This writing is the result of a discussion with the theme "Liberating Knowledge from Colonization: Reflections on Jonathan Brown's Book 'Slavery and Islam, conducted by the Institute of Digital Islamic Education (IEID) on Saturday, January 29, 2024.
In the course of the current history of human civilization, we encounter setbacks experienced by the Muslim community. One proof is the colonization of knowledge, a consequence of Western colonialism on humanity, resulting in a shift in standards in perceiving things -- modern standards, advanced standards, and so forth.
Presently, Muslims often feel advanced or modern if their standards are similar to or approach those of Western society, whether in dress, speech, thought, or social behavior.
Jonathan Brown, in his book "Slavery and Islam," successfully prompts us to rethink this phenomenon. Namely, we should attempt to free ourselves from Western culture or considering the West as superior. This implies a belief that everything coming from the West is the best and should be followed. However, upon reflection, Islam itself possesses 'turats' (early works of scholars) that are very rich in the development of knowledge. 'Turats' are the legacy of earlier Islamic thinkers, believed to be able to address various issues experienced by modern society.
"Slavery and Islam," written by Jonathan Brown, deeply examines the concept of Islamic slavery meticulously and carefully, using a decolonization approach. This means he utilizes Islamic references as well as Western references, but the main emphasis is that there is no dichotomy between the West and the East -- the categories are more specific, focusing on colonial and indigenous aspects.
The result answers that the representation of slaves ingrained in our minds today is inhumane/negative; in reality, during the time of the Prophet, slavery was something ordinary and very humane. This rejects the Western scholars' perception of this concept, claiming that slavery is a bad practice and should be eradicated. JB explains that the concept of slavery is not as negative as Western discourse suggests.
On the contrary, although the West claims that the practice of slavery is inhumane/negative, in reality, Western society continues such practices, such as marginalizing or restricting black communities and others.
JB successfully convinces us that Islamic sources are sufficient to answer all challenges of the time. This means that Muslims today do not need to emulate the West in addressing contemporary challenges but should strive to study the 'turats.'
Summarized by:
Zainudin Airf
Founder, Institute of Digital Islamic Education (IEID)
