريع.
The Islamic Reforms | الإصلاحات الإسلامية
1. Restricting the Source
Islam restricted the source of slavery by making the default state of all people free. Slavery could only occur under one circumstance: individuals captured as non believing combatants during a war. Even then, the leader must choose between emancipation, ransom, or slavery based on public interest. In non Islamic contexts, slavery arose from plundering, looting, and selling free individuals.
1. تضييق مصادر الرق
الإسلام ضيق مورد الرق إذ جعل الناس كلهم أحرارا، لا يطرأ عليهم الرق إلا بسبب واحد وهو أن يؤسروا وهم كفار مقاتلون، مع أن الواجب على القائد أن يختار الأصلح من الرق أو الفداء أو الإطلاق بلا فداء. بينما سبب الرق في غير الإسلام النهب والسلب وبيع الأحرار.
2. Humanizing the Treatment
Islam commanded unprecedented compassion towards slaves. The Prophet pbuh said, "A slave has his food and clothing in the normal manner, and he is only obliged to do such work as he is capable of doing." He also stated, "Your slaves are your brothers. Allah has placed them under your authority. He who has his brother under him should feed him from whatever he eats, and dress him with whatever he wears." He forbade the use of degrading titles, instructing masters to use words like "my young man" instead of "my slave."
2. المعاملة الإنسانية
الإسلام رفق بالرقيق وعطف عليهم، فقال ﷺ: "للمملوك طعامه وقوته، ولا يكلف من العمل ما لا يطيق". وقال أيضا: "هم إخوانكم وخولكم، جعلهم الله تحت أيديكم... فليطعمه مما يأكل، وليلبسه مما يلبس". ونهى عن الألفاظ المهينة فقال: "لا يقل أحدكم: عبدي وأمتي، وليقل: فتاي وفتاتي".
3. Equality in Dignity
In Islam, human dignity is based on piety and moral values, not lineage. (Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you) Al Hujurat 49:13. Due to their virtue and abilities, many freed slaves led armies, established nations, and achieved what their former masters could not.
3. المساواة في الكرامة
المقياس في الإسلام لكرامة الإنسان يرجع إلى الكفاءات والقيم المعنوية. (إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ). وقد بلغ شخصيات من الموالي بفضلهم ما لم تبلغه ساداتهم؛ إذ قادوا الجيوش وساسوا الأمم.
The Paths to Emancipation | سبل العتق والتحرير
Despite improving their conditions, the ultimate goal of Islam was liberation. Islam provided numerous means for emancipation, making it a powerful way to atone for sins and attain Paradise. Some of these are obligatory forces that immediately remove ownership:
- Physical Harm: If a master injures his slave (such as intentionally hurting their face), he is legally forced to emancipate them.
- Joint Ownership: If someone frees his share of a jointly owned slave, he is compelled to pay his partners and free the slave entirely if he has the means.
- Family Ties: If a person unknowingly purchases a close blood relative, that relative is automatically freed upon possession.
- Religious Expiation (Kaffarah): Freeing a slave is the primary mandated atonement for major mistakes, such as unintentional manslaughter, breaking an oath, or breaking the fast in Ramadan.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
Can Muslims practice slavery today?
No. The specific conditions for taking captives no longer exist, and international treaties banning slavery are binding upon Muslims. The Islamic state is required to honor these agreements.
Why didn't Islam just ban slavery immediately?
Slavery was the foundational economic and social structure of the ancient world. An immediate ban would have caused total economic collapse and left thousands of freed slaves destitute. Instead, Islam dismantled it systemically by blocking the sources of slavery and opening wide the doors to emancipation.
What happens if a master physically abuses a slave in Islam?
According to Prophetic tradition, if a master strikes or physically mutilates his slave, the required legal penalty and expiation is that the slave must be immediately set free.