What does the Quran say about slavery?
The Quran did not invent slavery, which existed in every society of its time, but it limited it, demanded kind treatment, and made freeing slaves one of the most praised good deeds. Today slavery is abolished worldwide, Muslim-majority countries have outlawed it, and scholars agree that trafficking or enslaving people is haram.
The world the Quran came to
In the 7th century, slavery was normal in Arabia, Persia, Byzantium and Europe. People became slaves through war, debt, kidnapping or birth. The Quran did not end the institution in one sentence, just as it banned alcohol in stages. Instead it worked on several fronts at once: closing ways into slavery, opening many ways out, and changing how enslaved people were seen and treated.
Freeing slaves as worship
The Quran calls freeing a slave "the steep path", a great climb of faith.
- Expiation. Freeing a slave is a set way to make up for an accidental killing, breaking an oath and other sins (Quran 4:92, 5:89, 58:3).
- Zakat. Part of the obligatory charity is set aside "for freeing captives" (Quran 9:60).
- Contracts of freedom. When an enslaved person asked to buy their freedom, owners were told to agree and even to help them with money (Quran 24:33).
Dignity and kind treatment
The Prophet ﷺ said that those who serve you are your brothers, so feed them from what you eat, clothe them as you dress, and don't burden them beyond their strength (Sahih al-Bukhari 30). He also said that Allah will be the opponent on the Day of Judgment of someone who sells a free person and consumes the price (Sahih al-Bukhari 2227). Bilal, a freed Ethiopian slave, became the first caller to prayer and one of the most honored companions.
Why it wasn't abolished at once
This is the hard part, and it's fine to find it hard. Scholars explain that sudden abolition would have left many people with no home, income or protection, while the Quran's many routes to freedom pointed toward its end. Others add that the Quran regulated an existing reality rather than approving it as an ideal. Muslim scholars and states took part in modern abolition, and today the consensus is that slavery must not return. Groups that claimed to revive it were condemned by scholars across the Muslim world. See Is sharia law compatible with human rights?
If verses about slaves (such as "those your right hands possess") trouble you, read them with a good tafsir and ask a knowledgeable teacher. See What should I do if a Quran verse feels harsh or confusing?
- Slavery existed everywhere before Islam; the Quran limited and reformed it.
- Freeing slaves is praised and built into expiations and zakat.
- Enslaved people had to be fed, clothed and treated as brothers.
- Today scholars agree that slavery and human trafficking are haram.
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