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Bismilaah
 
Quite often you hear the Western kuffaar ignorantly claim that their secular laws are superior to Islaam. Astaghfirullaah!
 
But in this post I’m going to give just one example (out of thousands!) that shows how Islaam is so vastly superior to Western Secularism that it is a grave insult to Islaam to even compare the two.
 
For example, consider the case of the runaway slaves (that is, those slaves who have somehow managed to escape from their rightful masters). Tell me, what is the law in these kaafir Western lands about dealing with such lowly scum?
 
That’s right, there isn’t any. No laws AT ALL to deal with slaves who deliberately run away from their rightful masters!
 
But, alhamdulillaah, Islaam is perfect and complete, and our Blessed Prophet (S) revealed to us the divine laws to deal with runaway slaves.
 
In fact, the perfection of Islaam is evident from the fact that not only are there laws in Islaam to deal with runaway slaves in this life, these slaves are condemned by Allaah spiritually as well! For example, we see in these authentic (Saheeh) narrations from our Prophet (S):

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مُغِيرَةَ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، قَالَ كَانَ جَرِيرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ “‏ إِذَا أَبَقَ الْعَبْدُ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ لَهُ صَلاَةٌ ‏”‏ ‏

Jarir b. Abdullah reported it from the Holy Prophet (S): When the slave runs away from his master, his prayers (salat) are not accepted (by God).
http://sunnah.com/muslim/1/136
 
 
 

أَخْبَرَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ غَيْلاَنَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ جَرِيرٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ إِذَا أَبَقَ الْعَبْدُ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ لَهُ صَلاَةٌ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ إِلَى مَوَالِيهِ ‏”‏ ‏.‏

It was narrated that Jarir said:
“The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: ‘If a slave runs away, no Salah will be accepted from him until he goes back to his masters.'” (Sahih)
http://sunnah.com/nasai/37/84
 
 
 

حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، قَالَ‏:‏ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ‏:‏ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هَانِئٍ الْخَوْلاَنِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي عَلِيٍّ الْجَنْبِيِّ، عَنْ فَضَالَةَ بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ‏:‏ ثَلاَثَةٌ لاَ يُسْأَلُ عَنْهُمْ‏:‏ رَجُلٌ فَارَقَ الْجَمَاعَةَ وَعَصَى إِمَامَهُ فَمَاتَ عَاصِيًا، فَلاَ تَسْأَلْ عَنْهُ، وَأَمَةٌ أَوْ عَبْدٌ أَبِقَ مِنْ سَيِّدِهِ، وَامْرَأَةٌ غَابَ زَوْجُهَا، وَكَفَاهَا مَؤُونَةَ الدُّنْيَا فَتَبَرَّجَتْ وَتَمَرَّجَتْ بَعْدَهُ‏

Fadala ibn ‘Ubayd reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “Do not ask about three:
a man who parts company with the community, rebels against the ruler and dies while he is a still a rebel. Do not ask about him. Or a slave or slavegirl who runs away from his or her master. Or a woman whose husband is absent and who has sufficient provision and then displays her adornments (beauty) to strangers and mixes freely.
http://sunnah.com/adab/30/53
 
 
 

أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ قُدَامَةَ، عَنْ جَرِيرٍ، عَنْ مُغِيرَةَ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، قَالَ كَانَ جَرِيرٌ يُحَدِّثُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ إِذَا أَبَقَ الْعَبْدُ لَمْ تُقْبَلْ لَهُ صَلاَةٌ وَإِنْ مَاتَ مَاتَ كَافِرًا ‏”‏ ‏.‏ وَأَبَقَ غُلاَمٌ لِجَرِيرٍ فَأَخَذَهُ فَضَرَبَ عُنُقَهُ ‏.‏‏

Jarir used to narrate from the Prophet [SAW]:
“If a slave runs away, no Salah will be accepted from him, and if he dies he will die a disbeliever.” A slave of Jarir’s ran away, and he caught him and struck his neck (killing him). (Sahih)
http://sunnah.com/nasai/37/85
 
 
 

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ وَاقِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو غَالِبٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا أُمَامَةَ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ “‏ ثَلاَثَةٌ لاَ تُجَاوِزُ صَلاَتُهُمْ آذَانَهُمُ الْعَبْدُ الآبِقُ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ وَامْرَأَةٌ بَاتَتْ وَزَوْجُهَا عَلَيْهَا سَاخِطٌ وَإِمَامُ قَوْمٍ وَهُمْ لَهُ كَارِهُونَ ‏”‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ ‏.‏ وَأَبُو غَالِبٍ اسْمُهُ حَزَوَّرٌ ‏.‏

Abu Umamah narrated that :
Allah’s Messenger said: “There are three whose Salat would not rise up beyond their ears: The runaway slave until he returns, a woman who spends a night while her husband is angry with her, and a people’s Imam whom they dislike.” (Hasan (Sound chain of narration))
http://sunnah.com/tirmidhi/2/212
 
 
 
So it is clear in Islam that if a slave runs away from his or her rightful master, then Allaah, the Most Merciful, rejects the prayers of this slave until he or she returns to their master (as all rightfully owned slaves should!).
 
This is just the spiritual punishment for slaves who have the temerity to run away from their masters, but you might be wondering how does Islam deal with such slaves in this present life? Surely Islaam must have laws that help those slave owners from getting their rightfully owned slaves back, right?
 
But of course there are! Alhamdulillaah for the beauty of Islaam!
 
We read in al-Hidaya, the preeminent manual of Hanafi law that the reward for capturing a runaway slave and returning him to his master is 40 dirhams (an Islamic ‘dirham’ is about three grams of pure silver). But if the slave hasn’t run too far off, then this reward might be lowered. Also, if the price of this slave is itself lower than 40 dirhams (probably a low class slave), then the reward is one dirham less than the price of the slave.

قال : ومن رد آبقا على مولاه من مسيرة ثلاثة أيام فصاعدا فله عليه جعله أربعون درهما ، وإن رده لأقل من ذلك فبحسابه
…
قال : وإن كانت قيمته أقل من أربعين يقضى له بقيمته إلا درهما

http://library.islamweb.net/newlibrary/display_book.php?bk_no=9&ID=196&idfrom=2194&idto=2199&bookid=9&startno=0
 
Translation:
Imam Abu Haneefa (may Allaah have mercy on his soul) said: And whoever returns a runaway slave, who had run off more than a three-day journey, to his master, then the reward is forty dirhams. And if (the slave) was returned from less than that (three days journey), then the reward is calculated accordingly.
…
And Imam Abu Haneefa said: If his (the slave’s) price is less than forty, then the returner is to be awarded one dirham less than the price of the slave.
 
 
 
Ma’sha’allah, that makes so much sense! If the owner has cheap, low-class slaves, then why should he have to pay the full price for their return? Obviously he would have to pay in accordance to the price of that slave. More money for good slaves, and less for cheap ones.
 
Also, we should keep in mind that if the person who discovered the slave doesn’t know who the owner is, he shouldn’t just leave the slave and allow him to escape to his freedom. For this slave is the property of someone else, and he should be returned to him! So the correct approach, as taught in Islaam, is to capture that slave and take him to the Ruler. The Ruler then imprisons the runaway slave until his owner can take him back. As the Imam explains:

الآبق أخذه أفضل في حق من يقوى عليه
…
ثم آخذ الآبق يأتي به إلى السلطان لأنه لا يقدر على حفظه بنفسه بخلاف اللقطة ، ثم إذا رفع الآبق إليه يحبسه ، ولو رفع الضال لا يحبسه لأنه لا يؤمن على الآبق الإباق ثانيا بخلاف الضال

http://library.islamweb.net/newlibrary/display_book.php?bk_no=9&ID=196&idfrom=2194&idto=2199&bookid=9&startno=0
 
Translation:
Imam Abu Haneefa (may Allaah have mercy on his soul) said: Capturing the runaway slave is preferable for one who has the strength to do so.
…
Then when the captured runaway slave is brought to the Sultaan (ruler), since the capturer may not have the power to secure him (the slave) on his own, as opposed to a lost slave (who is found), then when this runaway slave is brought to him (the ruler), he (the ruler) should imprison the slave. But if the lost slave is brought to the ruler, he is not to be imprisoned. This is because the ruler cannot be certain that the runaway slave will not try to run away a second time, as opposed to a lost slave (who likely won’t run away).
 
 
 
These laws are similar across the different Madhabs and are based on the sayings of our Beloved Prophet (S). As recorded in Nasb al-Rayah fi Takhrij aHadith al-Hidaya by Imam Zayla’i:

ص- 378 : كتاب الإباق قوله : ولنا إجماع الصحابة على أصل الجعل . إلا أن منهم من أوجب الأربعين ، ومنهم من أوجب ما دونها ; قلت : روى عبد الرزاق في ” مصنفه ” أخبرنا سفيان الثوري [ ص: 379 ] عن أبي رباح عبد الله بن رباح عن أبي عمرو الشيباني ، قال : أصبت غلمانا أباقا بالغين ، فذكرت ذلك لابن مسعود فقال : الأجر والغنيمة ، قلت : هذا الأجر ، فما الغنيمة ؟ قال : أربعون درهما من كل رأس ، انتهى .

ومن طريق عبد الرزاق رواه الطبراني في ” معجمه ” ، ورواه البيهقي في ” سننه ” ، وقال : هو أمثل ما في الباب . [ ص: 380 ] أثر آخر : روى ابن أبي شيبة في ” مصنفه ” حدثنا محمد بن يزيد عن أيوب عن أبي العلاء عن قتادة ، وأبي هاشم أن عمر قضى في جعل الآبق أربعين درهما انتهى .

أثر آخر : رواه ابن أبي شيبة أيضا حدثنا وكيع ثنا سفيان عن أبي إسحاق ، قال : أعطيت الجعل في زمن معاوية أربعين درهما انتهى .

أثر آخر : رواه ابن أبي شيبة أيضا حدثنا يزيد بن هارون عن حجاج عن عمرو بن سعيد عن سعيد بن المسيب أن عمر جعل في جعل الآبق دينارا ، أو اثني عشر درهما .

أثر آخر : رواه ابن أبي شيبة أيضا حدثنا يزيد بن هارون عن حجاج عن حصين عن [ ص: 381 ] الشعبي عن الحارث عن علي أنه جعل في جعل الآبق دينارا ، أو اثني عشر درهما ، انتهى .

حديث مرفوع مرسل : أخرجه عبد الرزاق ، وابن أبي شيبة في ” مصنفيهما ” عن عمرو بن دينار { أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قضى في العبد الآبق يؤخذ خارج الحرم بدينار ، أو عشرة دراهم ، }انتهى .

http://library.islamweb.net/newlibrary/display_book.php?bk_no=9&ID=196&idfrom=2194&idto=2199&bookid=9&startno=0
 
Translation:
There is consensus among our companions (that is, the religious scholars) on the principle of reward (for the runaway slaves). Except that among them are some who say that the reward that is mandated is forty (dirhams), and some who say that it is other than that. Abdul Razzaq narrated in his Musannaf from Ibn Umru al-Shaybani who said:
I obtained some adult slaves of ours who had run away, and I mentioned this to Ibn Mas’ood (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: “Remuneration and profit (for you)”. I said to him: “This (the slaves) is the reward, but what is the profit?” He replied: “Forty dirhams for every head (slave).”
 
And (Imam) Tabrani narrated in his Mu’jam from a chain to Abdul Razzak, and (Imam) Bayhaqi narrated in his Sunan, what is similar to what is mentioned in this chapter. Another narration is: Ibn Abi Shaybah narrated in his Musannaf that Muhammad bin Yazeed narrated to him, from Ayyoob, from Abi Alaa`, from Qatadah and Abi Hashim, that Umar (May Allaah be pleased with him) ruled that the reward for (returning) a runaway slave is forty dirhams.
 
Another narration: Ibn Abi Shaybah also narrated that Waqi` narrated he heard Sufyan who heard from Abi Ishaaq who said that: The reward given (for the return of a runaway slave) in the time of Mu’awiyah was forty dirhams.
 
Another narration: Ibn Abi Shaybah also narrated that Yazeen bin Haroon narrated from Hajjaj, from Umru bin Sa’eed, from Sa’eed bin Musayyib, from Umar bin al-Khattab, that he rewarded the (return of a) runaway slave with one Dinar (about 4.3 grams of pure gold), or twelve dirhams.
 
Another narration: Ibn Abi Shaybah also narrated that Yazeen bin Haroon narrated from Hajjaj, from (Imran bin) Husayn, from Shu’ba, from Harith, from Ali bin Abi Talib that he rewarded the (return of a) runaway slave with one dinar or twelve dirhams.
 
In a marfu` mursal narration recorded by Abdul Razzaq and Ibn Abi Shaybah in their Musannafs from Umru bin Dinar who said: The Prophet, may the blessings and peace of Allaah be upon him, ruled in the case of a runaway slave who was captured outside the haram (outside of holy sanctuaries in Makkah or Madinah) that the reward (of his capture) was one dinar, or twelve dirhams.
[end of translation]
 
 
 
So, dear Brothers and Sisters, as you can see, Islam has left nothing to conjecture or personal opinions. Even in the case of runaway slaves, Islam has provided laws and guidelines to capture them and return them to their rightful owners. In fact, to discourage slaves from even thinking about running away, Allaah, the Most Merciful, has decreed that the prayers of such slaves are void till they return to their rightful masters. And that if they are captured in the territory of kaafirs, they can be killed!
 
So how dare these kuffaar claim that their laws are better than Islaam’s! They don’t even have any laws for runaway slaves. But Islaam, being the true and pure religion of God, brought to light these laws more than 1,400 years ago. And even now these kuffaar Westerners haven’t caught up to us. Subhaan Allaah!