Brief Summary
In this lecture, Dr. Jonathan Brown addresses the complex issue of slavery in Islam, a topic fraught with moral and theological challenges. He explores the historical context, the nuances of Islamic law, and the evolution of moral perspectives on slavery. The discussion aims to reconcile the existence of slavery in Islamic history with modern moral sensibilities, while also addressing how this issue is used in contemporary debates about the evolution and interpretation of Islamic teachings.
- The difficulty of discussing slavery in Islam stems from its conflict with modern moral values and its use by some to justify reinterpreting Islamic principles on other sensitive issues.
- The lecture addresses two main questions: how to understand the moral problem of slavery within an Islamic context and how to make sense of our modern moral reactions to it.
- Dr. Brown argues that the modern understanding of slavery as an intrinsic evil is a relatively recent development, arising from abolitionist movements in the 1700s and 1800s.
- Islamic law brought significant changes to slavery practices, including limiting the sources of enslavement and promoting manumission (freeing slaves).
Introduction: The Dilemma of Slavery in Islam
Yasir Qadhi introduces the lecture topic, highlighting the challenges and sensitivities surrounding the issue of slavery in Islam. He notes the difficulty in reconciling historical Islamic practices with modern moral standards, especially when Islam abolished other practices like alcohol consumption and racism. The discussion is framed as a response to two opposing viewpoints: those who question Islam's allowance of slavery and those who use it to argue for the reinterpretation of Islamic teachings on other controversial issues like gender and sexuality.
Why This Topic Is Difficult to Discuss
Dr. Brown explains why slavery is a difficult topic to discuss, particularly in the United States, where it is closely tied to issues of race and historical injustices. He introduces the "slavery conundrum," a conflict between three axioms: that slavery is an intrinsic moral evil, that all slavery is the same, and that the past has moral authority over us. This conundrum makes it challenging to reconcile historical figures who owned slaves with modern moral standards.
The Abolitionist Perspective and the Definition of Slavery
Dr. Brown discusses how abolitionist discourse defined slavery legally, focusing on the ownership relationship rather than the conditions of servitude. He argues that defining slavery across different times and places is nearly impossible, leading to abstract definitions that project modern assumptions onto the past. He illustrates this with examples of how definitions of freedom, property, and coercion vary across cultures and historical periods.
Modern-Day Slavery and Shifting Definitions
The discussion covers the concept of modern-day slavery, including bonded labor and prison labor, highlighting how the definition of slavery has expanded over time due to political and social factors. Dr. Brown points out that what was not considered slavery in the mid-20th century is now often classified as such, reflecting a devaluation of the term and its moral implications.
Historical Examples and Moral Judgments
Dr. Brown presents historical examples of individuals like Malik Ambar and Sokollu Mehmed Pasha, who, despite being slaves, achieved high positions of power and influence. He questions whether their experiences can be equated with the brutal chattel slavery of the American South, arguing that a failure to make such distinctions handicaps moral judgment.
The Origins of Abolition: Moral Awakening vs. Economic Factors
Dr. Brown contrasts two narratives about the origins of abolition: the "moral awakening" narrative, which posits a gradual realization of slavery's evil, and the "economic narrative," which links abolition to the rise of industrialization and new forms of wealth creation. He notes that no major religious or philosophical tradition condemned slavery outright until the 1600s, suggesting that economic factors played a significant role in the emergence of abolitionist movements.
The Role of Gut Feelings and Cultural Conditioning
Dr. Brown challenges the notion that gut feelings of moral revulsion are reliable indicators of universal moral truths. He argues that such feelings are often culturally conditioned, citing examples like the disgust associated with eating dog meat in America versus its acceptance in some parts of China. He emphasizes that Muslim scholars have traditionally viewed moral feelings as based on custom rather than universal moral laws.
Changes to Slavery Brought by Islam
Dr. Brown asserts that Islam significantly revolutionized slavery in the Near East by eliminating major sources of enslavement, such as debt, self-sale, and the selling of children. He explains that Islamic law restricted enslavement to the capture of non-Muslims in sanctioned warfare or being born to a slave mother.
Emancipation and Social Integration in Islam
The lecture highlights the Islamic emphasis on emancipation, noting that children born to a male slave owner and his female slave were considered free and legitimate, with the same social standing as children born of free wives. This led to "ascending miscegenation," where individuals of mixed heritage rose into the free Muslim community. The Quran encourages freeing slaves as an act of charity and expiation for sins, and forged hadiths further emphasized the importance of manumission.
Abolition in Islam and the Aims of Sharia
Dr. Brown explains that while abolition is not explicitly mandated in the Quran, the Sharia tradition emphasizes freedom and encourages emancipation. He suggests that in a modern context where slavery is economically unnecessary and harmful, the best way to fulfill the Sharia's aim of emancipation is to abolish the institution entirely.
Q&A: Muslim Involvement in the Slave Trade and the Fitrah
In the Q&A session, Dr. Brown addresses questions about Muslim involvement in the transatlantic slave trade, the role of gut feelings (fitrah) in moral judgment, and the permissibility of slavery in Islam under changed circumstances. He clarifies that while some Muslims were involved in the slave trade, others actively worked to prevent Muslims from being enslaved. He also emphasizes that gut feelings should be tempered by cultural awareness and adherence to higher moral sources like the Quran and Sunnah.
Q&A: Warfare, Enslavement, and Islamic Norms
Dr. Brown discusses whether warfare is the only basis for enslavement in Islam, noting that most slaves in Islamic civilization were purchased rather than captured. He explains that by the late 19th century, concerns about illegal enslavement led some Muslim scholars to argue that only sanctioned warfare by the Muslim community could justify enslavement.
Q&A: Why Islam Didn't Abolish Slavery and the Potential Return of Slavery
Dr. Brown addresses why Islam didn't abolish slavery outright, explaining that the concept of abolition was not present in any society until the early modern period. He suggests that under extreme circumstances, such as a post-apocalyptic scenario where human labor becomes essential, slavery might be reintroduced as an economic necessity.
Q&A: Concubinage, Harm, and Marriage as Slavery
Dr. Brown tackles sensitive questions about concubinage (milky Yamin) in Islam, emphasizing the distinction between legal allowance and social application. He argues that while Muslim men may have been legally permitted to have sexual relations with their female slaves, this did not necessarily reflect their desires or actions. He reiterates that Muslim ethics prioritized the concept of harm, allowing slave women to seek relief from abusive owners. He clarifies that marriage in Islam is not a form of slavery, as wives are not slaves and cannot be treated as such.
Dr. Brown's Personal Journey to Islam
Dr. Brown shares his personal story of converting to Islam, describing his upbringing in a non-religious household and his exposure to Islam through a college course. He recounts how reading Muhammad Asad's "The Road to Mecca" deeply influenced him and led to his decision to embrace Islam.
