Those who criticize the Islamic legislation towards Slavery are holding those
views because they analyze the process of abolition that Islam used,
using a tunnel vision. In other words they fail to see the big picture in
which this process not only completely abolished slavery from the Muslim
world but the approach was the most humane and most peaceful method ever
employed for this task.
Dr. George Brest, a non-Muslim historian says, "Christianity did not object
to slavery. Politically or economically, it did not encourage the believers
to oppose the traditions of their generations as regards slavery. Christianity
did not even discuss the problem and said nothing against the rights of slave
owners. It did not urge slaves to demand their freedom and did not basically
ask to free the slaves."
In the Grand Larouse of 19th century one reads: "Man does not wonder at the
presence of slavery and its being common among the Christians till now. The
religious representatives approve it and believe that it is legal. In brief
Christianity approves it completely till our time and it is very hard to
prove that Christianity tried to abolish slavery."
It is no wonder that Christians continued to practice slavery until very
recently.
In less than fifty years, Western slave traders carried to North and South
America slaves, who now number about twenty million people, left after killing
and oppression. This number is five times that of the slaves in the Ancient
World more than a thousand years ago. And the difference between the slaves
of the Ancient World and the New World is so great that Negroes in America
are still a race of secluded pedigree, of lesser privilege and no practical
rights.
One does not find this in any nation of the East. A black man who comes to
any country there is considered a citizen in about one generation. He has
the same rights and duties and needs no protection by legislation or law.
In the Encyclopedia Britanica Vol. II p. 779 under
<<Slavery>> one reads: "Catching slaves from their villages which
were surrounded by jungle happened this way: Fire was started in the dry
hedges surrounding the huts and when the residents fled away into the jungle
the Englishmen caught them in devices prepared for that purpose. Some of
the people died during this human hunt on their way to the coast to the ships
of the British and other companies. A third of the remaining captives died
because of climate alteration and during the shipping 4.5 % died and 19 %
died during the journey. Those who died in the colonies were uncountable."
In 1502, about eight hundred thousand slaves entered the colony of Jamaica
alone, and only three hundred and forty thousand were alive at the end of
the same year.
Queen Elizabeth I was partner in the slave trade. Her partner was John Hawkins
the greatest slave dealer in history. She made him a knight because she admired
his courage and made a coat of arms a slave in chains and handcuffs. It is
really ironic to read that ship which the queen prepared for Hawkins was
called <<Jesus>> and the ships made for the slave trade numbered
192 and each ship could hold 47,146 slaves. England asked the clergy to find
documents to justify this trade and they readily enough found the text from
the Old Testament which were mentioned above under Slavery and Jews.
The Bible, unlike the Holy Quran, widely promoted the institution of Slavery;
Muslims cannot believe that God could have inspired the following on the
issue of slavery found in the Bible:
"Let all who are under the yoke of slavery regard their masters as worthy
of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be defamed."
(Timothy I 6:1)
"As for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and
female slaves from among the nations that are round about you." (Leviticus
25:44)
"If a man lies carnally with a woman who is a slave, betrothed to another
man and not yet ransomed or given her freedom, an inquiry shall be held.
They shall not be put to death, because she was not free" (Leviticus 19:20)
"When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies
under his hand, he shall be punished. But if the slave survives a day or
two, he is not to be punished; for the slave is his money." (Exodus 21:20-21)
And the Lord said, "When you draw near to a city to fight against it, offer
terms of peace to it. And if its answer to you is peace and it opens to you,
then all the people who are found in it shall do forced labour for you and
shall serve you..."
(Deuteronomy 20:10-11)
"And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.
God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan
shall be his servant" (Genesis 9:26)
"So the Canaanites have dwelt in the midst of Ephraim to this day, but become
slaves to do forced labour." (Josh 16:10)
"And all the people that were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites,
Hivites, and Jebusites, which were not the children of Israel; their children
that were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were
not able utterly to destroy, upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bondservice
unto this day."(I Kings 9:20-21)
"but every slave that is bought for money may eat of it after you have
circumcised him." (Exodus 12:44)
"When you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years, and in the seventh
he shall go out free, for nothing." (Exodus 21:2)
St. Paul asked the slaves to obey their masters as they obey Jesus Christ.
In his message to the people of Ephsus St.. Paul said "O slave! Obey your
masters in body with fear and trembling in your hearts as you do for Christ,
not deceiving the eye as those who please people, but as slaves of Christ
working God's will, serving with good intention as for God, not for people,
knowing that whatever good you do, it will be accepted by God weather you
were free or slave."
St. Peter made a similar recommendation and ordered priests to adhere to
it, because slavery is a redemption of human errors, offered by men for the
wrath of the greatest Lord.
St. Thomas Aquinas added the philosophical view to the view of religious
leaders and did not object to slavery, but praised it, because he, like his
teacher Aristotle, believed that slavery was natural case and some people
are originally born to be slaves. Also he believed slavery did not contradict
the faith and humans should be satisfied with their lowly lot.
Perhaps the above verses in the Bible were the thoughts of men as the Bible
itself claims:
"How can you say we are wise and the law of the Lord is with us behold, the
false pen of the scribes turned it into a lie." (Jer 8:8)
"And the burden of the Lord shall you mention no more...For you have perverted
the words of the living God" (Jer 23:36)
"Behold, the word of the Lord is unto them a reproach, they have no delight
in it..From the least of them even unto the greatest of them, everyone is
given to covetousness, and from the prophet even unto the priest, everyone
deals falsely." (Jer 6:10)
"The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not neither have I commanded
them, neither spoke unto them." (Jer 14:14)
"They use their tongues and say, 'He says' " (Jer 23:31)
Many years after Jesus left the earth, Paul says about the Old Testament
and the New Testament:
"But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall
be done away." (1 Corin 13:9)
The good news to mankind is that God has revealed
The Holy Quran, a perfect
Revelation and a Mercy for mankind.
