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Degradation Of Slave Women In Islam
Asalamoalikum
Apologies for a Long Thread, but this is a topic that I want to get off my chest.
I would like to inform that I have no proper sources to back up my statements, because this knowledge came from either other scholars, or lectures off the internet without source, and hearing them honestly felt like a mistake. I just want to get these thoughts off my chest, as other people I spoke to about this matter either shut me up, or made my misconceptions even worse.
My main questions are surrounded by stars **, but I do have my own current knowledge written as well. I would also like to tell you that I had tried my best to find the sources to the hadiths linked to these misconceptions, to no avail.
I’m also sorry If I write anything disrespectful or incorrect. I just have difficulty with this matter.
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We frequently hear about Islam giving women utmost respect and honour. How they should not be looked at lustfully, how they have rights to education, property, etc. How they are the blessings of their parents, and the likes.
The statements above seem to be FALSE, when it comes to Slave Women/ POW Women, for the very sane reason of ” Just Because “, it appears! This discrimination is even applied towards Muslim Female Slaves!
1) Modesty and Hayah
For ” Free ” Women, Men would rather pluck their eyes out, than look at a Muslim Women or Any Women who is Not Dressed Modestly( Covering their hair, or chest or awrah )
But for the Female Slaves/ ammahs? For some reason, when these poor women lose their house, it gives the non mehram male ” masters ” an excuse to look at these Slaves bodies unmodestly covered, because they apparently become ” mehram ” upon captivity? **How does one become mehram upon captivity?**
**When did a woman losing their home become a criteria or an excuse for men look at a slave woman’ s body immodestly covered?**
How does a woman losing her home/ being a captive= her loss of rights to hayah and modesty, and turn her into a lollipop?
**What happened to Quran 24:30, telling men to lower thier gazes from non mehram women? This is just straight up hypocrisy!**
**How does a ammah losing her home give muslim men the legitimate excuse to look at her body before/ without marriage?**
Imagine a Muslim slave women going through this treatment. First, no man dared to look at her face, let alone her body. And now, just because she is a POW, this gives men a stupid excuse to look at her body without marrying her!
2)Excusable Zina
It seems that only Free Women are given the honour of remaining chaste until marriage.
We say that Islam eliminated the prostitution rings that masters set their female slaves into.
Yet we allow a master to endulge in sexual relation with his female slaves, without the need for marriage?
**Do these poor women become aliens upon captivity, that the concept of Zina, Mehram and Non Mehram does not apply to them?**
What about a Muslim Slave Woman? Wouldn’t she be so confused? Seeing that she was untouchable before captivity, and then afterwards being unlawfully pursued by her master withiut marriage?
It is so hypocritical, that first us muslims preach that ” if you have sex before marriage, you are going to get whipped/ stoned, and be a shame for your family! ” and then turn around, and with a straight face go ” oh muslim men can have sex with female slaves WITHOUT marriage!” Even scholars say this statement!
**Does Islam not think of marriage as important? Then what is this hypocritical practice that is allowed?**
**How does a woman being a SLAVE allow non mehram muslim slave owners to have sex with them without committment of marriage?**
There is even a narration ( this is supposedly authentic. The person whom i heard this from did not give a source, therefore I cant even look for it to make sure its true or false.) where a Sahabi comes to the prophet PBUH ( or Umar RA, or Abu Bakr RA, not so sure ) and he goes ” I have a slave woman who works for me. One day, I just decided to have sex with her, and now I’m scared that she’s pregnant ” and to this the prophet PBUH had responded, that what ever happens would happen. Turns out, the slave women did become pregnant.
The problem that I have, is that this Sahaabi has the EXACT same attitude of a present day promiscuous man who has a ONE NIGHT STAND with a none mehram women in today’s time, which we declare HARAAM!
this Sahaabi DEGRADED this women into being his property and work mule, and then thought, ” oh! She’s right here! And I’m feeling very aroused, So let me just have sex with her real quick, and everything will go back to normal ” and just had sex with her. Then got SCARED because he didn’t want to take RESPONSIBILITY for his actions?! Astagfirrulah!
There was no mention of this Sahaabi making a milkul yameen contract with the slave women, which insinuates that masters did not need to make commitment of marriage with their female slaves before having sex with them. So they committed ZINA and got away with it, astagfirrulah.
Not to mention this was a slave woman the man bought as a WORKER. he thought of her as a WORKER, someone he had a business agreement with, no other affiliation with her, until the one time he felt aroused, and forgot that she was his WORKER, not a SPOUSE! He USED her body for pleasure, whilst still calling her his WORKER! This mean he did NOT value her at all! He USED her for SEXUAL PLEASURE, when he wasnt even married to her!
This Sahabi didn’t even face any consequences, such as being STONED! Our Prophet just calmly said ” oh what ever happens will happen ” without acknowledging the fact that his comapnion committed ZINA!
3) Limbo Between Marriage and Non Marriage
**For some ridiculous reason, we have this maritial contract called milkul yameen for slave women, yet REFUSE to call it a marriage?**
Seriously, most people tell me it is ” LIKE ” a marriage, which I respond with ” what do you mean LIKE a marriage? Either they were MARRIED or NOT. If it was the latter, wouldn’t that be ZINA? ”
First, we spend our whole life learning that in Islam, we only have LEGITIMATE husband and wife relationships, as other types are haraam. And now we are hearing that the formal doesnt even matter, as we can also have ” LIKE ” relationships, even though earlier we discussed that those are HARAAM.
People, including scholars proudly and sanely state ” their relationship is LIKE a husband and wife ” to which I lose my head upon hearing, as In the past we all learn that ” like ” relations are haraam!
You know what is ” like ” a marriage? You know what is ” like ” a husband and wife relationship? Boyfriend and Girlfriend relationship! Couples who are not married relationship! A ZINA filled relationship!
Yet we think this disgraceful relationship is excusable with Slave Women?
**People think Slave women do not desire to get married? To be seen as a legitiamate spouse? To be seen as WIVES?**
**Is this practice really legitimate? Having maritial relations with a slave women, then NOT even considering it a MARRIAGE, nor claiming her as your WIFE?**
Again, Imagine a Muslim Slave Women getting so confused by this concept, as all her life she knew about the legitmate contract of a marriage, not some ridiculous limbo where she doesn’t even know if she’s his wife! Woudn’t she feel distressed, knowing that her ” partner ” will actively engage in maritial activites with her, yet refuses to call her his WIFE?
4) Disgusting Title Thrown Upon Slave Women
” Right hand posess “. Thats right. The POOR women, whom this man is able to have sex with, and children with, is OWNED by the very man whom is using her body!
**Why this disgusting title? How do you posess a woman whom you have maritial relations with?**
Do you POSESS/ OWN a WIFE? no! Then why is posessing this OTHER maritial partner allowed?
This literally makes me sick.
**a man is able to have sexual relations with his PROPERTY? Someone he OWNS? Someone he has ” right hand posession ” over?**
**We preach that ” women are not your property! ” yet here we are, also saying we can have sexual relations with ” RIGHT HAND POSESS “? That is so contradictive!**
5) Children: quota instead of happiness
For some reason, a man can use a slave woman for all his sexual desires. But if she asks for share in inheritence? She gets NONE, because they didnt have a child together?
**WHY does this slave woman does not get inheritance, if she does not give birth to her master’s child?**
Does she not have to submit to him? Does she not have to obey his orders? Does he not have sexual acess to her body?
Yet still, for her, a child is a quota she has to fill, instead if a happiness that comes naturally?
**What makes this slave woman, whom this man can have sex with, unworthy of Inheritance, if she does not bear his child?**
She is a maritial partner, not a sex toy, that she is able to be used, but not be given ANYTHING in return!
Do we do this with a WIFE? No! For some reason SHE has EVERY right to both mehr AND inheritance, even if she doesnt bear her husband’s child!
How about we take away a WIFE’s right to inheritance until SHE bears her husbands child, just like we do to poor slave women!
**And why is it that a SLAVE WOMEN had to bear a child in order to gain legitimate honour?**
Was their relationship thought of as a messed up business exchange, instead of a martial relationship?
**Before she becomes an ” Ummul Waleed ” she can be used for pleasure without inheritance, given LESS freedom than WIVES for absolutely NO REASON. But somehow having a BABY is her key to gaining honour?**
**So slave women were the real baby makers?**
And of course like always, WIVES were given automatic honour on a silver pretty platter, without doing ANYTHING to deserve that respect or freedom! They did NOT have to bear children to gain acess to inheritance, and get automatic respect! For what reason is this?
6) Second Class Women, for NO reason!
**What was the legitimate reason that slave women were considered SECOND CLASS?**
What sin did they commit, that when they become POW, they become second class?
Its disgusting, because they are still second class, even whilst doing their master sexual favours! Thats how degraded slave women are?
**What makes FREE women deserving of being FIRST CLASS women? What effort did they put in, to gain this honour and respect?**
Its insideous, because due to slave women being second class, they were subjected to so many disgusting practices!
If i remember correctly from one if your threads ( please correct me if I am wrong. I tried looking up the thread, but the number slipped from my mind. ), until the events of the Battle of Badr, our OWN drunken muslim men would have their SLAVE WOMEN put on LEWD dance performances for their perverted amusement.
What if it was their WIVES up there to perform like that in front of everyone? Why didn’t they put their WIVES up there to do these disgraceful actions? it would THEN be a problem? But its ok for slave women to be degraded this way?
What we SPIT upon TODAY, actions like night clubs/ strip clubs where women are degraded to shameless dancing, we were OK with SLAVE WOMEN doing back then! Then whats the point of us shaming what happens nowadays?
Its ALWAYS the SLAVE WOMEN that were DEGRADED, as if they were not WORTHY of respect! It was never FREE WOMEN that were degraded this way, because we thought that FREEDOM was the key to honour and respect, not our IMAN!
A slave woman could be even CLOSER to Allah SWT, than a spoiled free woman, who thinks she is deserving of honour for doing nothing but being free! why do we do this?
Its always FREE WOMEN who are basically handed their honour on a piece of gold platter, while a SLAVE WOMEN can’t be given honour unless she PAYS for it, or fulfils a QUOTA!
It literally upsets me, that i am ENTITLED to respect, just for being a FREE WOMAN, even though I never done ANYTHING to deserve it, when there could be/ could have been POW muslimah( s ) out there who are treated like absolute GARBAGE, that could have even higher iman than I do!
**Tell me, what is really the issue? Are we ONLY trying to respect the honour of FREE women? Do we think that only FREE WOMEN deserve to have their honour protected? Or do Slave women just NOT matter to us?**
Are we forgetting that SLAVE WOMEN were human beings with emotions?
I really hope you can perhaps help me with this matter, as I don’t have answers to this. Again apologies if I have written anything of offense.
JazakAllah Khair.
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24 Replies
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Degradation Of Slave Women In Islam
updated 2 years, 9 months ago
7 Members
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24
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Wow sister you r really angry, do not blame you at all. Any 21st century woman will react the same way
There r few assumptions though on your part
1. You r examining the women’s status of 1400 hundred yrs ago to the standards of today.
2. You also assume that the whole religion of Islam along with its moral standards was implemented at 1 single point in history. It wasn’t, it was a very gradual process. It’s not useful to take events before Hijra for example to moral sanctions revealed in Medina or later established by Khulafa e rashidon
3. Muslims couldn’t, by law, make other Muslims slave, men or women. Slave had to non-Muslim POW
4. The true nature of a revolution can be understood by examining the time period of revolution. Today we don’t regard bicycle any revolution but it changed course of history at one time. Similarly, if want to understand Islamic status given to women, u have to go back and see how women were treated at that time. For e.g. common Roman women were considered honorable after 3 children and preferably male. Noble women enjoyed lot more rights like owning property or guardianship of children after husband’s death etc.
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Islam closed all the doors for slavery. At this time there is no room according to the sharia for holding anyone as a slave or a concubine. For details, please see:
Secondly, slaves and concubines already had lost their freedom not in just sexual matters, but in other domains of life as well. Therefore, Islam adopted a gradual approach in eradicating the menace of slavery, while making sure that this didn’t lead to extreme societal reaction because slavery was the backbone of Arab’s economy at that time. Hence, certain norms related to slavery were kept for the time being for the current slaves, while doors for new slaves were closed, until the current slaves also found a way to stand on their feet.
Please refer to the following responses by Ghamidi Sahab specifically addressing your questions:
Discussion 38222 • Reply 38273
Discussion 38222 • Reply 38274
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(P.S. Please keep your questions brief and post them in an objective manner in accordance with ‘AskGhamidi Code of Conduct‘ so that more appropriate responses can be shared with you:
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Mr Qureshi , the essence of some questions demand some elaboration. Furthermore, sometimes there are sub questions to a central question( like this one for instance) which can only be asked within the context of that central question. So the advice that one should ask only one question or that one should keep it brief is a bit unfair in my opinion.
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Questions still need be concise and precise. There’s no restriction on the number of individual questions one can post or the number of times one has to post counter questions on the same thread for clarification. Ask Ghamidi is a Q&A platform that centers around education and this is the best approach for people to learn by having their questions answered in an objective manner.
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@Umer Qureshi
Im sorry but this worries me even more.
” Secondly, slaves and concubines already had lost their freedom not in just sexual matters, but in other domains of life as well.” For what reason? What made us free Muslims think that slaves deserved this freedom to be taken away? Who gave us the RIGHT? Did Allah SWT say so?
” Therefore, Islam adopted a gradual approach in eradicating the menace of slavery, while making sure that this didn’t lead to extreme societal reaction because slavery was the backbone of Arab’s economy at that time.” This sounds downright barbaric to me. ” Islam got rid of slaves! NO who’s gonna do my dirty work for me? ” then what did Muslims do back then? Didn’t they do their own hard work? And if slavery was menacing, why not eradicate it completely? Instead if making the slave wait unnecessarily for their ” freedom “
And this gives us no right to take away the curtain of modesty and honour Allah gave to women.
We really think slave women were LESS the women than FREE women?
It’s as if we thrown ALL the divinity regarding the treatment of women OUT the WINDOW.
This sounds crazy, but explain this to me as if I AM as slave women. Tell me why I would have my rights to hayah stripped away just for BEING a slave. Tell me why my master would get to have kids with me WITHOUT the need for MARRIAGE. Tell me why I would lose my rights to a proper marriage. tell me why my worth would be less than that of a FREE women.
I promise I’m not trying to being witty or act smart with you . I am just so confused, and some responses did not help my case. I just want these questions out of my head.
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Hats off to you Fariah for asking a daring question that’s on the minds of every person, especially women ( both Muslim and non Muslim). I agree with you 100% that scholars are unable to satisfy us on this. No amount of explanation satisfies our quest. “What your right hand possess ” has bothered me way more than the suppression and oppression of “free women” in Islam in the name of Islam! When it comes to free women as wives you will notice that even very progssive and enlightened scholars of the present times stress that the Quranic verses on family structure (that were based on the then primitive, male dominated, patriarchal and misogynist culture) are still applicable in these very evolved times!!! Beats me!!!!
However, about “what your right hand possesses” they will suddenly find the popular narrative that “this situation belongs to the ancient history and that now that our cultures have evolved the situation doesn’t hold true!!” These polar opposite arguments for the two situations for the same ancient era baffles me!!
Regardless, your argument that the situation was so monumentally humiliating for slave women is so legitimate. It was such an exploitation of women! However, I will take your argument further and add that it was only slightly less humiliating and offensive for free married women . Imagine one’s husband sleeping with as many other women as he can afford!!!! Isn’t it massively insulting and hurtful for that wife? What voice do you think these “free women” had??? None!!!
At the one end Quran instructs women to not take men to bed (other than her husband) but at the other end allows men to take as men women to bed as their pockets permit (ofcourse 4 if wives and unlimited if slaves girls) with total disregard to the feelings of the wife. Isn’t this double standards? I have always wondered why men’s egos and feelings are given humongous importance in Islam while women’s are regarded as insignificant. And free women , by the way, were only as free as their “master” husbands and scholars allowed.
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@Rukhsana Akbar
I am so glad that someone feels my pain. I’m sick of hearing about people saying ” women don’t have rights in Islam ” wait till they hear about the slave women, who were treated like GARBAGE in comparison to free women!
I kinda disagree with the stand on the Wife’s a emotion in this scenario. Yes, she might feel ashamed that her husband is sleeping around with as many women as he can, but look at it from the slave women’s perspective. She’s being BOUGHT, LOOKED AT without marriage, then CONSUMATED without marriage. Whilst the wife has every right to hayah, inheritance without having kids, and elevated status, for NO REASON.
I am honestly awaiting the day someone can give me a good explanation as to WHY we discriminate against female slaves, especially since many were Muslim Slave Women. What makes us think that FREE women deserved more respect, honour, and hayah, and the Slave Women deserved NONE?
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There are several misconceptions in this response, but since it’s not directly related to the main topic of this thread, I suggest that you create another post with your question regarding intimate relationships between men and women in Islam.
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How does one become mehram upon captivity?**This is how slaves were treated till 18-19th century. This wasn’t unique to female slaves but male slaves were also used for sex by their female masters. Examples r rare in Islamic history but u can find lot of examples in European history. Women often used slaves for sexual pleasure. Islam didn’t abolished it but regulated it, made freeing slaves as a means to earn reward or to pay Kaffara for sins, slaves could contract with their masters to earn their freedom, islam made it mandatory to accept such contracts, giving birth was also a way to earn freedom.
**When did a woman losing their home become a criteria or an excuse for men look at a slave woman’ s body immodestly covered?**Same was true for men, slaves could be examined for health, puberty, sexually transmitted diseases, previous ownership etc. both sexes were taken as property and treated as such.**What happened to Quran 24:30, telling men to lower thier gazes from non mehram women? This is just straight up hypocrisy!**
**How does a ammah losing her home give muslim men the legitimate excuse to look at her body before/ without marriage?**
24:30 was relevant to free women and not A WOMAN. the sex isn’t the issue in the ayah but status of a woman. The sequence of the Sarah 24 attest to that. As I mentioned, slaves were taken as object/property. The concept of human or humanity isn’t even 300 yrs old, can’t use it for ideas held more than 1000 yrs ago
No Muslim women could be taken as slave either as POW or bought from slave market. Non Muslims in a Muslim state were also immune from slavery. Historically, Muslims took much less slaves after wars, main supply was via trade/markets
**Do these poor women become aliens upon captivity, that the concept of Zina, Mehram and Non Mehram does not apply to them?**
Yes it did but not between masters and slaves but among slaves. 1 slave couldn’t rape another slave girl same goes for murder, theft etc
**Does Islam not think of marriage as important? Then what is this hypocritical practice that is allowed?**
**How does a woman being a SLAVE allow non mehram muslim slave owners to have sex with them without committment of marriage?**
Not hypocrisy but norm of the age. Would u consider 1 woman have 3-4 husbands? Yet it happened in India following footsteps of gods in Mahabharata. Still communities in Nepal practice it, all brothers share 1 wife. How can 1 woman love 3-4 husbands, don’t they get jealous, it’s forced sex every night etc etc. but the community who practice it find it ok. What we believe is correct, rational, honorable is only relevant to us and our time and that’s the fact.
Muslim salve owner was told to marry off his/her slaves. Once married, master couldn’t use them for sex.
**People think Slave women do not desire to get married? To be seen as a legitiamate spouse? To be seen as WIVES?**
**Is this practice really legitimate? Having maritial relations with a slave women, then NOT even considering it a MARRIAGE, nor claiming her as your WIFE?**
Probably they did desire but they were slaves so their desire didn’t matter. There r reports that when slave women’s tribe accepted Islam , Muhammad SAW asked them and all except 1 went back to their families and husbands
Having sex doesn’t make someone a wife or a husband. Taking someone openly as a wife or husband allows u to have sex with them. Husband wife will be regarded married regardless if they consummated the marriage or not. That’s only your belief that sex make a woman wife, it doesn’t, never have and never will. Find any religion or government system that use sex as a cut off point to be someone’s wife or husband, there’s none.
What we SPIT upon TODAY, actions like night clubs/ strip clubs where women are degraded to shameless dancing, we were OK with SLAVE WOMEN doing back then! Then whats the point of us shaming what happens nowadays?
Islam prohibited masters to use slave girls as prostitues so above doesn’t apply.
Once pregnant with master’s child, slave women given same rights as a pregnant wife. Children weren’t considered slaves but as free men and women. An ‘object’ is given a status of a human! This is what islam did. This was truly revolutionary unlike any other system that existed in the world before or after Islam. Take Hindu caste system, Greek slavery laws or more recent American and English subjugation of africans.
All your criticism is through the narrow prism of 20-21st century ideas that belong to modern countries. That doesn’t make them true or universal. Slavery still exist today and everywhere. Your other mistake is over inflated importance of sex. There nothing sacred about sex. It’s an animalistic behavior with immense power to dictate human actions so Allah regulated it and attached it with accepting responsibilities.
Lastly, I would recommend reading few books to understand slavery and how it exist today. AtLeast read the 1 & 4
1. Sex trafficking SIDDARTH KARA
2. Modern Slavery S KARA
3. Slave next door KEVIN BALES
4. Disposable people K BALES
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@Faraz Siddiqui I would like to pose some questions, to your responses. Please don’t mind the bolded words, as I’m just trying to emphasize words. I don’t intend to yell at you, I just have so many questions. what you informed me about:
**How does a ammah losing her home give muslim men the legitimate excuse to look at her body before/ without marriage?**
You said ” 24:30 was relevant to free women and not A WOMAN. the sex isn’t the issue in the ayah but status of a woman ”
for what reason? Does she lose her status of hayat as a women just by being a slave? Does she not have the same anatomy, the same role given to her by Allah SWT? Then why this unreasonable removal of modesty from a slave women? Basically this just comes across as ” this ayat does not refer to slave women just because “
and **Do these poor women become aliens upon captivity, that the concept of Zina, Mehram and Non Mehram does not apply to them?**
You had said ” Islam didn’t abolished it but regulated it, made freeing slaves as a means to earn reward or to pay Kaffara for sins, slaves could contract with their masters to earn their freedom, islam made it mandatory to accept such contracts, giving birth was also a way to earn freedom.
So basically, for female slaves to be free, they had to PROSTITUTE THEMESLVES towards their MASTERS? They had to GIVE THEIR BODIES to their masters in order to be free? Then I don’t know what kind of prostitution we abolished, if it was still prominent among slave masters and slaves. And what if the slave woman is barren? She just remains this personal prostitue for life?
And
**Is this practice really legitimate? Having maritial relations with a slave women, then NOT even considering it a MARRIAGE, nor claiming her as your WIFE?**
You had said ” Probably they did desire but they were slaves so their desire didn’t matter.” This really alarms me. because slaves were slaves, their opinions, and desires did not matter? Put yourself in their shoes for one second, would your opinion remain the same?
And it disturbs me that she’s considered a sexual PROPERTY. That’s right! A property with hands, feet, speech, that can be used as a toy, right? I don’t believe this concept, I just want someone to give me a SANE reason why a slave women was considered PROPERTY, even whilst doing her master sexual favours
Also, why and what makes us think that SLAVES WOMEN deserved to be treated less than wives and free women?
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@Faraz Siddiqui I would like to pose some questions, to your responses. Please don’t mind the bolded words, as I’m just trying to emphasize words. I don’t intend to yell at you, I just have so many questions. what you informed me about:
**How does a ammah losing her home give muslim men the legitimate excuse to look at her body before/ without marriage?**
You said ” 24:30 was relevant to free women and not A WOMAN. the sex isn’t the issue in the ayah but status of a woman ”
for what reason? Does she lose her status of hayat as a women just by being a slave? Does she not have the same anatomy, the same role given to her by Allah SWT? Then why this unreasonable removal of modesty from a slave women? Basically this just comes across as ” this ayat does not refer to slave women just because “
and **Do these poor women become aliens upon captivity, that the concept of Zina, Mehram and Non Mehram does not apply to them?**
You had said ” Islam didn’t abolished it but regulated it, made freeing slaves as a means to earn reward or to pay Kaffara for sins, slaves could contract with their masters to earn their freedom, islam made it mandatory to accept such contracts, giving birth was also a way to earn freedom.
So basically, for female slaves to be free, they had to PROSTITUTE THEMESLVES towards their MASTERS? They had to GIVE THEIR BODIES to their masters in order to be free? Then I don’t know what kind of prostitution we abolished, if it was still prominent among slave masters and slaves. And what if the slave woman is barren? She just remains this personal prostitue for life?
And
**Is this practice really legitimate? Having maritial relations with a slave women, then NOT even considering it a MARRIAGE, nor claiming her as your WIFE?**
You had said ” Probably they did desire but they were slaves so their desire didn’t matter.” This really alarms me. because slaves were slaves, their opinions, and desires did not matter? Put yourself in their shoes for one second, would your opinion remain the same?
And it disturbs me that she’s considered a sexual PROPERTY. That’s right! A property with hands, feet, speech, that can be used as a toy, right? I don’t believe this concept, I just want someone to give me a SANE reason why a slave women was considered PROPERTY, even whilst doing her master sexual favours
Also, why and what makes us think that SLAVES WOMEN deserved to be treated less than wives and free women?
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Fariha you r very compassionate about status of women. This is good but why do you only look at it from the perspective of “rights of women” slavery wasn’t just for women but men too. So if its bad to use women for sexual pleasure it was equally worse for men to work to death everyday and discarded once injury or old age or die in the wars of their masters. It was a common practice for rich to send their male slaves to fight in their place!! Do u think it is LESS than using women slaves for sex??
You r constantly looking at it as if it was directed against women, absolutely not, it was against humans. Both men and women were used as objects for thousands of years. I am not saying that if it was for both then its ok, I am reminding you so u can think about it as a problem for humanity and not just abuse of women. Sex was part of being slave, man or woman. If women were subjected to forced sex, men were forced to fight and die. There’s no comparison of what’s worse, its equal degradation of one’s soul and freedom
Secondly, i want to ask you, what makes you think that whatever you believe about women’s right is universal or divine? As i said earlier, it’s NEITHER!! It’s 21st century idea of womanhood. Plz read A BAD BEGINNING AND PATH TO ISLAM by GAI EATON. He was an English revert, he wrote about his life in elite English society of 20th century, men used to have sexual relations outside of marriage and their wives accepted it as long as men do not marry them. Cheating was acceptable and labeled as something men do! Or what would you say about today’s time, infidelity is not considered a sole reason for divorce? Couples now can accept and move on.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/better-divorce/202202/is-marriage-doomed-after-affair
The acceptance of female infidelity in western world today would be mind boggling for a male 50-70 yrs ago or a male living in 3rd world country now. Ideas change with time and should be understood in the proper context of time
Fariah, the reason u r not finding answers and still dissatisfied because you r examining Islam against the your ideas of how a marriage should be, how sex is sacred and how women should be treated. They aren’t wrong but only relative to our time. Do not examine the Islamic history based on what we believe right now or educate yourself with history of humanity to have a birds eye view of human condition then see if islam brought new light or should it be considered divine.
Because if what u r saying is universally true then islam is an Arab religion and can not be divine!
for what reason? Does she lose her status of hayat as a women just by being a slave? Does she not have the same anatomy, the same role given to her by Allah SWT? Then why this unreasonable removal of modesty from a slave women?
Quran doesn’t say anything about slavery directly and accepted it as custom of the day. This is Allah’s way of implementing His Deen. Allah didn’t outright said to stop taking slaves because it was so prevalent through the world that suddenly stoping it would be unacceptable. Islam changed the “attitude” towards salvery and redefined the “culture” of treating slaves. It is similar to alcohol, only gradually stopped. Whatever was prevalent in Arabs alone was stopped immediately like taking adopted son their own, killing children esp females. Consider if revelation comes today as ask us to stop using internet altogether, what do u think most people would do? They’ll keep using internet because it make their lives much easier
Brother Saad wrote the step taken to regulate slavery, you can refer to his post
So basically, for female slaves to be free, they had to PROSTITUTE THEMESLVES towards their MASTERS? They had to GIVE THEIR BODIES to their masters in order to be free? Then I don’t know what kind of prostitution we abolished, if it was still prominent among slave masters and slaves. And what if the slave woman is barren? She just remains this personal prostitue for life?
It’s not prostitution. As i said earlier, slaves were treated as objects to be used. Men and women both had to give their bodies, give their life too if salves were male, for their masters. Women bodies aren’t sacred at all but human bodies r sacred. I do not know where u read/heard that women slaves can agree to have sex in order to be free. Absolutely not, they had to work and pay their masters the price of their freedom, same for men. However, if they go through burden of pregnancy then they can earn their freedom as well as their children’s freedom. Islam prohibited to use slaves as prostitutes or slaves to use prostitution to earn money to pay for their freedom.
And it disturbs me that she’s considered a sexual PROPERTY. That’s right! A property with hands, feet, speech, that can be used as a toy, right? I don’t believe this concept, I just want someone to give me a SANE reason why a slave women was considered PROPERTY, even whilst doing her master sexual favours
Also, why and what makes us think that SLAVES WOMEN deserved to be treated less than wives and free women?
Again, think of the institution of slavery and NOT female slavery alone. Humans were considered a property with hand feet hearts and tongues by other humans!! It’s totally insane but it’s “insane” only for 150-200 yrs. Human slavery was an acceptable attitude towards other humans for thousands of years. Why islam should answer it for you? You should answer it for yourself. You want an answer to satisfy slavery for you given your understanding of women’s rights, not possible. You have to understand the concept of human slavery in a universal perspective and then examine the role islam played to abolish it and see that due to islam, slaves earn their freedom easily. Slaves became scholars, statesmen, queens, generals, given status of sons and daughters, last 9 of Twelver Shia imams are from slave woman, scholars of highest caliber. Mamlooks or “freed slaves” were a dynasty lasting many yrs. Most powerful queen of Ottoman Empire was a slave girl. No human society comes close to this through out human history. Imagine the revolutionary idea of islam when Muhammad SAW said “ obey your commander even if he is a black slave” and the people ACCEPTED it. In the world where slavery is to them what’s cars and internet are to us, people accepted that their lowest of slaves can be their masters!! If this is not true revolution than i do not know what is.
Sexual slavery is NOT a thing of the past, again, read Siddarth Kara’s book “Sex Trafficking” you’ll know how women, unfortunately, r still being used as sex slaves. Read other books too if u want to understand Human Slavery in 21st century
If really want these question out of your head then read and research and expand your horizon
Lastly, no Muslim women could be taken as a slave. That’s the ruling and deen of Allah. Historically, it may have happened but thats not islam but Muslims following their desires and not Allah’s deen
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Asalamoalaikum
Thank you for you response. I learnt a lot of information, but I have some issues with certain statements that you write:
“Both men and women were used as objects for thousands of year’s”
Im looking for the perspective of ISLAM’s treatment of slavery. If THIS is what we ALSO did it means that we were NOT a religion of PEACE. we would not center our most SHAMEFUL sins upon a vulnerable group, even though those sins were forbidden with REASON. Also Islam seems to allow men to project their most PERVERTED desires on Slave women ALONE. women could not do vice verse with men.
“So if its bad to use women for sexual pleasure it was equally worse for men to work to death everyday and discarded once injury or old age or die in the wars of their masters”
You are comparing two completely DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT things, sir. You are comparing women being OBJECTIFIED to men LEAVING THE WORLD. That is not a good comparison, I’m sorry.
“Do u think it is LESS than using women slaves for sex??”
YES! I think dying without being USED for SEX it is LESS than women being WRONGFULLY OBJECTIFIED, something we forbid!
“As i said earlier, slaves were treated as objects to be used”
I really hope you are referring to Slavery BEFORE Islam, when you say this, because if it is treatment of slaves AFTER Islam was made then it means that Islam unjustly allows a vulnerable group of peoples to be used like a TOY!
“You should answer it for yourself. You want an answer to satisfy slavery for you given your understanding of women’s rights, not possible.”
Sir, I promise that’s not the case. My conflict with treatment of female slaves is ONLY based on his Islam initially commanded us to treat women. I am not including any modern day laws or rules or anything.
“Lastly, no Muslim women could be taken as a slave.”
Im sorry I’ll have to disagree here. Muslim women WERE taken as female slaves. A moderator even sent me a snippet that goes “However, such people were told that if they did not have the means to marry free-women, they could marry, with the permission of their masters, slave-women who were Muslims and were also kept chaste.” From Mushafiq Sultan
JazakAllah For Your Insight. I found some information very knowledgable.
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W Salam
I am happy u found some useful information but sorry that u still have doubts
Yes, islam treated slavery by giving slaves right to be treated as human, be able to get paid for their services, earn their freedom, making their children born as “free men and women” attained a higher status as a mother of their master’s children. Making masters equal in terms of humanity! This is Islamic revolution of slavery, in order to understand the depth of this revolution, u have to know what slavery was before islam. You can not see the light without appreciating the darkness first
I hate repeating myself but you are constantly looking at women and their status from 21st century perspective. All about honor, difference between free and slave women etc etc. Ask yourself when did these ideas came about? You r talking about women’s worth? How old is that worth? Do u know it took thousands of years for humanity to realize then women feel sexual pleasure and pain! It was believed that women neither desire nor enjoy sex. Now you think sex is so sacred, its not and never was. Islam came and gave etiquettes of going to women in bed, free and slave women.
I also do not understand your insistence that free women and slave women have same rights. It’s similar to compare rights of free and incarcerated people. Do they have similar rights in 21st century?? Absolutely not and no civil society would agree to it so what make u think that slave women should’ve been treated as free women?
You have hard time understanding slavery, as i explained slaves were “objects” to enjoy, use and discard. No matter how u and I don’t like it, that is how it was and nothing gonna change it and nothing gonna explain it because thats how people thought of slaves. It’s unimaginable now that how islam allowed it and its perfectly sensible for “us” to say it should’ve been abolished straightaway. But think as a person living 1400 yrs ago, his/her relatives or tribe people have been taken as slaves in war and now he/she is told that slavery isn’t allowed. How do u think he/she would react? Do you expect him/her to understand that oh yes slavery is so bad etc etc?
Change never comes from above but from within, look at the history of communisms, Stalin tried implementing it by force, killed thousands but people didn’t accept it. Or when Syed Ahmad shaheed implemented shariah law on Muslims he freed from the oppression of sikh rule, what happened? Muslims revolted against their savior and had him killed. Lasting change comes with gradually educating and slowly changing behavior. As i said, islam gave slaves status of a “human” and with in 20-30 yrs, attitude towards slavery changed.
Wow! I don’t think you will find any supporter when u say, death is less than being used for sex. These r your ideas alone. Where does it say in the quran or bible or any human right charter of UNO or any feminist organization?? I am sure the slave women would’ve preferred being used for sex than to die. I was trying to show you that salves, men and women, were treated the same, as objects.
Islam asked us to treat women with respect, love and care. This applied to slave women too with respect to their social status and thats perfectly reasonable. You mentioned, men were allowed to this or that to slave women, where did u get that?? Nothing was allowed except regular and normal sexual behavior. The perversions weren’t allowed, sex during menstruation wasn’t allowed, prostitution wasn’t allowed. Men were asked go to their slave women just like they do to their wives. If u say slave women couldn’t say NO, thats true. Men were told to be considerate of women’s feelings and forbidden to force themselves onto women regardless if they r free or not. What else do u want??
Lastly, u have to understand the institution of slavery first. Not slavery in Arabia but slavery in history. Your questions about how can slaves be taken just because they lost the war etc, will be answered. Islam doesn’t have to answer cuz it was not limited to Arabia but the world. Islam came and gave due rights to salve, men and women.
Islam gave honor to women, free women as well as salve women. Your insistence that they should be given exactly equal rights is beyond me. How can u justify that? Forget quran for a minute, which country allows it? What logical or philosophical reasons u have that they should be treated same? Would u treat free and incarcerated people same? Would u fight to exact same rights for prisoners as well?? Islam gave basic human rights to slaves and way more than that, unheard and unmatched historically. I already gave u examples of that.
Fariah, all your questions r the same that u started this thread with. I would urge u to first read the history of slavery in the world and then read about treatment of slavery in islam. Insha Allah your questions will be answered. I know that you think what r u feeling and thinking is so reasonable and logical but remember, our reason depends upon our knowledge. Reason without knowledge is always misguided. Historical questions should be answered in there historical perspective just like scientific questions r answered with science.
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I forgot to mention 1 thing
I do not disagree that Muslim women were taken as slaves. I told u what Islam said, what Muslim did is not the point of discussion
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@Rukhsana Akbar
I am so glad that someone feels my pain. I’m sick of hearing about people saying ” women don’t have rights in Islam ” wait till they hear about the slave women, who were treated like GARBAGE in comparison to free women!
I kinda disagree with the stand on the Wife’s a emotion in this scenario. Yes, she might feel ashamed that her husband is sleeping around with as many women as he can, but look at it from the slave women’s perspective. She’s being BOUGHT, LOOKED AT without marriage, then CONSUMATED without marriage. Whilst the wife has every right to hayah, inheritance without having kids, and elevated status, for NO REASON.
I am honestly awaiting the day someone can give me a good explanation as to WHY we discriminate against female slaves, especially since many were Muslim Slave Women. What makes us think that FREE women deserved more respect, honour, and hayah, and the Slave Women deserved NONE?
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@Umer Qureshi
Im sorry but this worries me even more.
” Secondly, slaves and concubines already had lost their freedom not in just sexual matters, but in other domains of life as well.” For what reason? What made us free Muslims think that slaves deserved this freedom to be taken away? Who gave us the RIGHT? Did Allah SWT say so?
” Therefore, Islam adopted a gradual approach in eradicating the menace of slavery, while making sure that this didn’t lead to extreme societal reaction because slavery was the backbone of Arab’s economy at that time.” This sounds downright barbaric to me. ” Islam got rid of slaves! NO who’s gonna do my dirty work for me? ” then what did Muslims do back then? Didn’t they do their own hard work? And if slavery was menacing, why not eradicate it completely? Instead if making the slave wait unnecessarily for their ” freedom “
And this gives us no right to take away the curtain of modesty and honour Allah gave to women.
We really think slave women were LESS the women than FREE women?
It’s as if we thrown ALL the divinity regarding the treatment of women OUT the WINDOW.
This sounds crazy, but explain this to me as if I AM as slave women. Tell me why I would have my rights to hayah stripped away just for BEING a slave. Tell me why my master would get to have kids with me WITHOUT the need for MARRIAGE. Tell me why I would lose my rights to a proper marriage. tell me why my worth would be less than that of a FREE women.
I promise I’m not trying to being witty or act smart with you . I am just so confused, and some responses did not help my case. I just want these questions out of my head.
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وَالَّذِينَ يَبْتَغُونَ الْكِتَابَ مِمَّا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ فَكَاتِبُوهُمْ إِنْ عَلِمْتُمْ فِيهِمْ خَيْرًا وَآتُوهُمْ مِنْ مَالِ اللَّهِ الَّذِي آتَاكُمْ (24 :33)
And if any of your slaves ask for mukatabat, give it to them if you know any good in them and [for this] give them out of the wealth which Allah has given to you. (24:33)
The above quoted verse of Surah Nur mentions the directive of mukatabat. At the time of the revelation of the Quran, the institution of slavery was as essential to the economic and social needs of the society as the institution of interest is considered in present day societies. In markets, slave-men and slave-women were bought and sold, and affluent houses had slave-men and slave-women of all ages. In such circumstances, a sudden directive for their emancipation would have resulted in many evils: for livelihood, men would have been forced to resort to beggary and women to prostitution. For this very reason, the Quran adopted a gradual way to eradicate this evil from the society and after many gradual measures of eradication, the above quoted verse revealed a directive for their liberation. The word “mukatabat” is used in it as a term. It means that a slave make a contract with his master according to which he would be required to pay a certain sum of money in a specific time period or would carry out a specific service for his master; once he successfully fulfils either of these two options, he would stand liberated. In the above quoted verse, the Almighty has directed the Muslims to necessarily accept this contract made by a slave if he wants to make it and has the required ability to become financially independent. It is further stated that a Muslim government should spend money from the public treasury, which here is called the treasury of God, in helping such slaves. It is evident from the words of the verse that just as this right of mukatabat was granted to slave-men, it was also granted to slave-women. This, in other words, was in fact a declaration that slaves could now be masters of their destiny and could obtain liberation whenever they wanted.
The above stated verse is the last directive regarding slavery. Prior to this, various other directives were given at various stages because of which it gradually became possible for this evil to be eradicated from the society. These are summarized below:
1. In the very beginning of its revelation, the Quran regarded the emancipation of slaves as a great virtue, and urged people in a very effective way to do so. The tremendous appeal found in the words it adopted فَكُّ رَقَبَة (release the necks) can be well imagined by a person who has flare for the language. It is evident from the context of such expressions – wherever they are found in the Quran – that it has regarded this virtue to be the first as well as the greatest step in pleasing God. [1]
In a similar manner, the Prophet (sws) also urged Muslims to liberate humanity from the yoke of slavery in the following words: “Whoever liberated a Muslim slave, the Almighty in return for every limb of that slave would shield every limb of that person from Hell.” [2]
2. People were urged that until they free their slaves they should treat them with kindness. The way their masters had total and unchecked control on them in the age of jahiliyyah was put an end to. They were told that slaves are human beings too, and no one should in any way violate the rights they possess as human beings.
Abu Hurayrah (rta) narrated from the Prophet (sws): “a slave has a right to food and clothing, and he shall not be asked to carry out an errand that is beyond him.” [3]
Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (rta) narrates from the Prophet (sws): “They are your brothers. The Almighty has made them subservient to you. So whatever you eat, feed them with it, whatever you wear, clothe them with it and never ask them to do something which is beyond them and if there is such a task, then help them out with it.” [4]
Ibn ‘Umar (rta) narrates from the Prophet (sws) that he heard him say: “Whoever slapped a slave or beat him up should atone this sin by liberating him.” [5]
Abu Mas‘ud al-Ansari (rta) says: “Once when I was beating my slave I heard a voice from behind me: ‘O Abu Mas‘ud you should know that the Almighty has more power over you.’ When I turned back, I found that it was the Prophet. I immediately remarked: ‘O Messenger of God! I release him for the sake of God.’ The Prophet said: ‘Had you not done this, you would have been given the punishment of the Fire.’” [6]
Ibn ‘Umar (rta) narrates that once a person came to the Prophet (sws) and asked: “How many times should we forgive our servant.” [At this], the Prophet kept quiet. He asked again and the Prophet again kept silent. Upon being asked the third time, he answered: “Seventy times in a day.” [7]
3. In cases of un-intentional murder, zihar, and other similar offences, liberating a slave was regarded as their atonement and sadaqah. [8]
4. It was directed to marry off slave-men and slave-women who were capable of marriage so that they could become equivalent in status – both morally and socially – to other members of the society. [9]
5. If a person were to marry a slave-woman of someone, great care was exercised since this could result in a clash between ownership and conjugal rights. However, such people were told that if they did not have the means to marry free-women, they could marry, with the permission of their masters, slave-women who were Muslims and were also kept chaste. In such marriages, they must pay their dowers so that this could bring them gradually equal in status to free-women. The Quran says:
وَمَنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ مِنْكُمْ طَوْلًا أَنْ يَنكِحَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ فَمِنْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ مِنْ فَتَيَاتِكُمْ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِإِيمَانِكُمْ بَعْضُكُمْ مِنْ بَعْضٍ فَانكِحُوهُنَّ بِإِذْنِ أهْلِهِنَّ وَآتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ مُحْصَنَاتٍ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحَاتٍ وَلَا مُتَّخِذَاتِ أَخْدَانٍ …ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ خَشِيَ الْعَنَتَ مِنْكُمْ وَأَنْ تَصْبِرُوا خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ وَاللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ (25:4)
And if any of you have not the means wherewith to wed free believing women, he may wed believing girls from among those whom you own: and Allah has full knowledge about your faith. You are of the same species: so wed them with the permission of their owners, and give them their dowers, according to the norms; with the condition that they should be kept chaste, neither being lustful, nor taking paramours … this permission is for those among you who fear sin; but it is better for you that you practice self-restraint. And Allah is Ever-Forgiving, Most Merciful. (4:25)
6. In the heads of zakah, a specific head فِى الرِّقَاب (for [freeing] necks) was instituted so that the campaign of slave emancipation could receive impetus from the public treasury. [10]
7. Fornication was regarded as an offence as a result of which prostitution centres that were operated by people on the basis of their slave-women were shut down automatically, and if someone tried to go on secretly running this business, he was given exemplary punishment. [11]
8. People were told that they were all slaves of Allah and so instead of using the words عَبْد (slave-man) and اَمَة (slave-woman), the words used should be فَتَى (boy/man) and فَتَاة (girl/woman) so that the psyche about them should change and a change is brought about in age old concepts. [12]
9. A big source of the institution of slavery at the advent of the last Prophet (sws) was the prisoners of war. When such a situation arose for the Muslims, the Quran emphasized that they cannot be kept as slaves and must be kept as prisoners of war. After this, if they were to be released, then there were two possibilities: they could be freed either by accepting ransom or as a favour by not taking any ransom money. No other option was available to the Muslims. [13]
(Javed Ahmed Ghamidi)
(Translated by Dr. Shehzad Saleem)
______________________________________
[1]. The Qur’an 90:13.
[2]. Al-Bukhari, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, 407, (no. 2517); Muslim, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, 657, (no. 3795).
[3]. Muslim, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, 732, (no. 4316).
[4]. Al-Bukhari, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, 1056, (no. 6050); Muslim, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, 732, (nos. 4313, 4315).
[5]. Muslim, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, 729, (no. 4298).
[6]. Ibid., 731, (no. 4308).
[7]. Abu Da’ud, Sunan, vol. 4, 343,(no. 5164); Al-Tirmidhi, Al-Jami‘ al-kabir, vol. 3, 500, (no. 1949).
[8]. The Qur’an: 4:92, 58:3, 5:89.
[9]. The Qur’an: 24:32-3.
[10]. The Qur’an, 9:60.
[11]. For further details, see the chapter: “The Penal Shari‘ah”.
[12]. Muslim, Al-Jami‘ al-sahih, 998, (nos. 5875, 5877).
[13]. The Quran, 47:4; for further details, see the chapter: “The Shari‘ah of Jihad”.
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I am sorry, but I am left with so much confusion.
I just dont get it. The Etiquette for treatement of women in Islam were sent down with DIVINITY. We were taught about why we lower our gaze until marriage, about why women were told to dress modest in presece of non mehrams, and why we dont have sex before marriage, because they all had DIVINITY behind them. Those divinity helped us understand the intention behind those commands.
And by eliminating those commands, just because a certain group of women were SLAVES, not only degrades/ decreases these women’s worth, but THROWS all DIVINITY out the window! It concludes that there was NO good reason to abide by what was commanded for us, if such a flimsy excuse allows us to perform deeds that were FORBIDDEN in its entirety!
By eliminating the righteous treatement of women upon female slaves, means we thought they deserved NO respect!
If these actions are permitted with slave women, what happens to the divinity behind the restrictions of these actions for FREE women?
Incredibly ridiculous how being a SLAVE WOMAN, means all sorts of past haraam forbiddings regarding Women are allowed, even though they were forbidden with DIVINITY and REASON!
How is something, that was made FORBIDDEN with DIVINTY, suddenly allowed for the most ILLOGICAL reason ever?
These women ONLY lose their homes, how exactly does that co relate with them having their hayah and self worth taken away as a result?
These actions that men could do with slave women is NO DIFFERENT to what promiscuity men do with women today, what we spit upon!
What reason do we disapprove, punish, and steer our children away from haraam activities that people do nowadays, when our VERY men used to do those same actions without consequence, under the dumb excuse that ” they’re slave women!”?
What is the EXACT reason we think of promiscuous behaviour people do today, as HARAAM and SHAMEFUL, whilst throwing curtains over the SAME promiscuous behaviour that is allowed with a VULNERABLE group of women in Islam?
Its so infuriating, that we went ” Allah sent commands from above! He says to honour your women, and treat them with respect ” and when slave women stepped up, we went ” not you, you silly goose, you’re a slave, and slaves dont get respect!”
And what makes us think Allah approves of this behaviour? He sent down commands regarding ALL WOMEN. No cuts, no buts, NO HESITATIONS. theres NOWHERE where he stated ” oh you can disregard the rulings for women upon SLAVE WOMEN, because they are NOT real women! They’re just Aliens!”
Its so ridiculous, that we think that upon taking over someone’s land in battle, it gives us utmost permission to UNLAWFULLY use the women, and forget about using the ETIQUETTE that islam tells us to perform with ALL WOMEN!
Thinking slave women deserved LESS, whilst actively taking advantage of their FERTILITY, because our egos were on the verge of EXPLODING!
Taking over enemy’s land= pursuing the women unlawfully, breaking all BASIC ETIQUETTE regarding treatment of women in islam, all under the stupid reasoning that ” they’re slave women”? Provide your work, please!
Its always the FREE women and wives, that ungratefully sit on the throne made of UNDESERVING gold, while the Slave women that could have more piety, stay behind with all the scraps, whilst being given LOWER HONOUR for only god knows what!
Whats under the petty status of being FREE that makes FREE women unable to be dergaded the way SLAVE WOMEN were, just for losing their homes?
What EXACTLY did FREE women do to get their precious undeserving honour and respect, other then just being BORN FREE?
And why does being a SLAVE WOMAN mean that men could unjustly use them for degradation, something they would not even be caught DEAD doing with a FREE WOMAN? why this hypocrisy?
Tell me ONE logical factor in which FREE WOMEN are MORE deserving of HONOUR than SLAVE WOMEN!
Tell me ONE logical factor where WIVES are more deserving of automatic inheriance than a SLAVE WOMAN who does MORE for LESS!
What makes SLAVE women UNDESERVING of honour and respect? What kind of messed up Islamic Ruling states that losing your land to the enemy equals to a slave woman’s status of honour being TAKEN AWAY?
So basically, the term ” Islam gives women high honour and respect ” is FALSE, right?
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I hate pondering on this topic. People think that it’s futile worrying about this matter, but it’s IMPORTANT.
This concept is just full of CONTRADICTIONS, and just doesn’t make sense.
No one seems to feel concern, because no one seems to put themselves in that situation, or in the shoes of the affected. I have MANY times, and I’ve been equally disgusted each one.
One moment, a woman is the light if the world, an honour, the blessing of her parents, respectable, untouchable, and pious. No man DARES look at her is lustfully, nor try to do anything bad with her.And the next moment? DEGRADED. The woman that once covered up with the divinity of being respected, has it taken AWAY, and becomes a lollipop for PERVERTED men. Her status is LOWERED, just because she is ENSLAVENED. If she cannot provide service for her freedom, she has to pay her debt by PRAYING that she is FERTILE so that she can have her master’s CHILD, as a sick exchange for her freedom, like some normal person.
While a FREE woman struts by, on their HIGH HORSE, not having to feel the SHAME that this SLAVE woman feels. Not having to worry about her hayah being stripped away from her, not having to worry about turning into a human lollipop. Not having to worry about a bearing a child being a DISGUSTING EXCHANGE for freedom. None of it, just under the PETTY status of being FREE.
Islam doesn’t even TRY to do justice to these women, neither does it give these women recognition!
I wish examples of prophets would do some justice to these women, but they don’t either!
Hajrah RA, a SLAVE WOMAN, carrying her son through trecherous conditions, with no food, no water, praying to Allah SWT for his help, finally was blessed with the ZamZam well, what we ALL drink from, on our journey to Umrah/Hajj. And yet STILL, she is still OVERSHADOWED by Sara RA, and people ONLY give Sara RA recognition, just because she was a FREE woman!
The Slave Woman of Sulaiman AS/ King Sulaiman. He had a over 600 Wives, only 600 women he thought of deserving honour and respect. They bore him NO CHILDREN, yet they were still ENTITLED to that privilege. As for the 600 SLAVE WOMEN? That’s all they remained. That’s all they were to him. Just a bunch of women by the hundreds for him to breed with like CATTLE. their ONLY job was to have his children. He didn’t even give then HONOUR! they were just CATTLE to him, just to bear his children! If he had the power and privilege to marry 600 WIVES, he could as WELL as given those SLAVE WOMEN the same honour as well, but no! He showed them their unjust place in society, whilst making them have his children. Im so sorry if this is disrespectful, but that’s how I feel!
I find discomfort with the Prophet PBUH and Maria RA. Our Prophet Could gave eliminated this petty conditioning, in which slave women in the milkul yameen contract had to bear their master’s children, in order to gain inheritance and freedom, but he did not. I don’t understand. What ISNT a slave woman doing for her master, that she is still bound by the chains of slavery, even though she is abiding by her spouses’ rules? Why did he apply these conditions for Maria RA, when he could have freed her as easily as he did Saffiyah RA, just because she was WEALTHY?! He asked nothing from two slave women whom were under his care, Juwariyyah RA, and Saffiyah RA, and just freed them just like that, and made them his wives. WHY couldn’t he do that with MARIA RA as well? WHY couldn’t he do that with the FOUR other SLAVE some he decided to keep under milkul yameen, instead of having nikkah with them? He made Maria RA bear him a child, as a SLAVE woman, when she could have done that as a WIFE.
There is just so much that bugs me, and it is within out OWN Islamic history. I hate that I think this, but It just aggravates me that these things happened the way they did, even though they were incomprehensible.
People might dislike me after reading this, and I’m sorry, but this is just what I feel. If anyone would like to correct me on this, please feel free.
Asalamaoalikum.
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I finally come across my main question, regarding this topic, if anyone is able to understand.
All these things that we consider sinful regarding what you must not behave like towards FREE women, such as looking at her beauty/ without proper hijab without commitment of marriage, getting too free with her, trying use her for sex before marriage, and ( in marriage ) denying a wife mehr and inheritance.
My main question is, if this is intolerable and disrespectful for a FREE woman, what in the WORLD makes us think that a SLAVE woman will tolerate this any more?
It is as if we dumped all the sinful restrictions that a FREE woman cannot tolerate, upon slave women and expected SLAVE women to endure it Instead. Where is the justice in this?
Why do we think that SLAVE women don’t deserve the respect that FREE women are entitled to? What gave us the idea?
She has done NO sin at all, other than the one out of her control: losing her home to the opposing side!
Im not trying to waste anyone’s time. I just want this misconception out of my head. Can someone please help me understand?
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السلام علیکم
Let me see if I understand. What we consider as sinful behaviour towards free women was probably also sinful behaviour towards slave women. It was probably just that the society considered these women as being “married” to their “masters.” So, no man was supposed to look at her as an object, not even her master, not without her consent. But once she gave her consent, it was supposed to be like marriage. The man was supposed to treat her with all the respect, honour and dignity he would his wife and provide for her. Even in the last sermon, the Prophet ordered about all slaves that they be clothed with what you yourselves wear, that they eat what you eat…that they be equal human beings to you. Why would it be different with slave women? She was not supposed to be treated like a toy. Rape was and is prohibited inside and outside of marriage. God did not sanction it for slave women.
This is at least how I understood it.
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JazakAllah Khair for your insight, it really helped!
But just a few questions:
1)A free woman is not able to show her beauty to others, no matter how much she consents it. For her, the real consent is marriage.
What is the slave woman’s form of consent?
Regarding hayah and modesty, so many scholars make it look like ” as soon as slave womem are enslavened, you can look at their beauty, even without marriage ” when on the other hand, you cannot look at a FREE woman without marriage, because it decreases her worth?
2) I still don’t get ” like ” marriage.
If a slave woman is doing everything a free wive is, is it really considered a ” like ” marriage?
It is kind of insulting, as nowadays we recognize ” like ” marriages in the form of none married couples living together, what we forbid. We are calling an Islamic concept the equivalent of haraam?
3) I don’t understand why a slave woman must bear a child in order to obtain inheritance and freedom.
Should counting on our fertility really be something we must pay with for freedom? Does it sound moral for a woman to to birth, in order to guarantee her freedom?
Shouldn’t a child be a happiness factor in this woman’s marriage, instead of a requirement for her freedom?
Is this woman serving her spouse not enough for her to obtain automatic inheritance?
Why do wives only get automatic inheritance, without having children?
4) why are these women called right hand possess? Why must we ” possess ” these women, when on the other hand we preach that ” women are not your property “?
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السلام عليكم
Let me deliberate on your questions before responding. Meanwhile, I suggest you read this book and then maybe we will be in a better position to discuss.
It is Leena El-Ali’s No Truth Without Beauty:
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Sponsor Ask Ghamidi
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