Islam and Slavery — Page 26
26 will certainly rise to millions. . But the truth is that even the figures given in the above list are not correct; they are, in fact, far below the real figures. For instance, a report about Ayesha, wife of the Holy Prophet, shows that on one occasion alone. she set free as many as 40 slaves. (¹). Other reports about her show that she was in the habit of setting slaves free in very large numbers. (2) Hence it is evidently erroneous to think that in all her life she set free only 67 slaves as given in the above list. Similarly, though the figure attributed to the Holy Prophet may be correct if we confine ourselves to the slaves liberated by him in his personal capacity, for, personally he was by no means a rich man nor did he live long after the promulgation of the above-mentioned ordinances about slaves, yet it is certain that the figure given against his name does not include the slaves set free by him in his capacity as Head of the Islamic State, for that number was certainly very much larger. It may also be mentioned here that there are good many reports about the Honly Prophet which are unanimous in saying that there never came a slave in his possession but he invariably set him free. It is to this fact that the following tradition alludes :"Amr bin Harith, brother of Juwairia, wife of the. Holy Prophet, reports that the Prophet did not, at the time of his death, leave behind him any silver or gold coin or any slave, male or female. " (3). The only reasonable interpretation that can be put on (1) Bukhari, Kitab Al-Adab, Chapter on Hijra. (2) Isaba and Usud Al-Ghaba, (3) Bnkhuri as quoted by Mishkat in Bab Wafat Al-Nabi. 叁