Encyclopedia of Islam

Further reading: Muhammad Abdul Haq Ansari, Sufism 

and Shariah: A Study of Shaykh Ahmad Sirhindi’s Effort to 

Reform Sufism (Leicester, England: The Islamic Foun-

dation, 1986); Yohanan Friedmann, Shaykh Ahmad 

Sirhindi: An Outline of His Thought and a Study of His 

Image in the Eyes of Posterity (Montreal and London: 

McGill-Queen’s University Press, 1971).

siyam

  See 

fasting

.

slavery

Islam does not abolish the practice of slavery, 

but it does place certain limitations upon it. 

The  q

Uran

 delineates rights and restrictions for 

slave holders, such as granting them the right to 

engage in sexual relations with their slave girls, 

while maintaining that Muslims must treat “those 

whom your right hand possesses” with kindness 

and equity. Slaves are allowed to marry with their 

owners’ permission, are provided a degree of pro-

tection for their lives and property, and are held 

accountable for their actions. The Quran encour-

ages the release of slaves as a meritorious act and 

Muslims are required to free their slaves to receive 

forgiveness for certain sins.

In the 

hadith

 and Islamic legal manuals, 

slavery is envisioned as an exceptional condi-

tion. Individuals may be enslaved as prisoners 

of war or may be born into slavery. Although 

free Muslims are not allowed to be enslaved, a 

slave who becomes a Muslim is not automati-

cally released from bondage. Slaves possess a 

dual nature: As property, they may be bought and 

sold, and they are subject to their owners; but 

as persons they may profess faith in Islam, own 

property, earn money, marry, obtain an 

edUcation

,

or purchase their own freedom. In terms of reli-

gious obligations, Islamic law recognizes a slave’s 

inherent limitations. Many religious obligations 

are optional for slaves, subject to the amount of