Slavery and slave relations in islam

Walekumussalam,

In Islam, the issue of slavery/concubinage existed within a specific historical and wartime system; it was not a general unrestricted practice. Today, since slavery has been abolished legally and internationally, it is no longer practiced. Islam also strongly encouraged the freeing of slaves.

As for intimate relations, Islamic law only permitted a man to have relations with his female slave (concubine). A woman was not allowed to have such relations with her male slave. Therefore, a relationship between a woman and her male slave would be considered unlawful. If pregnancy occurs and a child is born, then according to Islamic jurisprudence the child would be regarded as “walad al-zina” (child born out of wedlock). However, this does not mean the child bears any sin, because a child is never responsible for the actions of the parents; the sin is upon the unlawful relationship itself.

The fact that something is old or outdated does not prove that it is wrong. Islam did not invent slavery; rather, it regulated an already existing global system, encouraged the freeing of slaves, and gradually paved the way for its eventual abolition.