Longhorn

The following article has been taken from the online forum of secularislam.org. Second part of it can be read either in the same forum or in readers' comments section of "News from Bangladesh" ( <a href="http://www.bangladesh-web.com" target="_blank">www.bangladesh-web.com</a> )

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By-fatemolla. A Founder Member of FFI ( Formerly FFF )

TO EGYPTIAN G(n)OSHAI – 1.

(Muslim’s Attitude Towards Humanity. Answer it not only with "explanations" but with information from Islami Books, if you can).


PURPOSE: - In absence of any new revelation or new Prophet, we can conclude that Islam’s attitude towards humanity today stands exactly where it stood before 1500 ago. The humble purpose of this article is to evaluate one side of Islam’s attitude towards humanity. Like all my articles, this is also far from complete.

Slavery is the issue where both humanity and divinity of Islam face the greatest challenge ever. IT IS MANKIND’S MOST CRUEL INSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM THIS PLANET HAS EVER SEEN. Maolanas always made desperate efforts to prove Islam’s slave system as “much better than that in other societies. Indeed that is true because Islam for the first time laid down some formal structures to comfort the slaves, (with some exception of tribes who had banned slavery much before Islam) as shown below.

All the ancient tribes/societies including those in both of Old and New Testaments recognize and accept the institution of slavery. It takes imagination to realize how many human beings lived life worse than death, put to death, and screamed life-long in pain for how many centuries due to slavery. We saw many thousands of Bangali slaves in King Thiri Thudamar’s Arakan Empire and in the slave-markets in Swandeep (Chittagong) run by the Portuguese pirate Sebastian Gonzales, as Ibn Botuta and the Chinese traveler Ma-Huen recorded. (They also recorded prices of a girl and a boy named Lulu).

Slaves were continuously generated in huge number for almost a century from hundreds of Muslim-victories from Arab peninsula to Egypt-Algeria-Morocco-Tunisia-Tripoli-Cyprus-
Iraq-Iran-India-Spain. Maolanas argue that for the establishment of Islam it had to adopt all of 4 processes (killing, enslaving, free with ransom and free without ransom) to handle the huge number of the slaves (REF 1). Prophet (SA) was all along very concerned and vocal about good behavior to slaves. That only treated the symptom not the disease. One may wonder while the age-old deep-rooted habit of drinking (alcohol) could be stopped (in three stages), why the devastating slave-system was not stopped. A bad system of Muta’a marriage (“Temporary Marriage”, which was nothing but legalization of prostitution without caring about family values/women-dignity) was allowed in the beginning (as a part of facilitating the Muslim Army in every possible way, one may think). But during Khybar battle (REF-7 & 26), Prophet (SA) stopped this forever in one moment with one sermon. [Shia-sect believes that not the Prophet (SA) but Hz. Omar (RA) stopped it later; so they are still continuing. Lots of victims are there in Iran today].

While only seven Sahabis could free 39,259 slaves (REF-4), Hakim Bin Hazam freed 200 slaves (REF-5), the number was high enough to capture the power later and establish the Mamluk Dynasty. THE UNFORTUNATE FACT IS THAT THOSE KINGS THEMSELVES DID NOT UPROOT SLAVERY. (Our women suffered more in Hasina-Khlada period, and still suffering). We will refer to Sahi Bokhari extensively here because it is accepted as authentic, as Maolana Abdur Rahim [from Pirozpur Bangladesh, the only South-East Asian Member to OIC (Organization of Islami Conference) stated, “All the Hadises of Bokhari and Muslim are acceptable” (REF-6). In fact, there are more than 40 Hadises on slavery in Vol-3 of Sahi Bokhari alone, apart from some scattered ones in other of total of 9 volumes.

As most of the males of the non-Muslims were killed in/after the battles, a big part of Islami slaves were necessarily women and girls. We see the Prophet (SA) sending the captured women and children to Syria and Iraq for sale (REF-23). If I/you imagine myself/yourself with my/your mother among those unfortunate women/children on the long way day and night to Syria/Iraq only to be sold in the slave-market, we probably will realize a portion of their pain as well as Islam’s attitude towards humanity. And how do you feel like being gifted to a new Master? Specially girls? Well, a property can surely be gifted. Maria Kibtia, mother of Ibrahim, the Prophet’s (SA) son, was the gifted slave to none but the Prophet (SA) by the king of Egypt. Muslim men are allowed to have sex with unlimited number of slave-girls (Sura Ma’arij-30, Sura Mu’minun 6, 7, though respected Asghar Ali Engineer thinks otherwise). So gifting them to new Masters meant their definite destinations to new men in new beds. These are not made-up stories but bare facts and realities of devastated human lives. And the Qura’an is totally silent about the right of sex of their female Mistresses with male slaves. It was presumably not allowed and may seem as clear violation of Islam’s claimed gender-equality and justice.

1. Some books see the following as clear confrontation with Islam’s declared social and gender based equality.

(a) A slave and a Master can never be equal, (Sura Room –28). The Qura’an gave the Masters a higher social status and does not object to the Masters if they do not give so much to slaves that they become equal (Sura Nahl -71).

(b) The social discrimination between a free woman and a slave girl is reflected in the Islamic Jurisprudence in their different punishments in case of adultery after marriage of both. The Qura’an in this case punishes the slave-wife with “half the punishment” of a free-wife (Sura Nisa-25).

{And then there is a Hadis with all-time instruction to flog slave-girls for adultery for 3 (or 2, The narrator was not sure) consecutive incidences. After the third (or second), “Sell Her” (REF-16), which is again very different from the Qura’anic punishment (Sura Nisa- 25 again)}.

OBVIOUSLY ISLAMIC PUNISHMENT FOR THE SAME CRIME VARIES WITH SOCIAL STATUS OF CRIMINALS? A strong logical question, humbly waiting for centuries for acceptable answer.

(c) If a man is able to marry a free woman, it is “Makruh” (“Not So Good”, - according to some Imams) or “Haram” (“Forbidden” -according to some other Imams) to marry a slave-girl. (REF-8). I did not find anything about a Mistress marrying her male slave, may be women were not/could not own slaves or they were not allowed to marry their slaves.

2. Islam made many venues for the freedom of the slaves.

(a) If you leave out or break fast in Ramadan, free slaves. - (REF-2)

(b) If you break some promise of fasting, free your slaves as the price, “Kaffara”– (REF-2 again).

(c) If you cause abortion by hitting the mother, one of the ways is “Diyat”, (the price of killing, must be approved by authority) which may be paid with slaves. (REF-3).

(d) In Solar or Lunar Eclipse, set the slaves free. (REF-11)

(e) While fasting, if you intentionally impute Allah or Prophet (SA), free slaves (REF-25).

(f) Zakaat (2.5% of yearly savings) can be used to purchase slave/s to set free. (REF-27).

Many slaves surely got the precious freedom of life from all of the above. Although in some other cases Islam established equality between rich and poor [[as in leadership, Eid day or in the congressional (Jamaat) prayers]], here in this case the poor could not enjoy the privilege simply because they could not afford slaves. Same are the cases of slaves themselves. FOR THE SAME CRIME, the rich could get out of punishment and the poor were to be punished. A similar is the situation with Hajj; the poor never get the chance of cleaning all past sins and become “sinless”. A racial tilt favoring the rich? May be!

AS SHOWN ABOVE, HUMAN BEINGS WERE USED AS “COINS” TO “BUY” FORGIVENESS / BLESSING FROM GOD. {{Like “Sebadasis” in Hinduism. The worst example is “Noroboli”, slaughtering humans to gain god’s blessings (Specially Maa- Kaalee)}}.

Was the condition of slave-girls bad? No, it was not. Was it worse? No, it was not. It was the worst possible. BECAUSE MANY OF THEM HAD TO SATISFY MANY MASTERS IN DIFFERENT BEDS IN THE SAME NIGHT. YES, THE SYSTEM OF MULTIPLE MASTERS WAS A NORM OF THE ISLAMI SOCIETY, PROVED BY MANY HADISES (REF-9). Let me show it by quoting from one of so many Hadises: - “He used to give his verdict regarding the male or female slaves owned by more than one Master………Ibn ‘Umar narrated this verdict from the Prophet (SA).”(Vol-3, Hadis#702). Were those slave-girls goats or what? READRES, PLEASE DO NOT BYPASS THIS POINT, EDUCATE US ABOUT THE STATUS OF THOSE SLAVE-GIRLS (OF MULTIPLE MASTERS) AS “”ASHRAFUL MAKHLUKAT””. Also please explain “ All good from Allah, all bad from you” on the girls’ pretext (REF-28). This devastation and insult to humanity completes and continues with the Islamic legality when THE CHILDREN OF SLAVE - GIRLS BECOME SLAVES OF THE SAME MASTER. (REF-10). Period. End of the story.

Now I want to draw your attention to a serious point. Islam allows slavery, but makes visible humanitarian approaches to free slaves in different reasons/occasions/excuses as shown above. Also Islam asks Muslims to consider slaves as “brothers”, (never as “Sisters”, may be it is automatically implied), to treat them equally with food etc., and not to overload them with heavy work (REF-15). Also the Masters are told about “Double Reward” if they would educate/ free and marry the slave girls (REF-17, 18 & 19). Prophet’s (SA) agony about slaves even in his gasping condition before death, was immensely heart touching. He was too sick to talk properly, still he was cautioning Muslims about slaves. Also in his sermon in the Last Hajj he strongly mentioned about it.

WHILE THOSE ARE ONLY ADVICES / INSTRUCTIONS, ISLAM ACTUALLY STRENGTHENED SLAVERY IN DIFFERENT INVISIBLE WAYS ALL ALONG . HOW? PLEASE READ ON. And correct me if I am wrong.

(1) Slaves were assets, just like properties of financial value. Naturally, on the top of free sex with unlimited number of slave-girls, having more slaves as children served as sweet bonus and encouragement for the Master to have “free assets as slave children”. Thus slavery was strengthened invisibly, as shown in Ref-10.

(2) THERE IS NO “ZAKAAT” ON SLAVES (REF-12). Thus the rich people were encouraged to “invest” money on salves as properties. Effort of saving money is a natural instinct. Many Sunni Muslims in Pakistan declare themselves in the Banks as “Shias” to avoid the law of Zakaat on the interest. (Shias do not pay Zakaat; they pay “Khums”, more in amount than Zakaat. But the Banks control only Zakat, not “Khums&#8221 . Again, slavery was strengthened invisibly.

(3) Slaves would be rewarded “twice” if s/he served both God and Master properly (REF-13 & 14). Slaves were thus psychologically stopped from revolting. Slavery was again strengthened invisibly.

(4) There cannot be a worse punishment for a believer if s/he is told before the prayer “None of his/her optional/compulsory good deeds of worship will be accepted”. Well, “IF A SLAVE BEFRIENDS ANYBODY ELSE WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF HIS/HER EX-MASTER, HIS/HER NO WORSHIP WOULD BE ACCEPTED”-(REF-20). One more invisible chain was put around their necks of the slaves.

(5) NO WORSHIP OF A SLAVE WOULD BE ACCEPTED IF S/HE RUNS AWAY FROM HIS/HER MASTER UNTIL S/E RETURNS TO HER/HIS MASTER. (REF- 21). This is a very dangerous proposition, the climax of Islam’s utmost invisible effort to strengthen the institution of slavery. A slave may run away for many reasons, including threat on life. But Islam did not consider the attitude/behavior/torture of the Master.

A good presentation of humble defense about Islam’s slavery is in many books including the book of Syed Kutub, a strong believer Muslim and Ex Chief Justice of Egypt, who was later imprisoned and hanged by court for his open mind. The defense says that Islam did not uproot slavery because it did not want to shake the entire economic system of that time based on the free labor of the slaves, but Islam through other socioeconomic systems tried to ensure that slaves should not be produced at all. But even if the socioeconomic utopia Islam promises could stop slavery, the continuous generation of slave-kids would endlessly give new life to slavery anyway. Readers may comment on it.

Another line of defense is with examples of famous Islami Scholars of that time who were slaves. The argument is: - Slave-system produced many scholars. But this “many” is extremely small. These scholars were the produce of a combination of their personal talent combined with kind Masters. They were exceptions, not examples. Where is the record that how many talents were crushed under the boots of not-so-kind Masters? Also we have the record of a talented slave-boy who later became a Big-Shot of Basra and “created” the famous Hadis against Women-Leadership in Islam. (REF-22). He was Abu Bakra, the slave boy from Tai’f {not Hz. Abu Bakar (RA)}.

Of course slaves were tortured and physically beaten. “The Prophet (SA) said: - None of you should beat your wives like your slaves. And make love with them in the night” ( REF-24).

Mr. G(n)OSHAI, if you see I am watching a child drowning, and you know that I am able to save him, and you see that instead of saving I am pushing him more under the water, what will you think of me? Islam knew it well how tremendously humanity suffers due to slavery. I just showed what Islam did about the drowning child. Our Maolanas have nerves. They still defend the un-defendable but their effort never goes beyond “better than others”. Indeed that is only a “comparison between two rotten eggs” (excellent expression of Abul Kasem).

Thanks for your time, now, Mr. G(n)OSHAI, give us a feedback using your brain and heart both.

REFERENCES

REF - 1 Page – 1255 of A. REF - 2 Laws #1669, 1674, 1681 of B. REF - 3 Hadis# 2630, 2631 of C. REF - 4 Page - 1257 of A. REF- 5 Hadis# 715 Vol.3 of D. REF 6 Page -- 449 of E. REF- 7 Page - 150 of H. REF - 8 Page 242 of A. REF - 9 Hadis#697, 698, 699, 701, 702, 703 & 704 –Vol-3 of D. REF – 10 Page 242 of A. REF - 11 Hadis# 695, 696 Vol 3 of D. REF - 12 Hadis#1108 of C., Hadis# 542, 543 of Vol-2 of D. REF - 13 Hadis# 2388 of C. REF - 14 Hadis# 255 of Vol-4 of D. REF - 15 Hadis# 2617, Page 720 of C. REF - 16 Hadis# 73, Vol-3 of D. REF – 17 Hadis# 255, Vol 4 of D. REF - 18 Hadis# 720 Vol 3 of D. REF - 19 Hadis# 2386 of C. REF - 20 Hadis# 94, Vol 3,Hadis#404 of Vol-4 of D. REF - 21 Page –377 of G. REF - 22 F (a) , F (b). REF - 23 Page -112 Vol. 3 of H. REF- 24 Hadis#2468 of C. REF- 25 Law# 1675 of B. REF - 26 page-104, Hadis#289 of C. REF - 27 Law#1933 (v) of B. REF - 28 Page-267 of A.

A. Translation/Edition of the Holy Qura’an in Bangla- Maolana Muhiuddin Khan.

B. Islamic Laws –Ayatullah Al Uzama Syed Ali Al- Hussaini Seestani.

C. Compilation of Sahi Bokhari in Bangla - Md. Abdul Karim Khan.

D. Translation of Sahi Al-Bukhari in English – Dr. Md Muhsin Khan – University of Medina.

E. History of compilation of Hadis – Maolana Md. Abdur Rahim.

F. (a)The Forgotten Queens of Islam – Fatima Mernissi. (b) “NOT FOR YOU, WOMEN!”- NFB, 18th June 2000.

G. Ruhul Qura’an – Maolana Abdud Daiyan

H. Translation of Kasasul Ambia- MaolanaBashir Uddin and Maolana Badiul Alam.

[ March 13, 2002: Message edited by: Longhorn ]</p>