The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 228
Seal of the Prophets - Volume II 228 Meaning, “O ye Muslims! With the exception of such and such close female relatives, all other women are lawful and allowed to you, that you fix for them their dowries and marry them. Rather, your purpose for marriage should be to protect yourselves from vices and illnesses, and it should not at all be for the purpose of gratifying lust. ” 1 This teaching had such a deep influence on the dispositions of the Companions that in the likeness of a person who is influenced by something and submits to its very core, the honourable Companions would present themselves before the Holy Prophet sa and request permission to abstain from women all together. However, the Holy Prophet sa who possessed a balanced nature and desired to save his followers from ways of extremity and keep them grounded upon a position of moderation, prohibited them from following such a course. Therefore, it is mentioned in a Ḥadīth : َ سَمِعْت ُ سَعْد َ بْن َ اَبِی ْ وَقَّاص ٍ یَقُوْل ُ رَد َّ رَسُوْل ُ اللّٰه ِ صَلَّی اللّٰه ُ عَلَیْه ِ وَسَلَّم َ عَلی ٰ عُثْمَان بْن ِ مَظْعُوْن ٍ التَّبَتُّل َ وَلَو ْ اَذِن َ لَه ٗ لَاخْتَصَیْنَا Meaning, “Sa‘d bin Abī Waqq āṣ ra relates that ‘Uthmān bin Maẓ‘un ra sought permission of Holy Prophet sa to allow him to abstain from women all together, but the Holy Prophet sa did not grant permission. For if the Holy Prophet sa had granted permission, we were prepared to become as eunuchs. ” 2 In these circumstances, lust, etc. , is completely out of the question and ill-thinking of this nature can only be harboured by such a person who is either completely oblivious of Islāmic teaching and Islāmic history, or he has himself become so entangled in this filth that he can see no other intention except for an indecent one, in the actions of others as well. However, the question as to what the Islāmic teaching is regarding bond-women requires an answer. Hence, in this regard, first and foremost it should be known that in the general injunctions relevant to slavery, no differentiation has 1 An-Nisā’ (4:25) 2 Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābun-Nikāḥ, Bābu Mā Yukrahu Minat-Tabattuli Wal-Khiṣā’i, Ḥadīth No. 5073