Islam and Slavery — Page 6
6 the limit of four according as your circumstances demand; but if you fear that you will not be able to deal fairly and equitably among them then you should marry only one wife except such female slaves as your right hands may. possess. " (1). In this verse it has been laid down that even if the prescribed limit of four wives fixed for exceptional circumstances has been reached a Muslim may enter into conjugal relations with a slave girl so that the door of ameliorating the condition of slaves may always remain open. A similar exception has been granted in the case of the Holy Prophet himself. (2). Again, the Quran says :"And say to the believing women that they discover not their beauty and ornature save to their husbands, or to their fathers, or the fathers of their husband, or their sons, or the sons of their husbands, or their brothers, or the sons of their brothers, or the sons of their sisters, or their own women folk, or what their right hands possess (i. e. their slaves). " (3). This verse shows that the real aim of the Islamic teachings with regard to the existing slaves was that the. Muslims should treat them as their kith and kin, so much so, that Muslim women need not even observe Purdaḥ with their slaves, so that the feeling of being strangers (1) 4:4. (2) 33:53. (3) 24:32.