Reason #8: Owning women as war bounty sex slaves   

101 Reasons Why We Left Islam – Chapter 2: Women in Islam – Reason 8

I grew up hearing the term Sabayah (سبايا) and I did not understand what it means. It sounded like women whom the Khalifa or wealthy noblemen have on the side as extra-marital yet legal, in a way, under Islam. Always presented on the sideline of fun or comedy Arab TV sketches. What I did not expect is the horror of what this really meant. It is the selling, buying, and owning of women as slaves and sex slaves taken usually as war bounty but also under other pretences. Where did this trade come from? It comes from the term Melk Alymein (ما ملكت إيمانكم & ملك اليمين) or what your right hand possess. This trade is mentioned in the Quran at least 14 times: Quran [4:23-24]; [16:71]; [23:5-6]; [24: 31-33-58]; [30:28]; [33:50- 52 -55]; [70:27-30] and confirmed in the Tafsir and Hadith. While some who dislike this concept tried hard to find another meaning for the term, however Quran 4:24 makes it clear what it refers to women you possess. 

Quran 4:24 verse explains that men are forbidden to have sex with married women – except female captives in their possession. The verse goes on to other issues not related to captive women, but you can read it here: https://quran.com/an-nisa/24-24 

You can click on the Tafsir and read further, as we can write a whole book about this topic alone.  

As for the Hadith, the topic of taking women captives and having sex with them is presented in such a very casual way:.  

Sahih al-Bukhari 4350 

Narrated Buraida: 

The Prophet (ﷺ) sent `Ali to Khalid to bring the Khumus (war booty tax) and I hated `Ali, and `Ali had taken a bath (after a sexual act with a slave-girl from the Khumus). I said to Khalid, “Don’t you see this (i.e. `Ali)?” When we reached the Prophet (ﷺ) I mentioned that to him. He said, “O Buraida! Do you hate `Ali?” I said, “Yes.” He said, “Do you hate him, for he deserves more than that from the Khumlus.” 

https://sunnah.com/bukhari:4350

There is, at least,15 Hadiths on this topic: 

https://sunnah.com/search?q=%D8%B3%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%A7

But this owning of women as war bounty takes a very disturbing turn when you read Quran 9:49 and its associated Tafsir – and remember Quran chapter 9 was one of the very last Surahs of the Quran to come down. 

https://quran.com/en/at-tawbah/49

The story goes that the Prophet said to his followers “Invade Tabuk and your spoils will be the daughters of Al Asfar (blonde white women).” 

One of his followers named Al Jadd said to the Prophet in front of all the other men

“draw me not into trail and don’t tempt me with blonde women because I don’t want to commit sin and allow me not to accompany you to Tabuk” 

The Prophet gets angry with this man and a Quran verse came down concerning him. 

Quran 9:49 / Tafser of al Tabari  

” There are some of them who say, “Exempt me and do not expose me to temptation.”  They have already fallen into temptation. And Hell will surely engulf the disbelievers. “ it was mentioned this verse came regarding a man named Al Jadd b-Qais, this was in reference to a man who said to the prophet give the command so I don’t accompany you don’t tempt me with the daughters of al Asfar (white blonde women from Roman Byzantines) 

Tafser al Tabari, Q, 9:49 

Why is Jadd suddenly being called a disbeliever and why Allah sending him to hell fire for not wanting to commit sin?  

Allowing the Muslim army the spoils of war including taking women and children as war bounty slaves and taking married captive women as a sex slave while her husband is alive (See Quran 4:24) and allowing her owner to have sex without need for marriage (see Reason 9 next) and her daughters. What is more, this owner can sell them any time they want. 

This trade became the main motivation of the men in the Islamic army who conquered the known world. 

You won’t get this Tafsir translated to English because this is extremely embarrassing. But here are multiple Islamic sources in Arabic. Just use Google translate or any translation app you have to read it and verify for yourself. 

Translated to English, you get hints of the story as translators struggled to hide it. For example, check this link: 

https://quranx.com/tafsirs/9.49

Another Islamic source, Tafsir Wahidi where he says: 

“This was revealed about Jadd ibn Qays the hypocrite. This is because when the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, was preparing for the Battle of Tabuk, he said to him: “O Abu Wahb, would you not like to have scores of Byzantine women and men as concubines and servants?” He said: “O Messenger of Allah, my people know that I am very fond of women and, if I see the women of the Byzantines, I fear I will not be able to hold back. So do not tempt me by them, and allow me not to join and, instead, I will assist you with my wealth”.  

It is from these Quranic verses that the Islamic State sold Yazidi women as slaves, and girls as young as infants were sold. The records now show what happened to them.  

Issue 8.1. How can an all-knowing god justify the owning, selling and buying of women as slaves and in many cases used as sex slaves given Quran 4:24 explains men can have sex with these women even if they are already married?  

Issue 8.2. How can an all-knowing and all-merciful Allah allow the use of women as sex objects to motivate the expansion of Islam? How can an all-wise Allah use women as objectified incentive for horny men!  It is, if anything, evidence the Quran is man made for men. 

Apologists Response: 

Issue 8.1: At times of war and the defeated tribes have lost, Islam forbids the killing of women and children. But then, if they left them on their own, these women and children would have starved and died. It was better to make sure they have homes, and families to look after them. In many cases, these women converted to Islam and married their husbands. The children would have learned about Islam and become Muslims. This is a humane way of dealing with the situation. 

Our response: While it is not completely true that Islam forbids the killing of women and children, we have several Hadiths that show otherwise – we know that the only reason the Prophet forbids it in most is cases because they were seen as assets. Slaves make excellent incentive for war and for the slave market. The same reason why the Prophet forbade cutting trees and destroying property. And you may have spotted the word incentive. Which links to the next part. But let us take the scenario of IS or Talban women. Would you have seen it as humane and acceptable that the Kurdish army would take the women and children as slaves? Sell some in the open market or have sex with them! Would you have considered it humane if the Americans took Talban children to the USA and allowed them to be adopted by Christians, Jews, and Gay couples who will slowly but surely make them grow up non-Muslims? Or was it more acceptable to you that they are kept in camps to be rehabilitated or allowed to be looked after their extended families. If Islam did not order the killing of all the men of the losing tribes, they would have had an extended support. But Islam is not about peace or mercy.  

Issue 8.2: There is a dispute regarding the interpretation of Quran 4:49. The reason why Al Jadd was condemned is because he refused to join the war. It has nothing to do with women. These are just the interpretation of some scholars. Like many armies, rejecting the call for war is considered a treason. And refusing to join the arm in the battle of Tabuk is a form of treason. 

Our response: If Jadd’s only reason is that he did not want to join the war effort, then the verse would not make sense to mention specifically “… ‘Exempt me and do not expose me to temptation.’…” This is not about wanting to go to war but about the temptation that comes from it. What temptation? The tafsir explains it was about the blonde women that the Prophet has made the motivation for starting wars at the time there was no direct confrontation needed.  

Final Thoughts 

In the next reason (Reason 9), we examine if war bounty women had rights at all – critically if they had the right of consent to marriage or sex – which in effect renders Islam a religion that allowed rape of women. We will have a more comprehensive final thoughts about owning women as war bounty sex slaves in the next section.