It is interesting to note that the word “ slave ” of...

It is interesting to note that the word “ slave ” of original Hebrew has been changed to “ servant ” in the Authorised Version of the Bible, and to “ bond servant ” in the Revised Standard Version, because, in words of The Concise Bible Commentary , **“**this word [i.e., slave] is avoided because of its association.[^3] One wonders whether a translator has a right to change the original just because of “ associations ” ?

It would be of interest to note here that the word “ slave ” is of European origin. It came into existence when the Franks used to supply the Spanish slave market with the “ barbarians, ” and those captives happened to be mostly the people of Turkish origin from the region known as Slovakia (now a part of Czechoslovakia). These people are called “ Slav ” and so all captives came to be known as “ slaves ” .

The following quotation graphically shows the attitude of Islam and Christianity on the subject of slavery and race: “ Take away the black man! I can have no discussion with him, ” exclaimed the Christian Archbishop Cyrus when the Arab conquerors had sent a deputation of their ablest men to discuss terms of surrender of the capital of Egypt, headed by Negro 'Ubaydah as the ablest of them all.

To the sacred Archbishop's astonishment, he was told that this man was commissioned by General 'Amr; that the Moslems held Negroes and white men in equal respect judging a man by his character and not by his colour.[^4] This episode gives you in a nutshell what I propose to explain at length in this booklet. [^1]: Ameer Ali, op. cit., pp.260-261. [^2]: Lecky, W.E., History of European Morals, vol.II (New York, 1926), p.61, as quoted by Will Durant, op. cit., vol. IV, p.77. [^3]: Clarke, Rev.

W.K.L., The Concise Bible Commentary (London: S.P.C.K., 1952), p.976. [^4]: Leeder, S.S., Veiled Mysteries of Egypt (London, 1912), p.332. Previous…