It is quite easy to respond when you raise issues such as the Islamic ruling on taking female captives in war. Why? Because Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did not come to abolish all the legal rulings of the Torah. Rather, he came to fulfill, abrogate, or modify them, just as Prophet ʿĪsā (Jesus, peace be upon him) came not to abolish the laws of Moses, but to fulfill them.
Had Prophet ʿĪsā been given the opportunity to establish a government before he was raised to the heavens, he would have implemented the divine law justly — just like the prophets before him.
Now, read this carefully, Malik:
“When you go to war... and you see among the captives a beautiful woman, and you desire her and want to take her as your wife, then you shall bring her home to your house... after that you may go in to her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife.”
Guess where that’s found? The Bible - Deuteronomy 21:10–13, NKJV. Just imagine if the Qur'aan or hadeeth had said that.
(There are many other verses like that talking about concubine in the Bible).
So before you point fingers at Islam, perhaps you and your Christian friends should consider what’s in your own scriptures.
If you’re angry at Islam, prepare also to curse Prophet Jacob, Solomon, David, and their grandfather Abraham — peace be upon them all — because they all had concubines, as mentioned in your own Bible. In fact, the biblical narrative goes even further, accusing some of these prophets of unlawfully taking the wives of their own subordinates — something we Muslims categorically reject as slander against the prophets.
Historically, under divine law — including Biblical law — female captives were considered slaves, and it was permitted for masters to take them as concubines. This was the norm in ancient societies.
In Islamic law, when the Muslim army defeats its enemies, the property, women, and children of the defeated become part of the war spoils, and are distributed among the Muslim soldiers. These captives may be:
Sold,
Manumitted (freed),
Used as expiation for sins, or
Freed without compensation — all depending on the context and the will of their owners.
However, if a married couple is captured, they remain husband and wife. In such a case, it is not allowed for the master of the woman to have sexual relations with her. Only if the husband has died (e.g. in battle), and she becomes a lawful slave, then the master may choose to keep her as a regular slave or take her as a concubine, with full rights and protections under Islamic law.
This was the law of old, and it remains part of the classical Islamic tradition — though it is no longer applied today due to the absence of legitimate jihad and slavery systems.
A concubine could later become a wife, like Ṣafiyyah (radiyallāhu ʿanhā), the Jewish noblewoman who became a wife of the Prophet ﷺ. Or she may remain a concubine and become an Umm Walad (mother of the master’s child), such as Māriyah al-Qibṭiyyah, who bore Ibrāhīm, the son of the Prophet ﷺ. According to Islamic law, an Umm Walad becomes automatically free upon the death of her master.
Islamic law is practical and compassionate. It does not allow defeated women to be thrown into prostitution or destitution. Rather, it gives them status, protection, and even a path to freedom.
In fact, it was often considered an honour for some women to become legal concubines of noble men. Do you think Hājar (Hagar) was sad to become the concubine of Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him)?
Also, under Islamic law, rape is strictly prohibited, even in war. The Prophet ﷺ and his companions upheld the rights of captives, and any form of sexual abuse was forbidden.
You only need to compare the conduct of Muslim fighters with the Zionist forces in modern conflicts. Ask yourself: how were Israeli female captives treated during the Gaza war by resistance groups like Hamas? Then ask: how have Zionists treated female Muslim captives?
Were you even born when the U.S. army invaded Iraq and committed unspeakable crimes against Muslim women during the fall of Saddam Hussein? Muslim fighters don’t commit such atrocities — and if anyone does, Islam stands against it.
So, if you're ready to curse Prophet Muhammad ﷺ over this issue, be fair and curse Solomon, who had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Curse David, Abraham, and even Lot — according to your Bible’s version.
And don’t forget this disturbing story — found in your own scriptures — that we Muslims reject entirely as a lie against a noble Prophet:
"Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father..."
(Genesis 19:30–38, KJV)
Two daughters of Lot made their father drunk and they slept with him in turns, they conceived and carried his babies.
Sacrilegeous! Outrageous!
Are your Christian friends still clapping for you?
Think again.
Click here for more on this fellow.
