Page:Thomas Patrick Hughes - Notes on Muhammadanism - 2ed. (1877).djvu/217

196 slaves at his death, and he had no other property besides; and the Prophet called them, and divided them into three sections, and then cast lots; he then ordered that two of them should be freed, and he retained four in slavery, and spoke severely of the man who had set them free."

"Jábir said we used to sell the mothers of children in the time of the Prophet, and of Abu Bakr; but Omar forbade it in his time."

For certain sins the manumission of slaves is the legal penalty, and a slave may purchase his own freedom with the permission of his owner.

In the Akhlák-i-Jilálí, which is the popular work upon practical philosophy amongst the Muhammadans, it is said that "for service a slave is preferable to a freeman, inasmuch as he must be more disposed to submit, obey, and adopt his patron's habits and pursuits."

Although slavery has existed side by side with Christianity, it is undoubtedly contrary to the spirit of the teaching of our divine Lord,