Understanding Islam — Page 171
169 that the slave has an opportunity to earn the amount fixed for his release. On top of this, the master is told that he should return some of this money back to the freed slave. This is a system of muk ā tabat through which Islam ensures that slavery comes to an end eventually. All these teachings make it clear that emancipation of slaves is a top priority in Islam. The only question that remains is: Can prisoners of war be turned into slaves? P RISONERS OR S LAVES ? It is a great misconception to think that prisoners of war are the same as slaves as per Islamic teachings. It is true that prisoners of war tended to be called “slaves” perhaps due to the fact they lived with Muslim families without liberty. However, clear injunctions in the Holy Quran show that prisoners of war are very different from slaves. For instance, the Holy Quran states prisoners of war can only be obtained from among the enemy during a time of a pitched battle: