Overview

"Some scholars of Islam have argued that slavery and concubinage are permissible according to the Qur'an and the teachings and practice of the Prophet Muhammad. When faced with dissenting views on the disputed subject of the legitimacy of slavery in Islam, they often respond with a loaded question and a theological trap: ""Did the Prophet Muhammad commit a grave moral wrong?"" Others advance moral relativism. Georgetown University's Jonathan Brown, for example, controversially maintained that ""slavery is wrong,"" but added the disclaimer that ""as a Muslim myself, I cannot condemn it as grossly, intrinsically immoral across space and time. To do so would be to condemn the Qur'an, the Prophet Muhammad and God's law as morally compromised."" As Dr. John Andrew Morrow makes clear in Islam & Slavery, there is not a single verse in the Qur'an that commands slavery. Slavery is neither an article of faith nor is it a religious obligation. In fact, the Qur'an encourages and even requires Muslims to emancipate enslaved people. As far as the exponents of Islam's spiritual, moral, ethical, and egalitarian tradition are concerned, the Qur'an, the Prophet, and Islam introduced a system that would reform the practice of slavery and abolish it entirely and forever. As God asks in the Qur'an: ""What will make you know what the steep path is? It is the freeing of a slave."

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9781680536379

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"""I wholeheartedly endorse Dr. John Andrew Morrow's Slavery & Islam."" - Chouki El Hamel, Professor of History in the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies at Arizona State University, and author of Black Morocco: A History of Slavery, Race, and Islam ""Dr. John Andrew Morrow's book counts my unconditional support."" - Biram Dah Abeid, Mauritanian politician and president of the Initiative for the Resurgence of the Abolitionist Movement (IRA) ""This is a thorough, exhaustive, courageous, unabashedly honest, and tragically painful book ... the standard work on Islam and slavery for decades to come."" - Khaled Abou El Fadl, Omar and Azmeralda Alfi Distinguished Professor of Law UCLA School of Law Dr. Morrow's book is a must-read.""- Sultan Shahin, Editor of New Age Islam"

Author Information

John Andrew Morrow is a graduate of the University of Toronto. He has taught at numerous universities and reached the rank of Professor of Foreign Languages. He was recognized as a Master Teacher and Distinguished Faculty Member, received an Interfaith Service Award, and a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition. A prolific author and passionate activist, he is considered one of the most important American Muslim scholars.

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