Slavery in Shia Islam
November 5, 2026
Sex with Married Slave: Allowed
Al-Kafi Urdu Vol. 5 - Part 2 - Pg 190
English Version:
Al-Kafi Vol 5, Part 5 English
Al-Shaykh al-Tusi : Book Name: Al-Mabsut fi Fiqh al-Imamiyyah Volume : 2 Page : 21
Even sex with slave's wife is allowed:
Tafsir E Burhan Urdu Vol. 2 - Pg. 448-449
Father in Law can gift his slave to his son-in-law:
Al-Kafi Urdu Vol. 5 - Part 2 - Pg 49
Even stolen slaves are allowed:
Al-Kafi Urdu Vol. 5 - Part 1 - Pg 263
English Source: Al Kafi Vol. 5 English
Group Sex with slaves and wives allowed:
One can share his slave with his brother:
Al-Kafi Urdu Vol. 5 - Part 2 - Pg 190
Male Slave cannot have sex with his owner (while male owner can have sex with female slaves):
Al-Kafi Vol 5, Part 5 English - Pg.64
Al-Kafi Urdu Vol. 5 - Part 2 - Pg 204
Selling Slaves who are Mother of the children (Um Al Walad):
Sheikh Sadooq Man La Yazhar Ul Faqih Volume III - Pg. 19
Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih, Vol. 3, Ch. 52, Hadith 3507
رَوَى الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ رِئَابٍ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ ع
قَالَ سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ أُمِّ الْوَلَدِ قَالَ أَمَةٌ تُبَاعُ وَ تُورَثُ وَ تُوهَبُ وَ حَدُّهَا حَدُّ الْأَمَةِ .
Al-Hasan ibn Mahbub narrated from Ali ibn Ri’ab, from Zurara, who said:
I asked Abu Ja’far Imam Muhammad ibn Ali Al-Baqir {a.s}, about Umm al-Walad (a female slave who bears a child for her master).
Imam {a.s} said: "She is a slave. She can be sold, inherited, and gifted, and her legal ruling is the same as that of a slave."
Freeing only believing slaves:
Many apologists claim that Imam Ali freed a thousand slaves. This is from Al-Kāfi Volume 8, Book 1, Chapter 173 - Hadith # 1:
... وَ لَقَدْ أَعْتَقَ أَلْفَ مَمْلُوكٍ مِنْ صُلْبِ مَالِهِ كُلُّ ذَلِكَ تَحَفَّى فِيهِ يَدَاهُ... 173. ...and he (asws) had freed one thousand slaves from his (asws) wealth. All of that was from what he (asws) had worked by his (asws) own hands...
While it is not mentioned clearly whether he freed believing slaves or non-believing slaves, the general ruling of Shiasm is clear; Freeing is reserved only for believing slaves:
Al Kafi Volume 6 Urdu Part 3 - Pg522
Man Lā Yaḥḍuruh al-Faqīh Volume 3, Book 1, Chapter 51
Marrying a slave is allowed only in Emergency:
Volume 5, Book 3, Chapter 34 - Hadith 6
6- أَبَانٌ عَنْ زُرَارَةَ بْنِ أَعْيَنَ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ سَأَلْتُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَتَزَوَّجُ الأمَةَ قَالَ لا إِلا أَنْ يُضْطَرَّ إِلَى ذَلِكَ.
- Aban has narrated from Zurarah ibn ‘A‘yan who has said the following: “I once asked abu Ja’far (a.s.), about the marriage of a slave-girl. He (the Imam) said, ‘No, unless it is an emergency.’”
Volume 5, Book 3, Chapter 34 - Hadith 9
9- عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مَرَّارٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنِ ابْنِ مُسْكَانَ عَنْ أَبِي بَصِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ (عَلَيْهِ السَّلام) قَالَ لا يَنْبَغِي لِلْحُرِّ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ الأمَةَ وَهُوَ يَقْدِرُ عَلَى الْحُرَّةِ وَلا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ الأمَةَ عَلَى الْحُرَّةِ وَلا بَأْسَ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَ الْحُرَّةَ عَلَى الأمَةِ فَإِنْ تَزَوَّجَ الْحُرَّةَ عَلَى الأمَةِ فَلِلْحُرَّةِ يَوْمَانِ وَلِلأمَةِ يَوْمٌ.
- Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from his father from ‘Isma’il ibn Marrar from Yunus from ibn Muskan from abu Basir who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘It is not proper for a free man to marry a slave-girl when he is able to marry a free woman, and it is not proper for him to marry a slave-girl as a second wife, the first being a free woman but it is not unlawful to marry a free woman as a second wife, the first being a slave-girl; and if he did so, two days of time is for the free woman and one day for the slave-girl.’”
Ali uncovered the legs when buying slaves:
Bihar Al-Anwaar V 100 – The Book of Contracts and Declarations – CH 26 H 6
6- ب، قرب الإسناد ابْنُ طَرِيفٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُلْوَانَ عَنِ الصَّادِقِ عَنْ أَبِيهِ ع أَنَّ عَلِيّاً عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَ السَّلَامُ كَانَ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَبْتَاعَ الْجَارِيَةَ يَكْشِفُ عَنْ سَاقَيْهَا فَيَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهَا. (The book) ‘Qurb Al Isnaad’ – Ibn Tareyf, from Ibn Ulwan, ‘From Al-Sadiq-asws, from his-asws father-asws: ‘Ali-asws, upon him-asws be the Salawaat and the greeting, was such that whenever he-asws wanted to buy a slave girl, he-asws would uncover from her legs to look at it’’.
Muhammad with his slave Maria Qibtiah
Bihar Al Anwar Volume 22 - Page 218
