DOES ISLAM SNATCH THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN?

SLAVE WOMEN

Islam has permitted the masters to co-habit with their slave women without marriage.

(Al-Quran)  4:3,24,25,36,16:71,23:6,24:31,33,58,30:50,33:52,55,70:30

It will create many doubts to some Muslims and Non-Muslims also. It is because living with slave women without marriage seems to be prostitution and as they can’t find any difference in it. 
When looking superficially, it seems to be keeping a concubine. Those who understands it properly, will approve the law is just and wise. Let us analyze it in detail. 
Since there are no slave men or slave women now, it is difficult to understand it . So, let us the see the historical background of it. When two counties meet in war, the winner will arrest the loser as captives. There will be some men and a few women also. In those days, there was no prison to keep and feed them. If food and shelter was provided, it will be an expensive burden. So the captives will be divided and distributed as slaves to the participants of the war. The recipient will take work from them and feed them. Those, who don’t need servants for work, will sell them to rich people. Therefore the slave markets were also prevalent then. 
Moreover, some cruel kings will enter into kingdom which they captured and take the beautiful women as slaves, who don’t take part in the war. Thus, the race of slaves was created. 
When the whole world approved this practice, Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) propagated Islam. Before Islam, male slaves were taken for work and female slaves were taken for carnal pleasure, was the way of the world. 
Islam does not create slaves. On the contrary, Islam brought discipline in the business of slaves. Islam paved way to release slaves. 

Some may enquire why Islam accepted slavery as it is and why it did not eradicate slavery as it does so many reformation by a single order? 

In this problem, so many things should be taken into consideration. Though the slaves were created in the battle field, the soldiers who received those slaves will sell them for money. So, the slaves were with those masters who purchased them. If Islam ordered that there should not be slaves any more, the masters who purchased them will be severely affected. If the government compensated their loss, it can’t run the government. Without giving any compensation just ordering to release the slaves is an injustice for the masters who undertook the legal business of slavery. 
Even if Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) releases all the slaves by paying compensation, it will also affect the society. There were battles often between the nations. If Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) alone releases slaves, Muslims soldiers captivated as slaves in other nations will stay there without any release. But the opponents will be released and they may come again to fight against Islam. 
Moreover, the opponents may presume that opposing Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) will not affect them; it will affect Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) only. Therefore, Islam does not eradicate slavery by any order. But, to eradicate slavery Islam arranged other ways. 
• Islam ordered the affluent to release slaves as the compensation for the sins like breach of promise or desist fasting.

- (Al-Quran) 2:177,4:92,5:89,9:60,58:3,90:13

• On the contract basis, Islam ordered to release slaves. Islam encouraged the masters to make agreement with slaves to release them and they should work for them to pay off their debts. - (Al-Quran) 24:33

• Islam encouraged the master to release the slaves, by enacting a law that if the master releases a slave, he will be the heir to the asset of the slave earns in future.

– Buhari 456,1493,2155,2156,2168,2169,2561-65,2578,2717,2726,2729,2735,5097,5279,5284,5430,6717,6751,6752,6754,6757,6759

By these orders Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) decreased slavery to an extent. This is common about slaves. Let us see slave women separately.

The woman sold as slave will stay in her master’s house. Either she will have her husband in other country or she will be a widow or a virgin. In that situation she should be protected from outsiders and her carnal needs also should be fulfilled. Taking all these factors into considerations, Islam enacted a law to safeguard slave woman. If she had many masters, only one is allowed to cohabit with her. During then if she delivers a child, she and her child should be set free from slavery.

If this is not allowed, while she is solely depending on her master, and there is none to talk in favor of her in that country, none can dissuade the master to enjoy her. Even outsider also may think to use her as she is a slave. When her master is in the position of husband she will be safeguarded. Only one master is allowed to cohabit with her and the child born to her will be the heir of the master. So, it is not prostitution.

Assume a young servant maid join to work for a master, the master did not buy her. She need not solely depending on him only. There are some people to her; they will raise their voice if she is affected. Even though there is so much liberty and outside support to her, so many servant maids become prey to the lust of their masters. Whether they like it or not it happens so. 

Even if the plight of the servant maid who has liberty and outside support is so, we can understand the pitiable plight of the slave who has no freedom and outside support. In this situation if it is prohibited to the master to enjoy her, it will be a meaningless prohibition only. When there were slavery is prevalent all over the world there is no other go than to allow it. In the modern world where slavery is eradicated totally no woman can treated as a slave. There is another reason for not prohibiting this. 
Islam has stipulated severe punishments for criminal offences. The people will evade crimes fearing the punishment. Even if Islam enacted a law not to enjoy slave woman, and the culprit who transgress the law will be punished severely it can’t be prohibited. Slave woman is staying in the master’s house, her loneliness can’t be suspected. If the mistake happened nobody will be the witness for it. As it can’t be prohibited and if it happened can’t be proved. In this situation, Islam also did not prevent it and allowed the practice that was prevalent all over the world.
The danger for the chastity of the servant maid is also same as the slave woman. So, some may presume can she be enjoyed? There is a lot of difference between the servant maid and the slave woman. There is no restriction that a servant maid should be servant maid. There is no obligation that she should work to a certain master only. If she feels that the master is not a gentleman, she can leave the job. In short, the servant maid can select her master. On the contrary, the slave does not have any such rights. For, slavery is imposed on her against her willingness.
If the servant maid wants to safeguard her chastity, she can evade such situations. But a slave woman can’t avoid such situations. So a slave woman never can be compared with a servant maid.Carnal desire is common to both the sexes. So, the feelings of both should be considered. A slave woman is taken to a foreign country as a virgin or separated from her husband. There is nobody to arrange marriage for her. If anyone comes forward to marry her, the master as he paid for her will not allow this. If she is allowed to marry, he can’t derive full work from her. Even if the master agrees, none will select her as a bride, who has to be in her master’s house always. 
When the slave woman’s bodily needs are ignored, she will try for illegal contacts. Or she will entice her master himself and succeed. In an unknown place she will dare to do this crime. To evade the illegal contacts with the outsiders and to outlet her feelings, there is no other go than to allow her to her master only. Even if it is prohibited, it will happen. In this inevitable situation Islam allows this. This is the third reason for allowing the master to enjoy slave women without marriage. The slave woman gets the protection of a wife from his master. The child, she will give birth due to this contact, will be heir of the master. On delivery of the child, she is also set free from slavery. So, this contact can’t be blamed as prostitution.