Islam’s Genocidal Slavery: Religiously Ordained, Mohammad’s Example
Tuesday, 25 August 2009 11:47 Circe A look at Islam's theological/divine sanction of slavery, and its historical practice in the Muslim world and its continuation today...
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We all know about those nasty Europeans – Portuguese/ Spanish/ ‘Americans’ and their purchase of slaves between the (15th-19th century), but how many know of Islam’s far longer and still going slave trade from Africa (e.g. East & West Africa), Central and Eastern Europe, Turkey/Central Asia, China, India, and South East Asia. The Islamic slave trade was/is vast and is a significant feature of Islamic ‘civilization.’
After slavery became unacceptable in the West slaves continued to flow in the Islamic world. In 2003, Al Fawzan, a member of the Senior Council of Clerics, Saudi Arabia’s highest religious body and a member of the Council of Religious Edicts and Research, the Imam of Prince Mitaeb Mosque in Riyadh and a professor at Imam Mohamed Bin Saud Islamic University, stated:
“slavery is part of Jihad and jihad will remain as long as there is Islam.”
He claims that those who say Islam is against slavery are ignorant,... infidels. (source)
Some will pretend this is not the ‘true’ Islam, just Wahhabism, but 18th century Abd al-Wahhab demanded a return to Islam’s original text and Mohammad’s example. Both endorse slavery and the sexual and physical abuse of slaves.
Slavery existed pre-Christianity and Islam and was taken as fact and rarely questioned across cultures and centuries. However, under Islam, slavery is permanent, lawful and satisfies religious scruples. Owning slaves is a right given by allah. Allah even promises immortal/pearl-like serving boys (slaves) in paradise (Koran 5.17; 76.19). Abolition of slavery is contrary to Islam’s text, slave-trading Mohammad’s example and Islamic practice and law. Powerful Mohammad stopped adoption but at no time did he even attempt to stop slavery which provided wealth and endless sexual partners. The decline in slavery in the Islamic world resulted from European colonialism and the pressure of western governments. The halting of slavery in the west was due to arguments based on Christian and humanitarian principles.
“the West, rather than being the origin of slavery in the world, is in fact the only civilization to have created from within itself a successful movement to abolish it.” (3)
Slavery is very much alive today among pious Muslims
In Islam jihad to force the world to follow or be subjugated under Islam encompasses the ‘institutions’ of dhimmitude and slavery. Any who have read about dhimmitude know that it is a form of slavery where conquered people are allowed to live as long as they adhere to a series of repressive, inhuman laws. The laws require dhimmis to be humbled and to serve their overlords. Hence dhimmis are forced to do foul, menial tasks and whole villages can be forcibly moved to another area to work the land while their homes are destroyed behind them. Dhimmis were also forced to hand over their children (or women and children) either to pay their taxes or under laws demanding them as tribute so they became slaves. (see Dhimmitude laws and you Part 3 - (17-06-09); Dhimmitude laws for you (30-05-09); Dhimmitude - What is it? - (28-05-09)
Jihad laws (‘warfare to establish the religion’ Law o9.0 p 599 Reliance of the Traveller –Shafi law) specify the enslavement or death if they resist, of women and children ( law o9.10 p 603). Captured women and children become slaves and the woman’s previous marriage is immediately annulled (law o9.13 p 604). When an adult male is captured he can be killed, enslaved, freed, ransomed..but if he becomes a Muslim he cannot be killed. (o9.14 p 604)
Vassal states were forced to supply possibly thousands of their people annually as ‘tribute’ and these people became slaves.
Another source of slaves was the constant Muslim raids into infidel areas. Whole areas were depopulated. Islam’s slavery was genocidal as males were generally killed (in later centuries they were slaughtered or sold to Europeans for a brief period) while females and children were taken. The females were ‘enjoyed’ and bred from removing the ‘breeding stock’ of the original population and the children (including the slave’s later offspring) were slaves brought up as Muslim. The children were forcibly converted, removed from their family and culture and often used as soldiers---no-one cared if they were killed ‘fighting for allah!!’ Hence entire populations were destroyed. In areas under attack, others ‘converted’ in the hope of avoiding similar treatment—some even became slave traders of their own racial group! (note in Africa tribal wars are often between ‘Muslim’ slave-trading tribes and those enslaved).
Slaves and their offspring were owned by the master and passed on as part of his property to inherit.
Under Islam slaves have no legal rights at all - they are the property of their master. Slaves cannot be guardians or testamentary executors; what they earn belongs to their owner. A slave cannot give evidence in a court of law as legal testimony can only come from a witness (Muslim) who is free (Reliance of the Traveller: law o24.2 p 635). Conversion to Islam does not free a slave though they may be able to appeal against brutal treatment and have a higher status than infidels by virtue of being Muslim.
Reliance of the Traveller tries to hide the Sharia’s endorsement of slavery by failing to translate several laws, leaving them in ‘classical’ Arabic but some translations have been attempted and incorporated into the text in Part B. It claims it did this because the ‘issue was nolonger current’. This is absurd as Islam’s slavery continues, sharia is being rapidly reinstated across the Islamic world and in the west eg Britain, and Islam cannot exist without sharia (‘the way’ for a Muslim to live). These laws and other text will be included in Islam’s genocidal slavery: religiously ordained, some text and laws Part B. Part A deals particularly with Mohammad’s example.
1) Slave-trading Mohammad’s perfect example in the sira
Remember, what is morally correct in Islam is simply everything Mohammad said, did, allowed to be done or didn’t forbid. Koranic text tells us Mohammad is moral eg sura 68.4 “sublime morals", sura 33.21 “good example to follow," sura 81.19 “honorable Messenger”.
Mohammad owned many slaves including black slaves. He enslaved people, sold them, raped them, handed them to friends and family, tortured and punished them. Mohammad’s cruelty to a black slave will be discussed in an article on Islam’s black slave trade (2).
A brief perusal of Mohammad’s first biography shows us Mohammad’s slave trading and cruelty to slaves. Sirat Rasulallah (first biography of Mohammad by Ibn Ishaq 8th-century though only 9th century rendition by Ibn Hisham is available - p. 464-466).
Mohammad attacked the Quraiza tribe at the supposed instigation of the angel Gabriel, after they had remained neutral during a siege, neither joining the attackers, nor aiding the Medinans. Then they surrendered and the apostle confined them in Medina …Then the apostle went out to the market of Medina ...and dug trenches in it. Then he sent for them and struck off their heads in those trenches as they were brought out to him in batches. ... There were 600 or 700 in all, though some put the figure as high as 800 or 900. As they were being taken out in batches to the apostle they asked Ka’b what he thought would be done with them. He replied, “Will you never understand? Don’t you see that the summoner never stops and those who are taken away do not return? By Allah it is death! This went on until the apostle made an end of them. …
A’isha said: ‘Only one of their women was killed. She was actually with me and laughing immoderately as the apostle was killing her men in the market when suddenly an unseen voice called her name. “Good heavens,” I cried, “what is the matter?” “I am to be killed,” she replied. “What for?” I asked. “Because of something I did,” she answered. She was taken away and beheaded. …
The apostle had ordered that every adult [male] of theirs should be killed. …
Then the apostle divided the property, wives and children of B. Qurayza among the Muslims, and he made known on that day the shares of horse and men, and took out the FIFTH [for himself]. .....
Then the apostle sent Sa’d …with some of the captive women of B. Qurayza to Najd and he sold them for horses and weapons.
The Apostle had chosen one of their women for himself, Rayhana …and she remained with him until she died in his power (ie slave) The Apostle had promised to marry her and put the veil on her, (as he had for Safiya and Juwairiyah) but she said 'Nay, leave me in your power , for it will be easier for me and for you'.. She had shown repugnance towards Islam when she was captured and had clung to Judaism. (Sirat Rasulallah pp.464-466).
Hence in this short piece we see Islam’s jihad and its accompanying slavery. Mohammad kills the men (all those with pubic hair), enslaves the women and children and takes the infidels possessions. He takes females to enjoy and shares them out to his men. Some women and children he sends to a slave market to sell for horses and weapons. Mohammad was a slave trader.
Muslim slavers driving their merchandise "home"(19th Century drawing)
Similar stories occur repeatedly. On p 511 we read that Mohammad attacked Khaybar when the people were going to their fields and ‘The women of Khaybar were distributed amongst the Muslims.’
In this attack, (long story) Mohammad obtained for himself the very beautiful teenage girl Safiya who appealed to Mohammad for her freedom. Mohammad (about 60) didn’t give Safiya her ‘freedom,’ instead he claimed her (she initially fell to the lot of someone else), manumitted her to himself, married her and had sex with her despite her attempts to delay it and without waiting the prescribed iddat (no iddat if you’re a slave, even a supposedly freed one). Many hadith describe the horror (*Bukhari Vol 1 book 8 No. 367 also vol 4.52.143; vol 7.62.89; vol 7.62.98, vol 5.59.522-524, vol 5. 59. 512; *Muslim book 8 No. 3326; *Abu Dawud vol 2 Book 11 No. 2118..). Disgustingly some sites eg wikipaedia, claim this as a sign of Mohammad’s ‘humanity’ yet Mohammad had just killed and tortured her father and husband and slaughtered and enslaved her tribe, handing women and children out to be enjoyed by the Muslim men!
The same horror occurred for beautiful Juwairiya after her tribe was attacked. Aisha knew Mohammad would desire lovely Juwairiya (p 493 and *Abu Dawud book 29 No. 3920). Hadith tell us her unsuspecting tribe was attacked as they watered their cattle; the men were killed and the women and children enslaved and shared amongst the Muslim men (*Bukhari vol 3 book 46 No. 717; *Muslim book 19 No 4292, 4293..). This was a raid on disbelievers (*Muslim book 19 chapter 1). These young women became veiled wives, rather than concubines. They were booty with no choice about their lives as their tribes had been decimated. Juwairiya in particular sacrificed herself to save the remnants of her tribe.
On p. 593, we read that Mohammad gave GIRLS to two of his sons-in-law and to a friend to enjoy!!! (also volume 8 “The History of al-Tabari” Page 29-30).
Mohammad tortured slaves: the Jewish leader at Khaybar.
“So the apostle gave orders to al-Zubayrb. Al-‘awwan, “torture him until you extract what he has,” so he kindled a fire with flint and steel on his chest until he was nearly dead. Then the apostle delivered him to Muhammad b. Maslama and he struck off his head..” (Sirat Rasul’allah p. 515)
A female slave is beaten in front of Mohammad (the time Aisha was accused of immoral behaviour):
As for Ali he said “Women are plentiful, and you can easily change one for another. Ask the slave girl; she will tell you the truth.” So the Apostle called Burayra to ask her and Ali got up and gave her a violent beating, saying, ‘Tell the Apostle the truth.’” (Sirat Rasul’allah p. 496)
Convert and you might get your wives back but not all the ‘booty.’
And on p. 592-593, we read that Mohammad enslaved 6000 women and children plus innumerable sheep and camels. The remaining men of the tribe came to Mohammad and stated they had become MUSLIM so they begged Mohammad to return their families and animals. Mohammad made them choose between their wives/children and their animals so they only got their families back! After all, this was war booty! (also reported in ***Bukhari Vol 3, Book 46, No. 716)
In p. 326-27, Mohammad states ‘booty was made lawful for me as to no prophet before me’ (HOW CONVENIENT). ...God said, “It is not for any prophet ie before thee to take prisoners from his enemies until he has made slaughter in the earth... you desire the lure of this world ie its goods, the ransom of the captives. ‘but god desires the next world’ ie their killing them to manifest the religion ...then he (allah) made it lawful to him and to them as a mercy from him (allah) and a gift from the compassionate and mercifgul. He (allah) said’ So enjoy what you have captured as lawful and good” (see Koran 8.67-70) (Good old compassionate and merciful allah!)
2) All the above and more is sanctified in the Koran, hadith and laws which say smite, capture and ransom people (sura 47.4) , gives booty to the Muslims and tells Muslim men they can enslave and have sex with as many ‘women on their right hand’ as they can possibly gather.
a) Booty:
***Koran 33.26-27 'And he caused to descend from their strongholds the Jews that assisted them. And he struck terror into their hearts. Some you slaughtered and some you took prisoner. And He made you heirs of their lands, their houses, and their goods, and of a land which ye had not frequented (before). And Allah has power over all things.
The Koran eg sura 8, the booty sura, threatens those who don’t fight for allah and rewards those that do.
b) Sex with slaves – captured in battle or bought or given as gifts even if they are married!
Mohammad had sex immediately with his booty Safiya and Juwairiya (see above).
In Sura 33.50 (long), allah gives Mohammad and all Muslim men the right to take slaves and have sex with female slaves. These are allah given religious rights. Also in suras 23.1-7, 70.29-30, 4.24...
***Koran 70.29-30 And those who guard their chastity, Except with their wives and the (captives) whom their right hands possess,- for (then) they are not to be blamed,
***Koran 4.24 Also (prohibited are) women already married, except those whom your right hands possess:
‘what your right hand possesses’ refers to slaves and is found in many suras eg 4:3,24,25,36; 16:71; 23:6; 24:31,33,58; 30:28; 33:50,52,55; 70:30.
Mohammad had sex with his Coptic maid Mary who bore him a son. She was a slave given to Mohammad by an Egyptian and Mohammad gave another Coptic slave (Sirin) to someone else (Sirat Rasul’allah p. 653, note 129 on p. 711, also p. 499).
The hadith eg Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawud, Maliks Muwatta,... etc. are full of many hundreds of descriptions of Muslim men raping the women captured in battle or having sex with their household slaves. This is their right ordained by allah. Mohammad participated and never told his men to stop raping their slaves –captured, bought or given as gifts.
Eg *** Muslim Chapter 29 (Book 8): It is permissible to have sexual intercourse with a captive woman after she is purified (of menses or delivery) in case she has a husband, her marriage is abrogated after she becomes captive (Commentary on Koran 4.24)
Many descriptions of sex with slaves is also found in hadiths dealing with azl – or withdrawing the penis before ejaculation. Eg Muslim ch.22 in book 8 and....
***Bukhari Volume 8, Book 77, Number 600:
Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri: That while he was sitting with the Prophet a man from the Ansar came and said, "O Allah's Apostle! We get slave girls from the war captives and we love property; what do you think about coitus interruptus?" Allah's Apostle said, "Do you do that? It is better for you not to do it, for there is no soul which Allah has ordained to come into existence but will be created."
***Abu-Dawud Book 11, Number 2166:
Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri: A man said: Apostle of Allah, I have a slave-girl and I withdraw the penis from her (while having intercourse), and I dislike that she becomes pregnant. I intend (by intercourse) what the men intend by it.
The Jews say that withdrawing the penis (azl) is burying the living girls on a small scale. He (the Prophet) said: The Jews told a lie. If Allah intends to create it, you cannot turn it away.
c) Mohammad owned slaves, sold slaves and gave them to others (see section ‘sirat Rasul’allah above)
***Abu Dawud Book 32, Number 4094: Narrated Anas ibn Malik:
The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) brought Fatimah a slave which he donated to her. ..
Mohammad sold slaves directly as well as sending them to slave markets:
***Tirmidhi 864 Narrated Al-Adda' ibn Khalid ibn Haudhah Al-Adda' brought out a document to this effect: this is what al-Adda' ibn Khalid ibn Haudhah brought from Muhammad, Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him). He bought from him a slave, or a slave-woman, with no disease or wickedness, or anything unlawful, a transaction between two Muslims. (ALIM CD Rom)
d) Mohammad and others had slaves flogged and beaten yet we are sold the line that Muslims should do ‘good’ to slaves (Koran 4.36) and Mohammad/Islam’s slavery is ‘humane!!’ What does good to a slave really mean? Is this the same good/kindness as that shown to women where Mohammad said treat women kindly and in the same speech, beat women who disobey?
***Tirmidhi 104 Narrated Amr ibn al-Ahwas al-Jushami:
Amr heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say in his farewell address on the eve of his Last Pilgrimage, after he had glorified and praised Allah, he cautioned his followers: 'Listen! Treat women kindly; they are like prisoners in your hands. Beyond this you do not owe anything from them. Should they be guilty of flagrant misbehaviour, you may remove them from your beds, and BEAT them.... (he says re women’s rights..)... Their right is that you should treat them well in the matter of food and clothing. (ALIM CDRom)
***Bukhari Volume 6, Book 60, Number 466: ... Narrated Abdullah bin Zama: That he heard the Prophet delivering a sermon, .... “.. The Prophet then mentioned about the women (in his sermon). "It is not wise for anyone of you to lash his wife like a slave, for he might sleep with her the same evening."......
While Mohammad was happily having sex with his slaves/servants (with the full support of Allah!), he flogged any slave who committed adultery (presumably not with Mohammad):
***Abu-Dawud Book 38, Number 4458: (Basically repeated in ***Muslim hadiths Book 17, Number 4224:)
Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib:
A slave-girl belonging to the house of the Apostle of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) committed fornication. He (the Prophet) said: Rush up, Ali, and inflict the prescribed punishment on her. I then hurried up, and saw that blood was flowing from her, and did not stop. So I came to him and he said: Have you finished inflicting (punishment on her)? I said: I went to her while her blood was flowing. He said: Leave her alone till her bleeding stops; then inflict the prescribed punishment on her. And inflict the prescribed punishment on those whom your right hands possess (i.e. slaves).
***Bukhari Volume 3, Book 46, Number 731:
Narrated Abu Huraira and Zaid bin Khalid: The Prophet said, "If a slave-girl (Ama) commits illegal sexual intercourse, scourge her; if she does it again, scourge her again; if she repeats it, scourge her again." The narrator added that on the third or the fourth offence, the Prophet said, "Sell her even for a hair rope."
***Malik's Muwatta Book 41, Number 41.3.16:
Malik related to me from Yahya ibn Said that Sulayman ibn Yasar informed him that Abdullah ibn Abbas ibn Abi Rabia al-Makhzumi said, "Umar ibn al-Khattab gave me orders about the slaves of Quraysh and we flogged some of the slave-girls of the Muslim lands fifty times each for fornication."
*A man cannot be killed for killing his slave (or a woman), including beating his slave to death, nor the freeman for a slave according to Muslim legists. (2)
e) If a man marries a woman and finds her pregnant, the child is his slave according to Mohammad:
***Abu-Dawud Book 11, Number 2126: Narrated Basrah:
A man from the Ansar called Basrah said: I married a virgin woman in her veil. When I entered upon her, I found her pregnant. (I mentioned this to the Prophet). The Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) said: She will get the dower, for you made her vagina lawful for you. The child will be your slave. When she has begotten (a child), flog her (according to the version of al-Hasan). The version of Ibn AbusSari has: You people, flog her, or said: inflict hard punishment ..
Hence we see from this small example of the supposedly perfect slave-trading Mohammad, that slavery is very much part of Islam. It is religiously ordained and contains the most horrific inhumanity to others including children and severe sexual and physical abuse and torture. The powerful Mohammad did not attempt to stop slavery, the source of his income, and sexual thrills. On the contrary, the children were used as fighting fodder and the females used to satisfy the lusts of Muslim males and other aspects of ‘servitude.’ Enslavement was used to install fear and control, to decimate the societies of others and to reward with humans and goods (booty), those who killed for Mohammad and allah. Violence, sadism, control, cruelty, greed, lust and genocide are the result Mohammad’s fine example and allah’s religiously ordained slavery and jihad.
Part B provides some translated laws re slavery and manumission that were left in classical Arabic, and further text on Islam’s slavery, religiously ordained.
It should be noted that illiteracy rates are high in the Arab Islamic world and of those who can read Arabic very, very few are able to read classical Arabic.
[ TO BE CONTINUED IN PART II ]
Source:
http://www.islam-watch.org/iw-new/index.php?option=com_content&...