Black Excellence and the Curse of Ham: Debating Race and Slavery in the Islamic Tradition
2019
The Curse of Ham narrative claims that Ham (the son of Noah) and his progeny were
cursed by God with “blackness and slavery.” While the story can be located within
Islamic literature, the tradition was refuted by numerous scholars for various reasons.
Firstly, the story is not found within the Quranic text. Secondly, it was generally
accepted that slavery was not linked to color but was a substitute for execution following
defeat in warfare. Most importantly, scholars refuted the idea that blackness could
be considered a curse due to a number of early Muslim heroes being described as black.
This paper explores the debates and discourses surrounding blackness and the story
of Ham.
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