Qur'an: On Relations with War Captives

Retrieving the humane and egalitarian voice of the Qur’an is an important task of our times, especially in contexts where politico-militant groups seek to co-opt certain interpretations of the Islamic Shari’ah to promote their dubious projects that subjugate women’s dignity, rights and moral agency. 

Consider the treatment of captured women in war/ “female slaves” by the so-called ‘Islamic State of Iraq and Syria’ (ISIS) under ‘Caliph’ Abu Baker Al Baghdadi. During 2014-’17, when the ISIS under the Caliph ruled over an ‘Islamic State’ after his band of fighters and followers held control over parts of Iraq and Syria; it captured hundreds of females belonging to the minority Yazidi community as prisoners of war. Claiming that Islamic theology permits both the enslavement and the establishment of sexual relations with women captives, the ISIS established “slave markets” in the areas under its control to “trade” in the ‘female slaves’ so as to distribute them among the fighters of the Islamic State. When some of those young women and teenage girls escaped from the clutches of these marauders operating in the name of 'Islam', their harrowing experiences sent shock-waves across the global community. 

The beliefs and actions of the Islamic State and its Maulawis who issued the edicts in favour of establishing slave markets to trade in war captives scandalize the fair name of Islam- the pristine faith of  devout Muslims around the world. The Promised Massih Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian spoke presciently on this dire state of affairs in the previous era, when he wrote: 

"Islam today is in a very precarious state, and its light has been almost completely eclipsed. The Muslims have erred not only in their beliefs but also in their practices. They have fabricated some Traditions which have not only adversely affected their character, but are also contrary to the Divine law of nature. For example, Divine law has established three basic human rights: One must not kill an innocent person, one must not injure someone’s honour, and one must not unjustly appropriate another person’s property. And yet there are Muslims who break all three of these commandments. They murder innocent people and do not fear God, and their foolish Maulawis have even issued edicts declaring it lawful to lure away or capture women of other religions—whom they consider infidels—and to take them as wives. Similarly, they consider it lawful to usurp the property of any disbeliever through embezzlement or theft. Just consider the perilous state of the religion whose Maulawis issue such edicts! All this is the work of egotistic people who falsely attribute such teachings to God and His Messenger." (How to be Free from Sin, pp-15-16, UK: 2008 edn).

Oppressive interpretations of the Divine Speech is often a legacy of flawed Scriptural exegesis and cannot stand the critical scrutiny of Qur’an’s liberatory hermaneutics. Since the ‘Islamic State’ sought to justify the enslavement and sexual assault on female captives in terms of the Shariah, it is important to debunk these fraudulent claims by placing before the world the proper context and interpretation of the verses of the Holy Qur’an pertaining to the subject. In his Friday Sermon of 13 July 2018 (28 Shawwal 1439 AH), Hadhrat Muhyi-ud-Din Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius makes an important intervention on this larger debate. 

Explaining the Qur’anic expression “Maa Malakat ‘Aymaanuhum” (What your Right Hands Possess”, Hadhrat Saheb (atba) draws attention to the need for engaging with the overall framework of the Qur’an in teasing out the meaning of the Divine Discourse. There is no verse in the Qur’an that sanctions concubines and the Holy Book affirms that married women are not lawful for other men before the dissolution of the previous marriage. To protect the dignity of unclaimed female war captives- separated from their relatives socially and morally- who would not be in a position to dissolve any previous marriage; the Qur’an, however, makes an exception in the case of such female prisoners of war and permits that relations with such women (“What your Right Hands Possess”) can be established through wedlock even if the former marriage is not formally dissolved. Any assumption that (sexual) relations with female captives is permitted without marriage is rejected by the Qur’an (24:33, 4:4, 26), points out Hadhrat Khalifatullah (atba).  

Read the Friday Sermon Below: 

The Expression: What your Right Hands Possess”

“And those who guard their chastity; Except from their wives or what their right hands possess, for then surely they are not to be blamed.” (Al-Mu'minun, 23: 6-7).

Much misunderstanding prevails as to what the expression “their right hands possess” means, and what are the rights and status of the persons to whom it applies.

Islam on Slavery and Prisoners of War

Prophets and other messengers of God come to liberate humans from their chains. Divine teachings, in their pristine essence, are designed to emancipate them from their slavish bondages.

Compared to all other religions of the past, Islam provides far more evolved teachings that are mindful of the predicament of slaves. Its teachings are designed to abolish and root out this abominable practice through radical transformation of the social order, even as it provides teachings for fair treatment of all, including in times of war to the Prisoners of War. Islam permits defensive war against the enemies of the State when it is faced with aggression by other nations and peoples. In the course of such inter-State conflicts, Muslims can capture and retain prisoners of War till the end of hostilities and thereafter, release them as a grace or for ransom.

In the history of the world, rise and fall of nations is a reality. Likewise, profound teachings get blurred in the distance of time. People forget the true traditions and invent new customs of religions, and thereby alter and reshape original teachings. Hence, though Prophets in the past never took slaves, their followers have abused that legacy of freedom and fairness.  Hence, slavery had been perpetrated also by the so called men of religion. Despite Islam’s clearest exposition on the dignity and equality and equal rights of all human beings, like Jews and Christians and the Hindus among them in society, even Muslims cannot fully absolve themselves from the stigma of practicing slavery. 

In a religious and international context, where the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) practices slavery against its enemies in the name of Islam, and also many other world nations permitting working/labour/social/political conditions amounting to modern forms slavery that infringes upon elementary considerations of humanity, the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Saheb (atba) of Mauritius warns the world community on the need for returning to the just teachings of Islam that seek to abolish slavery and ensure fair treatment of all, including even to prisoners of war in times of hostilities.  

Reproduced below are extracts from the Friday Sermon of 05 February 2016 ~(25 Rabi’ul Aakhir 1437 Hijri):