Understanding Islam — Page 23
23 enslaved for a longer period of time as was the custom then. 22 Allah says that they should either be freed in return for ransom or, preferably, released freely out of kindness and as a favour. This alternative of releasing them freely as an act of kindness underscores the fact that the other option, i. e. ransom, could not have meant blackmailing and extortion of exorbitant amounts of money, or any excessive demands placed on them – as is seen in the case of extremist organizations these days – in exchange for granting them freedom. This applies both to males and females. In the early days, women used to go to the battlefields to support and motivate the men who fought and, in this way, those women were also liable to be captured. The Holy Quran, however, made it categorically clear that no woman is to be treated cruelly or violated in any way. This shall be illuminated further in the chapter entitled, Slavery and Prisoners of War.