Quran Fails to Ban Slavery

[Wakas]

Background info:

Taken from Mustansir Mir's "Dictionary of Quranic Terms and Concepts":

NB: 3 = Arabic letter Ayn

3BD
In its literal sense of "slave, bondsman" 3bd (pl. ibad, 3bid) occurs in such verses as 2:176, 221 and 16:75. But its typical Quranic meaning is "servant-worshipper." 3bd in this sense is essentially a statement of man's proper role - man ought to serve and worship God, his Creator and Lord - whether or not that role is actually performed. This explains the usage in a verse like 34:13 ("Only a few of My ibad are the grateful ones"), where ibad includes those who perform the stated role and those who do not. It is only when he actually performs that role that man becomes an 3bd in the true sense, as in 17:65 "Indeed you [satan] shall have no power over My ibad" (also 15:42). David is called a "good 3bd" in 38:17, and so, in 38:30, is Solomon (see also 19:2 and 38:41).
Insofar as it is man's duty to serve God, 3bd carries ethical connotations. Occasionally, however, it is used as a value-free term. In 17:5, which alludes to Nebuchadnezar's attack on Jerusalem (586 B.C.), the invading troops are called "Our ibad" not because they were particularly righteous, but simply because they served as an instrument for executing a certain divine scheme.

The book is rare, about 23 years old, but it is quite good sometimes.

[abdalquran]

Thanks Wakas, it certainly 'feels' like Mustansir's work.

[DH]

If you disagree with AQ in terms of not immediately banning it and releasing all 3BD/RQB, then that's a valid position to take.

What do you mean by not "immediately" banning it? It doesn't ban it at all.

I disagree however. For me, AQ is for all people at all times, and it aims to balance practicality and idealism, in a sustainable/building way. I would think it is very rare for any individual or society in any sphere to implement the peak of something immediately, rather than building up to it.

We are talking about the book of almighty Allah here not the manifesto of some political party containing a list of "things we'd like to do when 'practicality' allows".  Allah didn't provide a "build-up" period for banning usury. He just said "stop usury or you'll get a nasty punishment". Whether it was "practical" or not did not come into it. If he meant slavery to completely disappear he'd have issued a similar command banning it. There are a number of Qur'anic verses the fulfilment of which the existence of slavery is a prerequisite for:

And it is not for a believer to kill another believer except by accident. And whoever kills a believer by accident, then he shall free a believing slave(4:92)

How can a believer free a slave as a penance if they have no slaves to free?

[abdalquran]

What do you mean by not "immediately" banning it? It doesn't ban it at all.

If we?re talking about FORCED slavery (chains and whips on cotton plantation style), then it?s absolutely banned for believers. The Quran says there is no compulsion IN ad-deen and ad-deen is the all-encompassing system of belief. Giving service to a lord is something else. The Quran doesn?t authorise believers to force others to leave the service of their lords and masters.

We are talking about the book of almighty Allah here not the manifesto of some political party containing a list of "things we'd like to do when 'practicality' allows".  Allah didn't provide a "build-up" period for banning usury. He just said "stop usury or you'll get a nasty punishment". Whether it was "practical" or not did not come into it. If he meant slavery to completely disappear he'd have issued a similar command banning it.

And he did, please refer above. There is no compulsion in ad-deen.

There are a number of Qur'anic verses the fulfilment of which the existence of slavery is a prerequisite for:

And it is not for a believer to kill another believer except by accident. And whoever kills a believer by accident, then he shall free a believing slave(4:92)

How can a believer free a slave as a penance if they have no slaves to free?

Perhaps it would do you well to read the verse in full. You will see other options there (it actually says if you don?t FIND any, hehe).

[seattletruth]

Background info:

Taken from Mustansir Mir's "Dictionary of Quranic Terms and Concepts":

NB: 3 = Arabic letter Ayn

3BD
In its literal sense of "slave, bondsman" 3bd (pl. ibad, 3bid) occurs in such verses as 2:176, 221 and 16:75. But its typical Quranic meaning is "servant-worshipper." 3bd in this sense is essentially a statement of man's proper role - man ought to serve and worship God, his Creator and Lord - whether or not that role is actually performed. This explains the usage in a verse like 34:13 ("Only a few of My ibad are the grateful ones"), where ibad includes those who perform the stated role and those who do not. It is only when he actually performs that role that man becomes an 3bd in the true sense, as in 17:65 "Indeed you [satan] shall have no power over My ibad" (also 15:42). David is called a "good 3bd" in 38:17, and so, in 38:30, is Solomon (see also 19:2 and 38:41).
Insofar as it is man's duty to serve God, 3bd carries ethical connotations. Occasionally, however, it is used as a value-free term. In 17:5, which alludes to Nebuchadnezar's attack on Jerusalem (586 B.C.), the invading troops are called "Our ibad" not because they were particularly righteous, but simply because they served as an instrument for executing a certain divine scheme.

The book is rare, about 23 years old, but it is quite good sometimes.

Just food for thought... This is where the names Abdul and Abdullah are from.

[DH]

If we?re talking about FORCED slavery (chains and whips on cotton plantation style), then it?s absolutely banned for believers. The Quran says there is no compulsion IN ad-deen and ad-deen is the all-encompassing system of belief. Giving service to a lord is something else.

How do you define "right hand possession"?

[abdalquran]

If you're referring to 'ma malakat ayman' , it refers to people who live in the same domain (mulk, hence the word 'malakat') in a righteous manner (ayman, hence the word 'ayman'). This word 'righteous' is particularly pertinent because this word is used to contrast with wrongful behaviour (especially in chapter 56). The word 'maa' in the beginning of the phrase shows that it refers to rights of the domain, not to the person (which would then make it 'man', not 'maa').

[Mazhar]

I've been researching about slavery in the quran (thanks to Jack, Wakas, abdalquran and CD for the help/discussion) and it's not done yet and I've yet to go through MMA but I'm posting what I've researched/got so far in response to what has been raised in the thread:

3BD refers to serving, service, servants etc. Please see PRL for the overwhelming usage of 3BD referring to such.

When we check the occurrences for personal servants we come across 2:221, 24:32 for female servants and 2:178, 2:221, 24:32 and 16:75 for male servants. Household servants is in verse 24:31 but mentioned as ٱلتَّٰبِعِينَ or male attendants. There is no oppression or force being alluded to in all these occurrences until we come to 16:75.

16:75 God propounds the parable of a man enslaved, unable to do anything of his own accord, and a man upon whom We have bestowed goodly sustenance from Ourselves, so that he can spend thereof secretly and openly. Can these be deemed equal? All praise is due to God but most of them do not understand it.

Here we have a servant who is مَّمْلُوكًا. This term refers to owned/enslaved as is commonly understood. Given the root MLK and the fact that it is in passive form, it means that the subject (3BD) receives the action expressed in the verb MLK which can be translated as controlled/having dominion or authority over. We have the example/parable of a controlled servant contrasted with a man who can do as he chooses due to resources/provisions granted by God. The emphasis on and the inclusion of resources/provisions as the reason he is able to choose freely is revealing. The controlled servant on the other hand, has little choice as to a direction of his own choosing. He is under the authority/control of another due to his lack of resources/provisions.

God gives to whom he chooses (16:71), but this example should show that it is not because the servant is controlled/under someone else?s authority, but the lack of resources that the contrast highlights as the difference. The servant has little choice but to enter into an arrangement that may not be to his liking because of lack of resources. We can see this even today in the form of people entering into jobs that they do not particularly wish to do but do so out of necessity, for adequate survival, under someone else's authority/control. Compared to people that can take the direction that they want/choose in life due to these resources/provisions and do not need to be under the authority/control of someone else.

Even if, for a moment, we take the conventional understanding of the verse as ?slave? it still does not mean that believers have the right to own slaves from this verse alone.

Additionally, the next verse we will see is the only one in Al Qur?an using verb form 2 of 3BD in 26:22. Verb form 2 is generally intensive and causative in meaning, i.e. Pharaoh is the agent/cause of the effect, implying he made them serve intensely. This can only refer to forced servitude by Pharaoh. This we are told is wrong based on general principle (We are told that oppression is worse than killing (2:191, 2:217). We are told not to transgress our bounds/aggress or use undue force (2:190, 22:60) etc). Pharaoh is not a poster boy for the believers.

So who are these ?slaves? we are told to free as an act of righteousness (2:177), the better path ( 90:12, 90:13), to atone (4:92, 5:89, 58:3) and as charity (9:60)? Surprisingly, the term used for them in all occurrences dealing with such is RQB not 3BD.

RQB

Taken as ?tied by the neck? or bound/constrained.

Can these be referring to war captives taken in battle? According to 8:67 the term used for captives taken as such is Al Asra, further confirmed in 8:70.We can set them free or ransom/exchange them for our own until the war ends. There is no reason to suppose that they can be forced into servitude whilst captive, firstly on the general principle against such in the quran along with no references to 3BD as being forced by believers into anything and secondly, because we are told what to do with them as per the instructions given in 47:4. They must be dealt with as soon as the war is over.

This brings us back to what RQB is. Forced servitude is eliminated by general principle as well as the fact that none of the personal 3BD are termed as RQB.

In my opinion till now, RQB is pointing to a set of bound believing/unbelieving people (not war OR debt 4:92, 9:60) whether justly or unjustly but never unjustly by believers. This binding if just, is dealing with felons/etc who have to go through community service/working for the people whom they stole from or something and maybe after a certain time/term by paying off/compensating what they stole is an act of charity/freeing them and if unjust can be bound slaves (as is traditionally understood) by unbelievers/whatever which is unequivocally wrong and must be freed. Slavery as it is understood commonly (unjust forced labour etc) is out on general principle as it is in the quran, thus one cannot find any reference to such in all occurrences by believers in their 3bd. RQB is not mentioned as 3bd. So in summary, RQB can mean those bound by community service, thieves for example. Setting them free after a term or whatever would be an act of charity as is done even today.

Very good effort.

I wish a little more effort is put in and refining touches are given whereby I hope we will have an excellent sutdy available on this forum.

[savage_carrot]

Thank you bro. It is a work in progress and I hope to further include more terms, refine it and to bring it together in an easier to read form soon. I'd appreciate any feedback (general/specific).

[Wakas]

peace abdalquran, all,

Mustansir Mir's "Dictionary of Quranic Terms and Concepts" is simply not available anymore, it seems. It can be found here however:
http://islam-and-muslims.com/Dictionary-Quranic-Terms-Concepts-Mir.pdf

It's not perfect, but worthy of reading. Enjoy.