By Luqman Ahmed: He is a Missionary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Canada, currently based in Quebec City, Canada. He can be followed on twitter @luqman255.

In light of the recent actions of ‘Boko Haram’ of Nigeria of kidnapping more than 200 innocent girls, some have brought up the issue of slavery in Islam. Some have gone so far as to saying that these disgusting and inhumane acts are somehow Sharia-sanctioned and ‘Boko Haram’ represents the true picture of Islam. This however is simply not true. As a member of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at, Muslims who believe in the Messiah, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, I can tell you that these acts have nothing to do with Islam or its teachings about slavery. In
fact, Prophet Muhammad was the first person in history to have completely eradicated the system of slavery. I would like to briefly highlight Islam’s perspective on slavery to clear any such misconceptions.

Slavery can be defined as a system in which a human being is held to be the legal property of another and is bound to absolute obedience.  It started with the enslavement of the conquered nation by their conquerors, but as time progressed, people started to devise ways to enslave free men as well such as attacking weaker nations and reducing their men and women to captivity.

At the time of the advent of Islam, slavery was rampant in every part of the world including Arabia. Now the question is that how did Islam address this issue? A brief answer would be that Islam abolished all forms of slavery.

About the existing slaves, the Holy Qur’an commanded that all such slaves should be freed and that Muslims should help them integrate in the society and even aid them financially. God says:

And such (slaves) as desire a deed of manumission in writing from among those whom your right hands possess, write it for them if you know any good in them; and give them out of the wealth of Allah which He has bestowed upon you. (Chapter 24: Verse 34)

Not only did the Quranic teachings ensure the freedom of the slaves of that time, they also put a permanent stop to this practice. Islam commanded its followers that no free men or women can now be subjugated to slavery. Except withholding the war prisoners and state criminals, all kinds of slavery and captivity was deemed unlawful by Islam. God say in the Qur’an:

It does not behove a Prophet that he should have captives until he engages in regular fighting in the land. (Chapter 8: Verse 68)

Hence Islam immediately and categorically abolished all forms of real slavery, i.e. those cruel practices of slavery which were aside from taking captives in wars.

About the prisoners of wars and state criminals, the teachings of Islam are very clearly mentioned in the Holy Quran. God says:

Then afterwards either release them as a favor or by taking ransom — until the war lays down its burdens. That is the ordinance. (Chapter 47: Verse 5)

Islam has made it clear that when war is over, prisoners should be released, either as an act of favor, or on taking ransom from them, or by negotiating mutual exchange. They should not be held permanently in captivity or treated as slaves.

In summary, there are two fundamental principles in the Islamic teaching relevant to prisoners of war. Firstly, no one can be held as a captive or a slave except as a prisoner of war. Secondly, after captives had been taken, according to the circumstances, they should either be released without a ransom by way of benevolence, and this was the most preferable practice, or they could be released in lieu of a reasonable ransom; or if it is necessary, to lengthen their period of captivity until the end of war.

Additional Reading:

Concubines and the Holy Quran