Islam and Slavery — Page 45
45 if a free man is to be enslaved, such and such procedure should be followed. If it had been permissible in Islam to reduce a free man to a state of bondage, then, of all the matters connected with slavery, the most important one that required elucidation, was that which related to the procedure of enslaving free men. But far from throwing any light on this subject, neither the Quran nor the traditions have so much as referred to it, which is a sure evidence of the fact that the reducing of free men to slavery is not allowed in Islam. . But as we have already said, our claim that Islam does not allow the enslavement of free men is not based merely on indirect evidence. On the other hand, Islam gives most positive and clear and direct injunctions to the effect that it is a great sin and an act of most heinous nature to reduce a free man to slavery,—an act for which the offender shall be severely called to account. For instance, we may quote the following saying of the Holy Prophet in Bukhari. the most authentic book on Tradition : "Abu Huraira relates that the Holy Prophet used to say that God had spoken to him saying: "There are three classes of men with whom I will make war on the Day of Judgment. Firstly, the man who makes a covenant with some one in My name and then breaks it. Secondly. the man who enslaves a free man, sells him and eats his price. Thirdly, the man who employs a man to do a work and exacts full work from him but does not pay him his wages. " (1) (1) Bukhari, Kitab Al-Bai.