Volume 5, Issue II Journal of Islamic Thought and Civilization Fall 2015 46 Bernard Lewis on Slavery in Islam (An Analytical Study) Hanna Kalbi Department of Islamic Thought and Civilization, UMT Abstract This article discusses the status of slaves in Islam and analyses the views of Bernard Lewis on this subject. It discusses who and when can one be taken as slave. How the captives of war had been treated during the life of prophet of Islam Muhammad (SAW). Does Qur’an actually support slavery? Why in the Islamic state slaves were subject to some of legal disabilities. What measures Islam has taken to demolish slavery. How Muslims are required to treat their slaves, from the burden of work to calling them. Verses of The Bible, The Qur’an and sayings of Muhammad (SAW) are comparatively studied. Key words: Slavery, Islam, Middle East, Qur’an, Bible Introduction In his sixty years of career, Bernard Lewis emerged as the most celebrated and influential Oriental Scholar of America. His work on Islamic History is the cause of it being known to the European and American world. He has conveyed knowledge about the pre-modern and modern Muslim world. Lewis has played a great role in formation of contemporary Middle Eastern history. His studies of rebellious Muslim sects, slaves, and Jews in Muslim societies broke new ground by expanding the scope of history beyond the palace and the mosque. It is crucial to study and analyze Bernard Lewis for he is one of the most highly regarded Western scholars. His advice and thoughts on the region’s current events are sought by the most senior current and former members of the U.S. government. Though Lewis is a great scholar of Islamic, Middle Eastern and Ottoman History, there are some areas which need to be critically analyzed. His views on, practice of Slavery in the Middle East are selected to be discussed in this article. This article with analyze whether slavery was a purely Middle Eastern cultural practice or if it is supported by the religion of Islam.