The Quran

Preface

وَمَن لَم يَستَطِع مِنكُم طَولًا أَن يَنكِحَ المُحصَناتِ المُؤمِناتِ فَمِن ما مَلَكَت أَيمانُكُم مِن فَتَياتِكُمُ المُؤمِناتِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ أَعلَمُ بِإيمانِكُم ۚ بَعضُكُم مِن بَعضٍ ۚ فَانكِحوهُنَّ بِإِذنِ أَهلِهِنَّ وَآتوهُنَّ أُجورَهُنَّ بِالمَعروفِ مُحصَناتٍ غَيرَ مُسافِحاتٍ وَلا مُتَّخِذاتِ أَخدانٍ ۚ فَإِذا أُحصِنَّ فَإِن أَتَينَ بِفاحِشَةٍ فَعَلَيهِنَّ نِصفُ ما عَلَى المُحصَناتِ مِنَ العَذابِ ۚ ذٰلِكَ لِمَن خَشِيَ العَنَتَ مِنكُم ۚ وَأَن تَصبِروا خَيرٌ لَكُم ۗ وَاللَّهُ غَفورٌ رَحيمٌ

Yusuf Ali

If any of you have not the means wherewith to wed free believing women, they may wed believing girls from among those whom your right hands possess:¹ And God hath full knowledge about your faith. Ye are one from another: Wed them with the leave of their owners, and give them their dowers, according to what is reasonable: They should be chaste, not lustful, nor taking paramours: when they are taken in wedlock, if they fall into shame, their punishment is half that for free women. This (permission) is for those among you who fear sin; but it is better for you that ye practise self-restraint. And God is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.

That is, captives taken Jihad: Your right hands does not mean necessarily that she has been assigned to you, or is your property. All captures in war belong to the community, they are “yours” in that sense. If you seek such a person in marriage, do it from no base motives. Safeguard your faith, and see that she too does believe. In that case, after all, she is of the human brotherhood, and her condition is accidental and redeemable. If the slave bore a child to her master, she would become free. (R).