The document summarizes Islam's position on slavery by making three key points: 1) When the Quran was revealed, slavery was a widespread practice, so it took a gradual psychological approach of emphasizing human dignity and equality to encourage freeing slaves, rather than an immediate ban that could cause economic issues. 2) The Quran lists freeing slaves as a penalty for misdemeanors and implies it as a type of charity, showing its preference for abolishing slavery. 3) Prisoners of war could only be kept temporarily until ransomed or released, prohibiting permanent enslavement - all of which was meant to gradually reduce and eventually abolish slavery.

1. SIMPLE TRUTH ISLAM
PRESENTS

3. Some think that when Muslims conquered territory,
slaves were often taken or that slavery is allowed in
Islam.
When the Quran was revealed, slavery was in wide
practice throughout the Arab World, thus, it would
have been impractical and detrimental to place an
immediate ban on the slave trade, forcing all slaves
into unemployment/poverty. The Quran uses a better
psychological approach to win people’s hearts in the
struggle against slavery and all forms of discrimination
by placing a strong emphasis on human dignity
and equality and encouraging the freeing of slaves:

4. Did we not show him the two paths? He should
choose the difficult path. Which one is the difficult
path? The freeing of slaves. Feeding, during the
time of hardship... [90:10-14]
Righteousness is not turning your faces towards
the east or the west. Righteous are those who
believe in God, the Last Day, the angels, the
scripture, and the prophets; and they give the
money, cheerfully, to the relatives, the orphans,
the needy, the traveller, the beggars, and to free
the slaves... [2:177]

5. The Quran lists the penalty for various
misdemeanours as freeing of slaves, see 4:92, 5:89,
58:3. It also implies distribution of
community/collective charities would contribute
towards freeing of slaves:
The charities are to go to the poor, and the needy,
and those who work to collect them, and those
whose hearts have been united, and to free the
slaves, and those in debt, and in the cause of God,
and the traveller. A duty from God, and God is
Knowledgeable, Wise. [9:60]

6. The only method mentioned in The Quran for gaining
captives (more correctly termed 'prisoners of war',
not slaves) is during warfare, after which they must be
released or ransomed. Keeping them is not an option:
Therefore, if you encounter those who deny the truth (in
warfare), then bring about the captives until when you
have subdued/overcome them, then strengthen the
bind. Then after either grace/favour or ransom, until the
war lays down its burdens. That, and had God willed,
surely He would have gained victory Himself from them,
but He tests some of you with others. And those who
get killed in the cause of God, He will never let their
deeds be put to waste. [47:4]

7. Interestingly, in the above verse, it implies
a preference for taking captives rather than
killing the enemy in warfare.
As can clearly be seen, taking all of the
above verses of The Quran into account, it
would lead to a gradual reduction in slave
numbers and eventually abolish slavery.