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True Islam answers/ part 4

And give the women [upon marriage] their [bridal] gifts graciously. But if they give up willingly to you anything of it, then take it in satisfaction and ease.

According to rahyafte (the missionaries and converts website):

True Islam answers part 4

In part 3 we addressed Islamic policies to annul the slavery. In this part we will study another issue related to slavery: enslaving women in war.

Many non-Muslims pose the question that why Islam endorses enslaving women and why it allows the owner to marry them (the women captured).
At first we must have a glance at the verses of the Holy Quran concerning this matter.

 

Quran (4: 24):
And [also prohibited to you are all] married women except those your right hands possess. [This is] the decree of Allah upon you. And lawful to you are [all others] beyond these, [provided] that you seek them [in marriage] with [gifts from] your property, desiring chastity, not unlawful sexual intercourse. So for whatever you enjoy [of marriage] from them, give them their due compensation as an obligation. And there is no blame upon you for what you mutually agree to beyond the obligation. Indeed, Allah is ever knowing and Wise.

It was explained in previous part that according to Islamic provisions, enslaving was only allowed through wars. In other words, if the non-believers invaded Muslim society, Muslims were allowed to defend themselves and enslave the worriers who became captives (if any). But what if the captives were a woman? What would happen to her? What was provided in Islam was the marriage between the captured woman and one of Muslim men.
There are advantages in this marriage. To be more transparent we must have a look at a situation in which the captive woman wouldn’t marry her owner and she would be just a slave. In such conditions there would be no loving relation between the owner and the slave. The owner may use the slave woman as a sexual slave and use her as a source of income by exploiting her.

But in the condition that the slave becomes the owner’s wife, the owner-slave relationship would turn into a husband and wife relationship.

There wouldn’t be any exploiting of the slave women or other forms of abuse. Besides according to Islamic rules, men have some compulsory obligations towards their wives such as supplying all her needs.
Let’s look at some of the verses of the Holy Quran to support this:
Quran (2:233):
Mothers may breastfeed their children two complete years for whoever wishes to complete the nursing [period]. Upon the father is the mothers’ provision and their clothing according to what is acceptable.
Quran (4:4):
And give the women [upon marriage] their [bridal] gifts graciously. But if they give up willingly to you anything of it, then take it in satisfaction and ease.

Therefore the marriage between the owner and his slave was a way to accept her in the Islamic society and provide her a peaceful life.

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