Slavery in Islamic Texts and the Modern Qatar Human Trafficking Debate

Doha skyline in the morning by Francisco Anzola, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 | Jihad Watch

The subject of slavery in Islam is one of the most debated issues in religious and historical scholarship. Critics argue that both the Qur'an and the Hadith contain passages that permitted slavery in 7th-century Arabia, including the ownership of male and female slaves captured during war. They contend that these texts demonstrate that slavery was regulated rather than abolished during the Prophet Muhammad's lifetime.

One verse frequently cited is Qur'an 33:50, which states that Allah made lawful for the Prophet his wives and "those whom your right hand possesses" from among captives granted as booty. Critics interpret this as a reference to female slaves or captive women, while many Islamic scholars argue that the verse addressed the social and legal realities of its historical context rather than endorsing slavery as a timeless ideal.

Several Hadith collections also describe Muhammad's interactions with slaves. In Sahih Muslim (3901), Jabir ibn Abdullah narrates that a slave pledged allegiance to the Prophet, after which the slave's master reclaimed him. The Prophet then purchased the man in exchange for two black slaves, a narration often cited as evidence that slave ownership and trade existed during that period.

Another commonly referenced account appears in Sahih al-Bukhari (5:59:512) concerning the conquest of Khaibar. The narration describes the defeat of the Jewish stronghold, the taking of women and children as captives, and the captivity of Safiyyah bint Huyayy. According to the Hadith, Safiyyah was later freed by Muhammad, and her manumission became her mahr (bridal gift) before he married her. Critics argue that this illustrates the institution of war captives becoming slaves, while traditional Islamic interpretations emphasize her eventual emancipation and marriage.

A further narration in Sahih al-Bukhari (8:73:182) mentions a black slave named Anjasha, who accompanied the Prophet on a journey by driving camels carrying women. The Hadith records Muhammad instructing Anjasha to drive gently but makes no mention of his emancipation, and it is often cited in discussions about the Prophet's ownership of slaves.

The historical debate has gained renewed attention in the context of modern human trafficking in the Gulf region. Abdullah Ibhais, a Jordanian journalist and former communications official associated with the Qatar World Cup, became known for exposing allegations of forced labour and the exploitation of migrant workers in Qatar. He was sentenced to five years in a Doha prison and was released in March 2025 after serving three years.

According to statements from his family, Ibhais was later detained by Jordan's General Intelligence Directorate after allegedly being taken from a mosque in Amman. His reported detention occurred just weeks before he was expected to testify in a United States District Court case involving allegations of forced labour and human trafficking connected to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Human rights organizations have long accused Qatar of operating labour practices that resemble modern forms of slavery, particularly under the now-reformed kafala sponsorship system. Millions of migrant workers—many from South Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa—have worked in construction, domestic service, and infrastructure projects under conditions that critics describe as exploitative. The controversy has become even more striking, critics argue, given Qatar's simultaneous efforts to expand its international partnerships, including initiatives announced with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the United States.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)