Understanding Islam — Page 178
SLAVERY AND PRISONERS OF WAR 176 Regardless, there is no such thing as “sex slavery” in Islam. Hazrat Mirza Bashir-ud-din Mahmud Ahmad, the second Khal ī fa of the A ḥ madiyya Muslim Jam ā ‘at has commented on this issue at length in his commentary of the Holy Quran, known as Tafs ī r-e-Kab ī r. In the discussion of verse 7 of chapter 23 of the Holy Quran, he lists the following conditions that had to be met before a female prisoner could be handed over to a Muslim soldier: 1. Prisoners can only be obtained during times of war 2. They should be released through ransom 3. If the prisoner cannot afford to pay the ransom, or his/her people or his/her home country is unable to pay the ransom, then the Muslim government should release him/her as a gesture of good will 4. If the government has reasons to not do that, then Zak ā t funds should be used for the release 14 5. If that is also not possible, then the prisoner should be given the option of muk ā tabat