Slavery, the State, and Islam

Slavery, the State, and Islam looks at slavery as the foundation of power and the state in the Muslim world. Closely examining major theological and literary Islamic texts, it challenges traditional approaches to the subject. Servitude was a foundation for the construction of the new state on the Arabian peninsula. It constituted the essence of a relationship of authority as found in the Koran. The dominant stereotypes and traditions of equality as promoted by Islam, of its leniency toward slaves, is questioned. This original, pioneering book overturns the mythical view of caliphal power in Islam. It examines authority as it functions in the Arab world today and helps to explain the difficulty of attempting to instil freedom and democracy there.

Foreword Paul E. Lovejoy; Introduction: the sources and structures of the bond of authority; 1. The deadly lie, or the death announcement; 2. The battleground of servitude: an illusory freedom; 3. Open-air servitude; 4. The master of heaven and the master of earth; 5. The king and his subjects; 6. The king and his entourage; 7. The threshold of the king, or the weapon of forced servitude; Conclusion: between heaven and earth.

Mohammed Ennaji holds a doctorate in economics and is professor at Mohammed V University in Morocco. A historian, writer and journalist, he is an active proponent of culture in Morocco, where he organizes various cultural events, including international conferences and festivals. He is the author of several studies and books, including Serving the Master: Slavery and Society in Nineteenth-Century Morocco (1999).