Islam has throughout history always encouraged the freeing of slaves, thus we find many atonements of wrong deeds being the freeing of slaves, as well as specific verses of the Quraan which speak about this.

Quranic Injunctions on Freeing Slaves

An Act of Righteousness

Allah lists the freeing of a slave as a crucial act of righteousness, and places this alongside the belief in Allah, the daily prayers, and giving charity.

لَّيْسَ ٱلْبِرَّ أَن تُوَلُّوا۟ وُجُوهَكُمْ قِبَلَ ٱلْمَشْرِقِ وَٱلْمَغْرِبِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ ٱلْبِرَّ مَنْ ءَامَنَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْـَٔاخِرِ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ وَٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ وَءَاتَى ٱلْمَالَ عَلَىٰ حُبِّهِۦ ذَوِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْيَتَـٰمَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينَ وَٱبْنَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَٱلسَّآئِلِينَ وَفِى ٱلرِّقَابِ وَأَقَامَ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَءَاتَى ٱلزَّكَوٰةَ وَٱلْمُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِهِمْ إِذَا عَـٰهَدُوا۟ ۖ وَٱلصَّـٰبِرِينَ فِى ٱلْبَأْسَآءِ وَٱلضَّرَّآءِ وَحِينَ ٱلْبَأْسِ ۗ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ ٱلَّذِينَ صَدَقُوا۟ ۖ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْمُتَّقُونَ

“Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveller, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakat; [those who] fulfil their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.” [Baqarah 2: 177]

Freeing a Slave is Zakaat

Zakaat is a pillar of Islam, and is both an obligation as well as a means to purification. The freeing of bonded human beings is listed among the eight categories of Zakaat in the Quraan. Accordingly, the freeing of bonded human beings is seen as fulfilling a key obligation in Islam.

إِنَّمَا ٱلصَّدَقَـٰتُ لِلْفُقَرَآءِ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينِ وَٱلْعَـٰمِلِينَ عَلَيْهَا وَٱلْمُؤَلَّفَةِ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَفِى ٱلرِّقَابِ وَٱلْغَـٰرِمِينَ وَفِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱبْنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ ۖ فَرِيضَةً مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

 “Zakaat is only for the poor and for the needy and for those employed to collect [Zakaat] and for bringing hearts together [for Islam] and to free those in bondage [or slaves] and for those in debt and for the cause of Allah and for the [stranded] traveller – an obligation [imposed] by Allah. And Allah is Knowing and Wise.” [At Tauba 9: 60]

Freeing a Slave as Atonement

The importance of freeing a slave is brought home in the verse about the accidental killing of a believer. Here, the atonement for this loss of life is through freeing another life.

وَمَن قَتَلَ مُؤْمِنًا خَطَـًٔا فَتَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ مُّؤْمِنَةٍ

“Thus, whoever kills a Believer by mistake, then their atonement shall be the freeing of a Believing slave…” [Nisaa 4: 92]

Freeing a Slave as Expiation for Breaking an Oath

In Islam, breaking an oath is a serious sin, but expiation of that sin is attained via the liberation of a slave.

لَا يُؤَاخِذُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ بِٱللَّغْوِ فِىٓ أَيْمَـٰنِكُمْ وَلَـٰكِن يُؤَاخِذُكُم بِمَا عَقَّدتُّمُ ٱلْأَيْمَـٰنَ ۖ فَكَفَّـٰرَتُهُۥٓ إِطْعَامُ عَشَرَةِ مَسَـٰكِينَ مِنْ أَوْسَطِ مَا تُطْعِمُونَ أَهْلِيكُمْ أَوْ كِسْوَتُهُمْ أَوْ تَحْرِيرُ رَقَبَةٍ

 “Allah will not impose blame upon you for what is meaningless in your oaths, but He will impose blame upon you for [breaking] what you intended of oaths. So its expiation is the feeding of ten needy/poor people (masakeen) from the average of that which you feed your [own] families or clothing them or the liberation of a slave…” [Al Maida 5: 89]

Honouring the Enslaved

The Quraan stipulates that those who are enslaved should have rights over their freedom, bodies, and wealth.

وَٱلَّذِينَ يَبْتَغُونَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ مِمَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَـٰنُكُمْ فَكَاتِبُوهُمْ إِنْ عَلِمْتُمْ فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا ۖ وَءَاتُوهُم مِّن مَّالِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلَّذِىٓ ءَاتَىٰكُمْ ۚ وَلَا تُكْرِهُوا۟ فَتَيَـٰتِكُمْ عَلَى ٱلْبِغَآءِ إِنْ أَرَدْنَ تَحَصُّنًا لِّتَبْتَغُوا۟ عَرَضَ ٱلْحَيَوٰةِ ٱلدُّنْيَا ۚ وَمَن يُكْرِههُّنَّ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ إِكْرَٰهِهِنَّ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ

“…Moreover, if those whom your hands rightfully possess desire a deed of emancipation, then write it for them, if you come to know goodness in them. Moreover, give them of the wealth of Allah that He has given you. And do not compel your slave girls to prostitution, if they desire chastity, to seek [thereby] the temporary interests of worldly life.” [An Nur 24: 33]

Freeing the Enslaved is the Higher Path

These verses enjoin people to take the higher moral path; the freeing of a slave is the first to be stated in this path towards goodness.

“Have We not made for him two eyes? And a tongue and two lips? And have shown him the two ways? But he has not broken through the difficult pass. And what can make you know what is [breaking through] the difficult pass? It is the freeing of a slave. Or feeding on a day of severe hunger an orphan of near relationship. Or a needy person in misery. And then being among those who Believed and advised one another to patience and advised one another to compassion. Those are the companions of the right…” [Al Balad 90: 8 -18]

These verses exemplify how great an emphasis the Holy Quraan places on the freeing of a human being from bondage, and how it encourages such an action either by making it a part of fulfilling an obligation, as an expiation for a sin, or an act of immense reward.

Abolishing Slavery

Recognising the fact that many 7th century slave owners would be converting to Islam, the Holy Quraan adopted a middle way of reformation that was practical, sustainable, and emphasised ways in which Believing individuals could begin to rectify the harm they had done to both themselves and all those enslaved.

It did so by:

1: Emphasising in all its revelations on slavery the emancipation and just treatment of slaves, not on their capture or the continuation of the institution of slavery. Islam made the rescuing of slaves part of Zakaat which is one of the five pillars of Islam.

2: Making NO mention of slave-markets or slave-trading, whilst repeatedly exhorting Believers to free their slaves as an exemplification of their piety and belief in Allah.

3: Heightening the status of slaves, to those deserving of freedom and a share in wealth.

4: Condemning the rape and prostitution of slaves.

5: Highlighting that those enslaved – whether a Prisoner of War or a purchased being – have the right to purchase their own freedom, and that this right be honoured.

6: Empowering the state, other authorities and the public system to play a role in the process of emancipating slaves by encouraging the public that part of their Zakaat be spent in freeing slaves.