Islam and Slavery — Page 32
32 in view of the state of things then prevailing, it took effective steps to bring about the moral, social and economic uplift of the existing slaves, providing at the same time that as these slaves became gradually fit to lead independent lives in a useful manner, they should gradually but compulsorily be set at liberty. That indeed was the only way of true reform, which. under the existing circumstances could have been followed with the fullest assurance of its leading to the happiests of results. Nay, a close and detailed study of the plan followed by the Holy Prophet to secure freedom for slaves leaves no doubt as to the fact that this was truly a matchless scheme, unparalleled in the goodness of the fruit which it bore. Never has any nation, either before the time of the. Holy Prophet or after it set an example which may be said to make any approach to the high ideal set by the Holy. Founder of Islam in this respect. . The doubt may here arise in the minds of some of the readers that there were many reformers, both European and American in the last century and the time that preceded it, who devoted their whole lives to the cause of the emancipation of slaves, and as a result of whose efforts slavery, was abolished from the greater part of the world. . Among them may be mentioned the name of Abraham. Lincoln, President of the United States of America, who caused hundreds of thousands of Negro slaves to be set free at once, and, it may be argued, this immediate and universal liberation led to no untoward result. On the contrary, the service rendered by Abraham Lincoln has won for him the highest admiration of the world.