The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 204
Seal of the Prophets - Volume II 204 Why Were All Slaves Not Freed at Once? Prior to bringing this discussion to a close, it is necessary to answer the question that if Islām brought a message of the freedom and liberation of slaves, why then did the Holy Prophet sa not order the manumission of all existing slaves at once? As such, the brief and simple answer to this is merely that the Holy Prophet sa did not do this because he was a true friend of slaves. Furthermore, the task of the Holy Prophet sa was reformation, not ostentation. Hence, the Holy Prophet sa did not take any such step, which apparently seemed to possess a nature of friendship, but was actually harmful to slaves and injurious to the progress of the country and civilization. Every sensible individual can understand that in light of the circumstances of that time, to free hundreds and thousands of slaves all at once would have been equivalent to leaving them in such a helpless and insecure state as could have proven to be dangerous for them in many respects. In light of the circumstances of that time, the definite result of this immediate and universal manumission would have been that one segment of these slaves would have starved to death due to poverty. Then, the other segment would have become unemployed and inclined towards criminality; and thus become a means of their own moral destruction, as well as a means of causing disorder and unrest throughout the country and nation. Irrespective of how pleasant proposals of reform may seem at times from an emotional aspect, but actually in most cases they do not prove to be beneficial. Rather, in some cases they result in a dangerous effect on the habits and qualities of individuals, as well as on the collective life and civilization of the nation. The Holy Prophet sa was a true Reformer and desired to do for slaves what was truly beneficial and blessed for them. Therefore, he did not tread a path as would cause a destructive earthquake in the Arab society, and instead of benefitting slaves, was a means of harm. Contemplate well that in light of the circumstances of that time, to free hundreds and thousands of slaves at once without a far-sighted system, definitely would have led to the life of these slaves being destroyed, as well as their religion. In other words, as far as their lives were concerned, most of them would have been left completely helpless and without a means of livelihood. Furthermore, they would have also been left without opportunities to learn a trade. From a religious perspective, this immediate and universal manumission would have taken a very detrimental toll on their morals and habits. In specific, due to a very lengthy era subjected to cruel slavery, they