What the right hand owns (milk al-yamin)

Overview

For al-Sha'rawi, what the right hand owns belongs to the aim of ending slavery. He holds that Islam widened the ways of manumission, that the owned woman must be fed and clothed as the household is and not burdened beyond her capacity, and that the source of such ownership no longer exists in his time ¹².

Ending slavery

He holds that Islam aims to bring slavery to an end, and that the expiations and other ways of freeing slaves widen the means of manumission, so that the law removes slavery rather than keeping it ¹².

The owned woman's due

He notes that the owned woman is fed from what the master eats, clothed as the household is clothed, and not burdened beyond her capacity, and that help given to her is a favour ².

A child by the master

He holds that an owned woman who bears a child by her master is freed together with the child, and that this is part of ending slavery ². The word that carries this point is read from the scan and needs checking against the page image.

Not yet covered here

No academic reading of slavery and its ending is set out in this part of the book. A named source is needed (needs_source).

Opinions on the question

The question: Does the right hand's ownership still have a source today, and how is the owned woman treated while the institution is being ended?

First opinion · Sunni tradition (the museum's frame)Main reference

Ownership by the right hand is framed by the ending of slavery, and good treatment of the owned woman is her right

Sha'rawi holds that Islam widened the ways of freeing slaves, such as the expiations, that the source of slavery no longer exists in his time, that feeding and clothing the concubine and not overburdening her are her due, and that a child born to the master is freed together with the mother. The phrase on that point is read from the scan and needs checking against the image {cite:tafsir-sharawi-khawatir-scan-vol-2 p. 2007}{cite:tafsir-sharawi-khawatir-scan-vol-2 p. 2008}.

Held by: Muhammad Mutawalli al-Sha'rawi

More opinions (1)

Academic viewSecondary opinion

A historical reading of slavery and its ending is still to be added

No academic reading of slavery and its ending is set out in this part of the book; a named source is needed (needs_source).

Marriage to a slave woman (nikah al-amah)

Al-Sha'rawi says marriage to a believing slave woman needs her owner's permission, that her dower is paid in the customary way, and that if she commits zina after marriage her penalty is half that of a free married woman. A Muslim who can marry a free woman may marry a slave woman only in need and fear of sin. He says one purpose of the ruling is to end slavery, since a child follows the mother's status.

What the right hand owns (milk al-yamin)

At a glance

Overview

Ending slavery

The owned woman's due

A child by the master

Not yet covered here

Opinions on the question

First opinion · Sunni tradition (the museum's frame)Main reference

Academic viewSecondary opinion

Connections

People and things also explored

Sources

Ideas

Marriage to a slave woman (nikah al-amah)