The ruling on saying that Islam approved of slavery as a courtesy to people

Question:
Honorable Shaykh! Some modern professors hold that this religion was forced to accept the pre-Islamic system of slavery in its aftermath. They say, yes, it did, but it came to abolish this system by opening the doors of manumission and other means to gradually reduce the number of slaves until the count was eliminated. Thus, the intent of the Lawgiver was to remove this system gradually. What is the correct guidance on this?

Answer:
This is a false statement, may Allah protect us from it. Many writers and thinkers repeat it. We do not call them scholars; we call them thinkers, though unfortunately they are also called preachers. This view is found in Sayyid Qutb’s *In the Shade of the Qur’an*, where he says that Islam does not approve of slavery but left it in place out of fear of people’s aggression and their disapproval, because they were accustomed to slavery. So he left it as a courtesy, as if Allah were being polite to people and indicated its gradual abolition until it ended. This is a false statement and disbelief, may Allah protect us from it. This is disbelief and an accusation against Islam. Were it not for the excuse of ignorance, we would not excuse them; we excuse them due to ignorance, if Allah wills. We do not say they are ignorant or imitators who transmitted this view from a thinker, so we excuse them due to ignorance. Otherwise, this statement is dangerous; if a person said it intentionally, he would have apostatized from the religion of Islam. But we say these people are ignorant because they are merely writers or authors who did not study and found this opinion, so they rejoiced in it. They use it to respond to the disbelievers, in their claim. The disbelievers say that Islam enslaves people, that it makes people slaves, and so on. They wanted to respond to them out of ignorance. And when an ignorant person responds to the enemy, it is problematic; it increases the enemy’s hold on their falsehood.
It is a doubt, and it increases the enemy’s hold on their falsehood. The response must be with knowledge, not with emotion or ignorance. The response must be with knowledge and proof. Otherwise, it is obligatory for a person to remain silent and not speak about serious matters he does not know. So this statement is false. And whoever says it intentionally is a disbeliever. As for whoever says it out of ignorance or imitation, he is excused due to ignorance. And ignorance is a deadly affliction, may Allah protect us from it.
So Islam approved of slavery, and slavery existed from ancient times before Islam. It existed in the heavenly religions. As long as jihad in the path of Allah exists, slavery will exist, because it is a consequence of jihad in the path of Allah, Mighty and Majestic. And that is the ruling of Allah, Exalted and Majestic, with no favoritism toward anyone.
Nor is there any courtesy toward anyone. Islam is not incapable of stating clearly that if slavery were invalid, Islam is not incapable of stating and saying, “This is invalid,” just as it said regarding the worship of idols, just as it said regarding riba (usury or interest), just as it said regarding zina (unlawful sexual intercourse), and just as it said regarding the crimes of the pre-Islamic age of ignorance. Islam is brave; it does not hold back or be polite to people. It states the falsehood and invalidates the falsehood. This is the ruling of Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He. So if slavery were invalid, He would not have been polite to people about it; He would have said, “This is invalid and not permissible.” Slavery is a legal ruling that remains as long as jihad in the path of Allah remains, whether they like it or not. Yes. May Allah reward you.