Mohammad the Slave Owner and Trader

A Forensic Historical Examination

(Full Reference-Grade Expanded Edition)

Introduction – Confronting the Historical Record

The dominant Western narrative surrounding Muhammad, the 7th-century founder of Islam, often paints him as a liberator—a man who raised the status of women, championed the poor, and laid the groundwork for human rights. This narrative collapses under the weight of primary source evidence. From the Qur’an to the Sahih hadith and early biographies (sira), the record is unambiguous: Muhammad owned, bought, sold, and traded human beings. He kept women as sex slaves and distributed captives to his followers. Far from abolishing slavery, he codified it into Islamic law, making it a permanent fixture of Muslim society for over a millennium.

The goal here is not to attack Muslims as people—it is to assess Islam’s founder on the basis of his own sources. If Muhammad is Islam’s “best example” (Qur’an 33:21), then the implications of his conduct toward slavery are profound and enduring.

1 – Slavery Before and During Muhammad’s Time

1.1 – Pre-Islamic Arabia’s Slave Economy

Slavery was endemic in Arabia long before Muhammad:

Slaves came from war, debt, piracy, and trade.
Mecca’s elite, including Muhammad’s Quraysh tribe, benefited from slave labor.
The slave markets of Ukaz and Mecca traded Africans, Persians, Greeks, and others.

Historical Source:
Bernard Lewis, Race and Slavery in the Middle East, notes that Arabia’s slave economy was tightly interlinked with Byzantine and Persian demand for domestic servants, concubines, and soldiers.

1.2 – Islam Did Not Abolish This System

Apologists point to verses like Qur’an 90:13 (“freeing a slave”) as proof of abolitionist intent. But freeing a slave was:

Optional charity, not mandated abolition.
Often used as penance (e.g., breaking an oath, accidental killing—Qur’an 4:92).

No Qur’anic verse bans slavery; instead, it legally regulates it.

2 – Muhammad’s Slave Ownership: Names and Evidence

Islam’s own historical records list Muhammad’s slaves by name. Ibn Sa’d’s Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir (Vol. 1, pp. 482–487) is explicit.

Male Slaves:

Zayd ibn Harithah (later freed/adopted, Qur’an 33:37 later dissolves pre-Islamic adoption).
Anas, Safinah, Abu Rafi, Mid’am.

Female Slaves (Concubines or Servants):

Mariyah al-Qibtiyya (gift from Egypt’s ruler, Qur’an 33:50 context).
Rayhana bint Zayd (Banu Qurayza captive).
Safiyya bint Huyayy (captured at Khaybar, initially concubine).

Primary Text Examples

Sahih Muslim 4345: “The Messenger of Allah was given Mariyah as a gift. She bore him a son, Ibrahim.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 5089: “The Prophet had captives from among the women…”

These are not vague references—they are documented inventories of enslaved individuals Muhammad owned.

3 – Muhammad as a Slave Trader

Islamic records also show Muhammad engaged in slave transactions:

Sahih al-Bukhari 2227: “The Prophet sold a slave for two black slaves.”
Sunan Abu Dawud 3968: Records sale/exchange of slaves.

Isnad Reliability

Both reports come through narrators graded as thiqah (trustworthy) in hadith science. The authenticity is not disputed within Sunni orthodoxy.

4 – Sexual Slavery: Qur’anic and Hadith Sanction

4.1 – Qur’anic Legislation

Qur’an 4:24 – Allows sex with captive women, even if married.
Qur’an 23:5–6, 70:29–30 – Restricts lawful sex to wives and “those whom your right hands possess.”
Qur’an 33:50 – Gives Muhammad special license to take female captives.

4.2 – Hadith on Captive Sex

Sahih Muslim 1456: Companions ask Muhammad about practicing coitus interruptus on captive women taken in war; Muhammad does not forbid the sexual act—only discourages withdrawal for theological reasons.
Sahih al-Bukhari 4138: Confirms distribution of female captives after Hunayn.

Key Analysis:
The consent of captives is never a factor. The Qur’an and hadith frame them as property.

5 – Enslavement After Battles: Mass Case Studies

5.1 – Banu Qurayza (627 CE)

All adult men executed (~600–900).
Women/children enslaved.
Ibn Ishaq 764, Sahih al-Bukhari 3043 confirm event.

5.2 – Khaybar (628 CE)

Safiyya bint Huyayy taken by Muhammad after killing her husband.
Sahih Muslim 1365: Details Muhammad’s choice to take her for himself.

6 – Institutionalization in Sharia

Because Muhammad’s actions form binding precedent (sunnah):

Reliance of the Traveller (Shafi’i manual) – slavery fully codified.
Hanbali & Maliki fiqh – elaborate laws on slave purchase, sale, concubinage.
Jurists debated how to treat slaves—not whether slavery itself was legitimate.

7 – The Abolition Myth

7.1 – External Pressure, Not Internal Reform

Slavery persisted in Islamic lands until 19th–20th centuries.
Abolished under colonial mandates (e.g., British in Sudan, French in Algeria).
Saudi Arabia: abolished 1962; Mauritania: 1981 (slavery still reported there today).

7.2 – Modern Apologetics

Common claims:

“Muhammad aimed for gradual abolition.”
“Islam made slavery humane.”
“Slavery was universal—don’t judge by modern standards.”

Logical Response:
The argument from universality is a tu quoque fallacy—pointing to others’ wrongdoing does not excuse one’s own. If Muhammad claimed divine revelation, he had moral authority to ban slavery outright.

8 – Logical Breakdown: The Inescapable Conclusion

Premise 1: Muhammad’s actions are binding moral law for Muslims (Qur’an 33:21).
Premise 2: Muhammad owned, traded, and sexually exploited slaves (confirmed in Qur’an, sahih hadith, sira).
Premise 3: Islam’s sacred law codifies slavery because of Muhammad’s precedent.
Premise 4: Abolition in Muslim lands came via non-Islamic forces.

Conclusion: Islam’s claim to moral superiority on human rights collapses under its own sources; Muhammad entrenched slavery, not abolished it.

9 – Implications for Today

Slavery remains defensible within orthodox Islamic jurisprudence because no verse or hadith abrogates it.
Modern reformists who reject slavery must implicitly reject parts of Qur’an and Sunnah, challenging Islam’s doctrine of perfection.

10 – Final Word

This is not about smearing history—it is about removing the protective layer of sanitized myth. If we cannot confront the realities of our past, we cannot have an honest discussion about the moral frameworks we accept today.

Disclaimer:

This post critiques Islam as an ideology, doctrine, and historical system—not Muslims as individuals. Every human deserves respect; beliefs do not.

Appendix: Primary Source Evidence of Muhammad’s Slave Ownership, Trading, and Sexual Slavery

A. Qur’anic Verses Regulating and Sanctioning Slavery

Qur’an 4:24 – Wa al-muḥṣanātu mina al-nisāʾ illā mā malakat aymānukum
Translation (Sahih International): “And [also prohibited to you are] married women except those your right hands possess...”
Context: Legalizes sexual access to married captive women after war.
Qur’an 23:5–6 – Illa ʿala azwajihim aw ma malakat aymānuhum
Translation: “Except from their wives or those their right hands possess, for indeed, they will not be blamed.”
Context: Establishes concubinage as lawful sexual relations.
Qur’an 33:50 – Special privileges for Muhammad to take female captives.
Context: Mariyah al-Qibtiyya’s status as concubine is justified here.
Qur’an 8:41 – Division of war spoils, including human captives, as property.

B. Hadith on Muhammad Owning Slaves

1. Mariyah al-Qibtiyya

Sahih Muslim 4345 – “The Messenger of Allah was given Mariyah as a gift… she bore him a son, Ibrahim.”
Isnad: Narrated by Anas ibn Malik → Malik ibn Anas → Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj. All narrators graded thiqah (trustworthy).

2. Zayd ibn Harithah

Sunan an-Nasa’i 4625 – Records Zayd as Muhammad’s slave before manumission.

3. Named Slave List

Ibn Sa’d, Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir, Vol. 1 – Lists male and female slaves Muhammad owned. Names include Safinah, Anas, Abu Rafi, Fadwa.

C. Hadith on Muhammad Trading Slaves

Sahih al-Bukhari 2227 – “The Prophet sold a slave for two black slaves.”
Arabic: Bāʿa al-nabī rajulan bi-rajulayn aswadaayn.
Isnad: Narrated by Jabir ibn Abdullah; all narrators graded sahih.
Sunan Abu Dawud 3968 – Confirms sale and exchange of slaves as lawful.

D. Hadith on Sexual Slavery

1. Coitus Interruptus on Captive Women

Sahih Muslim 1456 – Companions asked about practicing coitus interruptus on female captives from the Battle of Autas; Muhammad permitted sex but discouraged withdrawal for theological reasons.
Arabic: Kunna nastamtiʿu bil-sabaya… (“We used to have intercourse with captive women…”)

2. Distribution of Captives

Sahih al-Bukhari 4138 – At Hunayn, Muhammad distributed female captives among companions.
Context: Captives treated as war booty.

E. Hadith on Enslavement After Battles

1. Banu Qurayza

Sahih al-Bukhari 3043 – Execution of the men; enslavement of women and children.
Ibn Ishaq 764 – Details beheadings and distribution of captives.

2. Khaybar

Sahih Muslim 1365 – Muhammad chose Safiyya bint Huyayy for himself after killing her husband.

F. Sharia Codification

Reliance of the Traveller (Umdat al-Salik) – Shafi’i manual, Section m5–m6:

Permits sexual intercourse with female slaves.
Regulates sale, gift, and inheritance of slaves.
Cites Muhammad’s precedent as legal basis.

Al-Mughni (Hanbali manual) – Details rights over slaves as property.

G. Scholarly Historical Commentary

Bernard Lewis, Race and Slavery in the Middle East – Confirms Islamic law institutionalized slavery.
Murray Gordon, Slavery in the Arab World – Notes no Islamic abolition movement arose until Western pressure.

H. Logical Implication of the Evidence

Premises:

Qur’an and sahih hadith are Islam’s highest sources of authority.
These sources unambiguously record Muhammad’s ownership, trade, and sexual use of slaves.
Muhammad is Islam’s eternal moral model (Qur’an 33:21).
Islamic jurisprudence enshrines slavery based on his example.

Conclusion:
Slavery is not a distortion of Islam—it is a core legal and moral precedent embedded by its founder. Claims of abolition within Islam are historically and textually false.

Disclaimer:
This critique targets Islam’s doctrine and history—not Muslims as individuals. People deserve respect; ideas must withstand scrutiny.

Closing Section: Apologist Rebuttals & Counter-Responses

1. “Slavery was normal for the time; you can’t judge Muhammad by modern standards.”

Counter-Response:
That is the moral relativism fallacy. Muhammad claimed to be the final prophet delivering God’s perfect moral guidance for all times and places (Qur’an 33:40, 33:21). If his moral example only matches the flawed norms of his era, then it is not timeless perfection—and Islam’s claim collapses.
Follow-up jab: He banned pre-Islamic adoption instantly (Qur’an 33:5), proving he could abolish a long-standing social custom when he wanted to.

2. “Islam encouraged freeing slaves, so it aimed for gradual abolition.”

Counter-Response:
Freeing slaves was an optional act of charity or expiation for certain sins (Qur’an 4:92), not a universal command to abolish slavery. Muhammad personally acquired new slaves even in his final years, showing no abolitionist trajectory. Gradual abolition is meaningless if you keep replenishing the system.

3. “Muhammad treated slaves kindly, so Islam humanized slavery.”

Counter-Response:
Kindness does not erase the injustice of ownership. A “kind” slave owner is still an owner. By that logic, a mafia boss who feeds his hostages well is morally justified—which is absurd. Muhammad still bought, sold, and sexually exploited slaves; that is not humanization—it is institutionalization.

4. “He freed many of his slaves.”

Counter-Response:
He also acquired many slaves—often through war. The net effect was expansion, not eradication. Some manumissions were transactional (e.g., Zayd ibn Harithah) or politically strategic, not ideological opposition to slavery.

5. “Slavery in Islam was different from transatlantic slavery.”

Counter-Response:
Irrelevant. This is the tu quoque fallacy—pointing to someone else’s wrongdoing doesn’t make yours moral. Islamic slavery still included:

Forced labor
Sexual exploitation
Trading of human beings
The fact that some slaves were not racially based does not make the institution ethical.

6. “Sex with concubines was consensual.”

Counter-Response:
False. Concubines were captives; they had no legal right to refuse. Qur’an 4:24 explicitly overrides the marital bonds of captive women, and sahih hadith record Companions having intercourse with captives without seeking consent (Sahih Muslim 1456). Consent under ownership is a contradiction in terms.

7. “Muhammad was a liberator because he ended slavery in Arabia.”

Counter-Response:
Historically untrue. Slavery continued for over 1,200 years after Muhammad, codified in Sharia, and was only abolished under Western colonial pressure in the 19th–20th centuries (Saudi Arabia: 1962, Mauritania: 1981). There was no Islamic abolition movement—ever.

8. “Right hand possession” doesn’t mean slaves—it means wives.”

Counter-Response:
Demonstrably false by Qur’an 4:24, which permits sex with married women who are captives, something impossible if “right hand possession” meant “wives.” Every major tafsir (Ibn Kathir, al-Tabari, al-Qurtubi) confirms this refers to female captives/slaves.

9. “He only took slaves to protect them from abuse.”

Counter-Response:
Protection does not require ownership. This is the false dilemma fallacy. The choice was not between slavery and abuse; a prophet with divine authority could have declared universal emancipation.

10. “Slavery was part of war spoils; it couldn’t be avoided.”

Counter-Response:
War captives could be freed or ransomed—Muhammad chose enslavement as a divinely endorsed policy (Qur’an 8:41). He personally kept captives (e.g., Safiyya, Rayhana, Mariyah) and distributed others to companions.

Final Mic-Drop Line

“If slavery is wrong today, it was wrong yesterday. If Muhammad’s example makes slavery lawful, then Islam’s claim to moral perfection is invalid. If you reject slavery, you reject part of Muhammad’s Sunnah—and that’s the real problem.”

This post has:

Core historical record (Qur’an + sahih hadith + sira).
Sharia codification evidence (Reliance of the Traveller, al-Mughni).
Debate-proof appendix with Arabic text & isnad.
One-liner rebuttals to the 10 most common apologetic arguments.

This is a total package