Faith In Action: Islam Download the Muslims Against Slavery toolkit. Muslim voices have called for the abolition of slavery since ancient times. According to the Prophet Muhammad, There are three categories of people against whom I shall myself be a plaintiff on the Day of Judgment. Of these three, one is he who enslaves a free man, then sells him and eats this money. Many scholars note that the Quran disapproves of slavery and instructs Muslims to treat slaves humanely. Sura 90 in the Quran states that the righteous path involves the freeing of slaves. The Quran states the righteous path involves the freeing of slaves. Muslim leaders made significant stands against slavery in the 1800s. Muslim jurists in India concluded it was improper to kidnap Africans and transport them to other countries as slaves. They also opposed debt bondage, a common practice where people would sell themselves or their children into slavery to pay debts. Also in India in the 1800s, influential Muslim reformer Sayyid Ahmad Khan wrote that key Quranic references, which had historically been interpreted as condoning slavery, should instead be regarded as freedom verses. Ahmad Khan has been called the Islamic William Wilberforce. In recent times, the Cairo Declaration on Human rights in Islam took a definitive stand against slavery. Adopted by 54 countries in the 1980s as part of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the declaration states that human beings are born free, and no one has the right to enslave, humiliate, oppress or exploit them, and there can be no subjugation but to God the Most High. Brothers in Faith and Humanity These are brothers and sisters, no matter what faith you follow, it could be your blood brother or sister enslaved. -- Imam Yassir Arafat Chicago Free the Slaves has met a number of Muslim clerics interested in social justice issues, including modern slavery. Without fail they recount Islams rich history of anti-slavery efforts, beginning with the Prophet Muhammad himself. As Imam Yassir Arafat of Chicago pointed out, Muhammads (peace be upon him) closest was called the Emancipator because he went to where the slaves were being persecuted and he would free them. The Imam says that these teachings werent always followed, despite the fact that freeing slaves and granting their rights is a major teaching in Islam. Slaveholders were to provide slaves with the same food, clothes and work burdens as ones self, and to treat him as your own brother in faith and humanity. Indeed, these rules regulating slavery in the Quran were so stringent that it disappeared in many parts of the Muslim world. While this history is rich and inspirational, and is mentioned in some sermons and classes, the issue of modern slavery has not reached the level of advocacy says Imam Arafat. But that change appears to be coming. He has said that I, as a Muslim, as one of my leaders in my community, will touch on this issue and learn more about it. Thats good news because, as he points out, These are brothers and sisters, no matter what faith you follow, it could be your blood brother or sister enslaved. This value for each individual is highlighted by the Qurans teaching that all people are equal, like the teeth in a comb.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 19:20:58 +0000
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