Ma malakat aymanukum
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Ma malakat aymanukum ("what your right hands possess" ما ملكت أيمانهن) is a scriptial reference in the Qur'an to what would commonly be called today concubinage. While it is most often used with reference to women captured in war it can be applied to both sexes. It also referrs to general spoils of war and slaves. It is also considered to refer to prisoners of war[citation needed].
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[edit] Overview
The term itself is normally considered to refer to prisoners of war, or more broadly to slaves in general, according to the classic tafsirs (e.g. Ibn Kathir); however, some (e.g. Muhammad Asad) have proposed alternative explanations, whereby it would mean "one's rightful spouse" [1]
The general term maa malakat aymanukum (literally "what your right hands possess" or "anything owned blessed to you") appears 14 times in the Qur'an, in the following Arabic variations:
- ما ملكت أيمانكم
- ما ملكت أيمانهم
- ما ملكت أيمانهن
- ما ملكت يمينك
- الذين ملكت أيمانكم
[edit] "Ma malakat aymanukum" in the Qur'an
The main points about "those whom one's right hands possess" in the Qur'an are:
[edit] No maximum limit
Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi writes in his discussion on Slave girls in his Tafsir of this verse:
| The maximum limit of four has not been prescribed for slave girls as is the case of wives for the simple reason that the number of female prisoners of war is unpredictable. But the lack of limit does by no means provide a license for the well to do people to have any number of slave girls for licentious purposes.[2] |
[edit] Sex
In Islamic Divine Law (Arabic: Sharia), Ma malakat aymanukum is the term for captives of war. Among the rights and obligations they have is that they may legaly have sex with their master, making a Ma malakat aymanukum and spouses the only category of people one may have sex with.
[edit] Dress codes
An-Nur 30–33, in the course of laying down the familiar dress code of Islam, explains that women "should draw their veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty" except to various familiar people, including those "whom their right hands possess". Al-Ahzab 55 makes it explicit that the same liberty is given to the Prophet's wives.
an-Nur 58 says that "those whom your right hands possess" and underage children should ask a believer's permission (before they come to their presence) at the three times of day when one is likely to be undressed.
[edit] Being good to them
An-Nisa 36 reminds us that a believer should do good to a variety of people, including "what your right hands possess", for the love of God.
an-Nahl 71 and ar-Rum 28 both use the same metaphor: just as the fortunate among people do not share their wealth with "those whom their right hands possess" to the point of making them equals, nor fear them as they fear each other, so does God with people, bestowing more on some than others, but never making them equals, let alone fearing them.
[edit] Emancipation
Verse 24:33 of the Qur'an states "...if any of your slaves ask for a deed in writing (to enable them to earn their freedom for a certain sum), give them such a deed if ye know any good in them: yea, give them something yourselves out of the means which Allah has given to you."
Islam has always encouraged freeing female Ma malakat aymanukum and in multiple places in the Qu'ran, freeing a female Ma malakat aymanukum appears as a penance [3].
[edit] Traditional Sunni and Shi'a viewpoint
According to all four Sunni madhhabs and Shi'a islam, the rights and duties of those "right hand possessions" are as follows:
- Juridically they were considered as property or at least the responsibility of their master.
- They could not marry or divorce without their masters permission.
- Her master had the right to dissolve her marriage if he did not approve it.
- Her master was allowed to have sex with her if she was unmarried, to fulfill sexual needs.
As soon as she was impregnated by her master, her status changed to "mudabbar", which entitled her to additional rights:
- She was entitled to the same treatment as the master's regular wives.
- Her offspring were considered as legitimate children of her master, i.e. they were not slaves anymore.
- She could not be sold to others.
- After his death she was manumitted and enjoyed the same treatment as other wives, e.g. she got an equal share in the inheritance.
[edit] Alternative viewpoints
A minority group [4] rejects this traditional interpretation as a falsification of later centuries which is at odds with the Qur'an. According to them, the Qur'anic references to ma malakat amaynukum refer to fiancees [5] rather than slaves.
[edit] List
A list of Ma malakat aymanukum include:
- Rayhana bint Zayd
- Salim Mawla Abu Hudhayfah
- Safiyya bint Huyayy who was briefly a Ma malakat aymanukum until she was set free and married Muhammad.
- Maria al-Qibtiyya — initially a concubine of Muhammad, some state that they married later on.
- Abu Suhail an-Nafi [citation needed] — became a famous medieval Muslim scholar.
- The father of Hasan al-Basri [citation needed]
[edit] See also
- Nikah Mut'ah (Islamic "temporary marriage")
- Nikah Misyar
- Mamluk
[edit] References
[edit] External links
[edit] Traditional Sunni viewpoints
- IslamOnline fatwa
- Fatwa: Intercourse with female prisoners of war
- Fatwa: What is a right hand servant? Do you have to be married to have one? How can you finalize it and get one and state this person as your right hand servant?
[edit] Traditional Shi'a viewpoints
[edit] Alternative Islamic viewpoints
- Rules of Engagement (free-minds.org)
- Ma malakat amaynukum (free-minds.org)
