How were enslaved girls usually dressed in Arabia in early Islamic societies?

Question

After enslaved girls were purchased by their owners and brought to the owners' Islamic hometowns, was it acceptable for these girls to be topless in public?

Abdullah Sameer quotes Sheikh Hamza Yusuf's speech in which he said this was indeed the case:

Sheikh Hamza Yusuf says,

In an Islamic system in Medina there were women walking around bare breasted, and that is a fact, that is a historical fact and you can read it and look it up in the books.** Umar did not allow the ima (slave girl) to wear the hijab.
Source: Video on Youtube at 1min 16seconds

I found a couple of sources which briefly mention the presence of topless slave women in public spaces in cities. The following is stated by this resource:

And the practice of the slave-women going around bare-breasted, although it was common, was however strongly disapproved of by the 'ulama. Read this quote from "Kitab al-Jami'" of al-Imam Ibn Abi Zayd al-Qayrawani al-Maliki (died 386 AH):

"He (i.e. al-Imam Malik ibn Anas) strongly disapproved of the behaviour of the slave women of al-Madinah in going out uncovered above the lower garment. He said: "I have spoken to the sultan about it, but I have not received a reply." He said: "Beat slave women if they do that."

The following has been stated on this web page:

Anas bin Malik said: "The slave-girls of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) were serving us with uncovered hair, their breasts (were) shaking [their hair hits (reaches) their breasts (in length)]."

This leads one to believe it was not taboo for slave girls to be topless even in the presence of men who were strangers to them (i.e. not their owners).

This web page also states that slave women used to be topless in public in some Islamic societies:

Jurists in the following centuries allowed Muslim slave women to pray without a head covering, and walk topless in public.

The information above, though useful, lacks thoroughness and confirmation by additional historical sources.

Are there more detailed accounts of how slave women were dressed in early Islamic societies?

Answer 1

Well not really. As you yourself say direct original sources from the era are a bit lacking. There are however a few things we can consider.

It's a common misconception that Islam is averted to nudity. This isn't strictly true. The covering is more a legal prescript like we have in our own societies applicable to Muslim women. It is not applicable to non-Muslims especially if they are slaves.

An uncommon fact is that the trans Saharan slave trade involved a lot of slaves being sold to Muslim Arabs. While the majority were Africans there were also a substantial number of captured European women. Depictions from the era show white and black women paraded naked at the market to be sold. It isn't a stretch that slaves who traditionally were bare chested would continue to be. Some of the depictions also suggest that it was preferred by some for white women slaves to always be fully naked.

I'm sorry I know you're looking for some authoritative sources on the subject but there doesn't appear to be any as detailed history on such things from the era are lacking. Think about it like this, if it's something that was common to era it's unlikely to be widely reported on during the era. I do think however that there's enough literature on the subject to conclude it's true even if some people today would object to such assertions.

Answer 2

Sura noor verse 31 mentioned that the minimum requirement is to cover the genitalia and breasts. Where there are no chances of sin, then coverings are not required. The Quran gives everything in detail and if the detail is not there then the details should not be invented, for example that it is possible that women who are not wives or girls of prominent figure may wear minimalist clothes or even be topless.