The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 233
V - Conduct of the Holy Prophet sa with Slaves and His Teachings on the Issue of Slavery 233 In summary, the Islāmic teaching on slavery is divided into two parts. Firstly, that teaching which relates to such people, who for some reason or other had drawn into a cruel circle of slavery and their morals and habits were generally very inferior and ignoble; the very quality which makes a person capable of living a free life in the world were absent in them. With regards to such people, Islām proposed that first their morals and values be set aright, and as they continue to be reformed, so too they continue to be released. Furthermore, it proposed that such a system be set in place as after their manumission, the freedom of such people proves to be a freedom in the true sense of the word, and not merely an orthodox and superficial freedom. Moreover, the task of supervising this system was included among the obligations of the Islāmic State, so that people did not act lazily or negligently in any way. Secondly, the fundamental teaching given by Islām relevant to the issue of taking in slaves, and in light of which all forms of cruel slavery were categorically abolished. Then remains the issue of prisoners of war. As regards to this issue, undoubtedly, in various circumstances permission to take slaves has been granted as a method of retribution. However, if one contemplates the details of this, it becomes clearly evident that this is not a slavery of that type as is generally known in the non-Muslim world. Rather, this is actually a form of imprisonment, and even this retaliatory and pseudo slavery which has been permitted, is impermissible and unlawful in the current era. The reason being that now a system of state prisons has been established, and non-Muslims do not enslave the Muslims, rather, they are kept as state prisoners. Hence, it is also impermissible for Muslims as well to distribute disbelieving prisoners into the individual custody of Muslims, and create a form of slavery. As far as the issue of the treatment of slaves and prisoners of war is concerned, Islām has given such a just and benevolent teaching, that the like of it cannot be presented by any nation in any era. 1 اَللّٰھُم َّ صَل ِّ عَلی ٰ مُحَمَّد ٍ وَعَلی ٰ اَصْحَاب ِ مُحَمَّد ٍ وَبَارِك ْ وَسَلِّم ْ. 1 O Allāh! Bless Muḥammad sa and the Companions of Muḥammad sa , and grant peace and prosperity [Publishers]