The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 180
Seal of the Prophets - Volume II 180 Prophet sa remained limited merely to that which has been mentioned above, and did the Holy Prophet sa not undertake any practical steps to abrogate the unjust and cruel practice of slavery? Even if that was all, the Holy Prophet sa would still prove to be a Grand Benefactor to the world, in that he offered significant services in improving the state of slaves, introduced a movement to free them and gave this movement a practical form. Yet, despite all this, the practical efforts of the Holy Prophet sa in this regard, which may be described as the true motivating spirit of this movement, remain hidden. As far as our research is concerned, and this research is not the result of bias, rather, it is based on historical account, the Holy Prophet sa not only improved the state of slaves, but also did away with the unjust and cruel practices of slavery for the future as well. In other words, the teaching brought by the Holy Prophet sa relevant to the issue of slavery was divided into two categories, as far as efforts of reform were concerned: firstly, an improvement in the state of existing slaves and steps in securing their freedom; secondly, the establishment of fundamental injunctions for the future. At this point, we shall present a brief overview on both these aspects in light of the teaching presented by the Holy Prophet sa and his practical example. Teaching of the Holy Prophet sa Regarding the Betterment of Existing Slaves Taking natural sequence into consideration, first we take up the discussion which relates to existing slaves. Hence, it should be known that the Holy Qur’ān states:. . . . . . . Meaning, “O ye Muslims! Allāh the Exalted commands you to show kindness and benevolence towards parents, and to kindred, and orphans and the needy. . . . . and towards your slaves and bond-women; And know that surely Allāh loves not the proud and boastful. ” 1 1 An-Nisā’ (4:37)