Is there a need to speak about slavery and riding horses and donkeys?

May Allah reward you. Your Eminence! Our brother gives us the opportunity to ask about these things that no longer exist, almost—Your Eminence—such as slavery, for example, and traveling on beasts of burden like camels, donkeys, and horses, and so on. Then there are things like *aqt* and zakat al-fitr. These things are almost non-existent in dealings, Your Eminence. Our jurisprudence still mentions these things. What does Your Eminence say about such things?
Answer: Slavery exists in some countries. In some parts of Africa, it still exists; it is inherited, they inherit it from ancient times, and they sell and dispose of it with the permission of the state or without the permission of the state. In some parts of Africa, there is slavery that is bought and sold and inherited. So, if it is found among Muslims in jihad, for example, if Muslims fight the Jews, they may enslave them, or if our mujahideen brothers in Afghanistan gain spoils from the communists, spoils from soldiers, and enslave them, it is permissible for them to sell them and dispose of them, and they become slaves according to the Shari'ah. So, if, for example, the Afghan mujahideen possess women from the Soviets or from their followers among the Afghans who help them in the Afghan government, the communist puppet government, if the Muslim mujahideen victors from the Afghans possess women, children, or elders from them whom they captured, these are considered slaves. The mujahideen may sell them and dispose of them, and the buyer also becomes their owner in the purchase. He sells and disposes of them, or frees them, or gives them as a gift, and they are inherited from him if he dies. And so, if Allah makes it easy for the Muslims to eliminate the Jews in Palestine and capture those who are captured from them, or take their descendants and women, then Allah has made it permissible for them to enslave them.
So, if the Muslims fight them and take possession of their women and descendants and enslave and capture any of them, then the descendants and women become slaves, just as the Christians were slaves in the past and the polytheists were slaves. Just as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) enslaved women in the Battle of Banu al-Mustaliq and enslaved women from Ta'if in the Battle of Hunayn, then he freed them, (peace and blessings be upon him). And just as the Muslims enslaved the women of Banu Hanifah in the fighting of Banu Hanifah whom they possessed, among them was the mother of Muhammad ibn 'Ali ibn al-Hanafiyyah, for she was from the captives of Banu Hanifah. And the correct view is: that the enslavement of Arabs is like the enslavement of non-Arabs; this is the correct position.
So, the point is that whenever it is found now in the fighting of the Afghans, or in our fighting of the Jews, or other disbelievers, like the fighting of the Muslims in the Philippines against the Filipino Christians, or others whom the Muslims fight, if they possess their women and descendants through lawful fighting, they become slaves. And so, if they capture soldiers from them and enslave them, they become slaves who are sold and bought and freed in expiations if they become Muslims. Yes.
The presenter: So, what do we say to those who find it difficult to accept the existence of these things and believe that there is no need to mention them?
The Shaykh: ... The reason for this is ignorance. If they hear this speech, they will know this. And so, camels, horses, and donkeys in the countries that use them, if they have camels that they use, like the mountainous countries that have no roads for cars, like some of Allah's lands in the southern directions, there are places and mountains that cars cannot reach, but they transport their needs on donkeys, camels, horses, and mules. And so, in whatever land of Allah, if there are camels, bulls, cows, donkeys, horses, and mules that are sold and bought and used in these matters.
So, camels are lawful, they are sold and eaten, they are slaughtered and eaten. And so, cows, their males and females. And so, horses are lawful, they are slaughtered and eaten also, and jihad is fought on them.
As for domestic donkeys specifically, they are not eaten; it is forbidden. But they are used, one rides on them and loads goods on them. And so, mules. And so, the elephant, one loads on it and rides it, but it is not lawful. The mule, the elephant, and the donkey are used and ridden, but not eaten. As for horses, camels, and cows... they are used and eaten, slaughtered for eating, and used in transporting goods and carrying men, and used in jihad also. And if the Muslims need them in any place and at any time, they use them. And they exist now and are used in many countries. Yes.
The presenter: May Allah reward you. So, the fact that we have mostly dispensed with them here does not mean that their rulings are not researched?
Answer: No, their rulings are researched, and they exist with some people and some people need them. And *aqt* is what is made from milk, what is made from milk and frozen from milk—milk of camels, cows, and sheep—it is called *aqt*. They freeze it and make it into pieces, it is used or weighed and eaten and sold and bought, and it is permissible in the fitrah in zakat al-fitr in Ramadan, as Abu Sa'id said: ... Yes.