**Source:**YMFN
The Prophet Muhammad strongly encouraged and actively solicited the freeing of slaves and declared it one of the greatest deeds of righteousness in Islam. His Companions, such as Sayyidna Abu Bakr (radhi Allahu 'anh) and others who had the financial means, would personally free the weakest and most persecuted among the slaves from the bondage of Makkan tribal leaders, using their own wealths and possessions. The emancipation of slaves is not only a ‘good deed’ in Islam, but indeed required as an expiation for many of the severe sins where slavery exists.
Although slavery existed in the world before the advent of Islam in Arabia, and lingered on as a cultural practice, in Muslim societies it never degraded into an organized state-sponsored practice of racial oppression, exploitation of minorities and foreigners, or the subjugation and humiliation of an entire conquered people for the purposes of ‘cheap labour’ as was the case with Europeans and its ‘Christian’ colonialists.
This was mainly due to Islam’s unequivocal declaration of the infinite value of all human life [the death of single Muslim is worse than the destruction of the holy Ka’abah and no human life is violable without just cause], the divine honour bestowed to all humans [humans are God’s representatives on earth and its guardians], their equality before God as His slaves [no soul is superior to another except in righteousness] and their inalienable rights to safety, dignity, honour and freedom.
“Your slaves are your brethren upon whom Allah has given you authority. So, if one has one’s brethren under one’s control, one should feed them with the like of what one eats and clothe them with the like of what one wears. You should not overburden them with what they cannot bear, and if you do so, then help them (in their hard job).” [Bukhari]
This is the road to true social, mental and psychological emancipation of slaves: the recognition of their full humanity and divine entitlement to rights, the restoration of their honour, dignity and participation in society after freedom, the opportunity for them to free themselves in absence of other avenues, their education and unhindered, undiscriminated assimilation into the ‘free’ community, and their just and fair treatment by individuals not just in words and deeds, but perceptions and attitudes. An “Emancipation Proclamation” is only as good as its actual manifestation in the hearts, minds, feelings, and attitudes of people and society. Islamic history is filled with examples of how the ‘slaves of Islam’ became the ‘leaders of humanity’: from the lone Sayyidna Bilal (radhi Allahu 'anh) to the unmatched scholarship, learning and leadership of the African 'ulema who at one point in time outnumbered those of Arab origin!
The Prophet declared on many occasions: “Whoever frees a Muslim slave, Allah will save all the parts of his body from the Fire as he has freed the body-parts of the slave!” [Bukhari] Many other narrations make no distinction between a Muslim or a non-Muslim slave.
“I put my trust in Allah, my Lord and your Lord! There is not a moving creature, but He has a grasp of its forelock. Verily, my Lord is on the straight path. (The truth)”
(11:55-56)
“…Indeed my prayer, my sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allaah, the Lord of the worlds” (6:162)