Uislamu ulikuja wakati watumwa walikuwepo katika maeneo yote ya dunia, na utumwa ulikuwa mfumo ulioenea katika maeneo yote ya dunia, kwa watu wote na mataifa yote. Haijulikani kuwepo kwa eneo lolote la dunia isipokuwa ambapo watumwa waliuzwa na watu huru walifanywa watumwa. Pia haijasimuliwa kuhusu kuwepo kwa nchi yoyote isiyokuwa na utumwa. Uislamu uliona kwamba tatizo hili lilihusiana na mambo mawili.

Islam came while slaves existed in all areas of the world, and slavery was a system common in all areas of the world with all people and nations. It is not known of the existence of any area of the earth except that slaves were traded and free persons were enslaved. It is not related about the existence of any land without slavery. Islam viewed that this problem was related to two aspects.

Kwanza, jambo hilo lilihusu watumwa waliofanywa watumwa kivitendo na wale ambao hadhi yao ilishuka kutoka kwenye heshima stahiki waliyopewa na wengine waliokuwa huru, wakachukuliwa kama bidhaa nyingine zinazouzwa, kununuliwa na kufanyiwa biashara ya bei. Kwa hiyo ilikuwa ni lazima kushughulikia jambo hilo kwa matibabu yatakayosababisha kuwaacha huru watumwa hao na kuwafanya watu huru. Upande wa pili, ulihusu utumwa wenyewe. Ni lazima kuushughulikia kwa matibabu yanayoweka mipaka kwa utumwa. Hivyo, zikaja aya na hadithi zinazoshughulikia pande hizi mbili kwa matibabu yenye manufaa kwa wanadamu, yaliyojengwa juu ya hali halisi ya wanadamu na hali halisi ya mahusiano yaliyopo baina ya watu wao binafsi na mataifa yao.

Firstly, it was related to the slaves who had been enslaved in practice and those whose consideration had fallen from the upright consideration of others who were free and were considered as goods like other goods sold and bought and bargained over. So it was necessary to treat with a treatment resulting in freeing these slaves and making them free persons. As for the second aspect, it related to slavery. It is necessary to treat it with a treatment placing a limit on slavery. Hence there came ayaat and ahadith treating these two aspects with a beneficial treatment for mankind based upon the reality of mankind and the reality of the relationships existing between its individuals and nations.