What did Muhammad Mean By This Quote About Rape/Pimping?

Question

Qur'an 24:34 "Force not your slave-girls to whoredom [prostitution?] if they desire chastity, that you may seek enjoyment of this life. But if anyone forces them, then after such compulsion, Allah is oft-forgiving."

Basically to me It seems to say: Don't make your women-slaves into prostitutes if they dont want to, but you are free to do what you want with them. But if another man rapes them it will be forgiven by default by Allah.

Please someone knowledgeable on the subject tell me how I am misinterpreting this command.

Answer 1

You have seriously distorted and misinterpreted this verse......I really recommend that anyone who reads Qur'an as a non-Muslim should read Tafsir (commentary) along with it in order to understand the verse completely in it's proper context.

First I will explain to you how rape is completely forbidden in Islam and what the ruling is on those who commit this heneous crime, then I will paste the commentary (Tafsir) on this particular verse so that you will understand it correctly (God willing)

Ruling on the crime of rape

Question:
What is the ruling on the crime of rape in Islam?.

Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.

The Arabic word ightisaab refers to taking something wrongfully by force. It is now used exclusively to refer to transgression against the honour of women by force (rape).

This is an abhorrent crime that is forbidden in all religions and in the minds of all wise people and those who are possessed of sound human nature. All earthly systems and laws regard this action as abhorrent and impose the strictest penalties on it, except a few states which waive the punishment if the rapist marries his victim! This is indicative of a distorted mind let alone a lack of religious commitment on the part of those who challenge Allaah in making laws. We do not know of any love or compassion that could exist between the aggressor and his victim, especially since the pain of rape cannot be erased with the passage of time – as it is said. Hence many victims of rape have attempted to commit suicide and many of them have succeeded, The failure of these marriages is proven and they are accompanied by nothing but humiliation and suffering for the woman.

Islam has a clear stance which states that this repugnant action is haraam and imposes a deterrent punishment on the one who commits it.

Islam closes the door to the criminal who wants to commit this crime. Western studies have shown that most rapists are already criminals who commit their crimes under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and they take advantage of the fact that their victims are walking alone in isolated places, or staying in the house alone. These studies also show that what the criminals watch on the media and the semi-naked styles of dress in which women go out, also lead to the commission of this reprehensible crime.

The laws of Islam came to protect women's honour and modesty. Islam forbids women to wear clothes that are not modest and to travel without a mahram; it forbids a woman to shake hands with a non-mahram man. Islam encourages young men and women to marry early, and many other rulings which close the door to rape. Hence it comes as no surprise when we hear or read that most of these crimes occur in permissive societies which are looked up to by some Muslims as examples of civilization and refinement! In America – for example – International Amnesty stated in a 2004 report entitled “Stop Violence Against Women” that every 90 seconds a woman was raped during that year. What kind of life are these people living? What refinement and civilization do they want the Muslim women to take part in?

The punishment for rape in Islam is same as the punishment for zina, which is stoning if the perpetrator is married, and one hundred lashes and banishment for one year if he is not married.

Some scholars also say that he is required to pay a mahr to the woman.

Imam Maalik (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

In our view the man who rapes a woman, whether she is a virgin or not, if she is a free woman he must pay a “dowry” like that of her peers, and if she is a slave he must pay whatever has been detracted from her value. The punishment is to be carried out on the rapist and there is no punishment for the woman who has been raped, whatever the case. End quote.

Al-Muwatta’, 2/734

Shaykh Salmaan al-Baaji (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

In the case of a woman who is forced (raped): if she is a free woman, the one who forced her must pay her a “dowry” like that of her peers, and the hadd punishment is to be carried out on him. This is the view of al-Shaafa’i, and it is the view of al-Layth, and it was also narrated from ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib (may Allaah be pleased with him).

Abu Haneefah and al-Thawri said: the hadd punishment is to be carried out on him but he is not obliged to pay the “dowry”.

The evidence for what we say is that the hadd punishment and the “dowry” are two rights, one of which is the right of Allaah and the other is the right of the other person. So they may be combined, as in the case of a thief whose hand is cut off and he is required to return the stolen goods. End quote.

Al-Muntaha Sharh al-Muwatta’, 5/268, 269

Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

The scholars are unanimously agreed that the rapist is to be subjected to the hadd punishment if there is clear evidence against him that he deserves the hadd punishment, or if he admits to that. Otherwise, he is to be punished (i.e., if there is no proof that the hadd punishment for zina may be carried out against him because he does not confess, and there are not four witnesses, then the judge may punish him and stipulate a punishment that will deter him and others like him). There is no punishment for the woman if it is true that he forced her and overpowered her, which may be proven by her screaming and shouting for help. End quote.

Al-Istidhkaar, 7/146

Secondly:

The rapist is subject to the hadd punishment for zina, even if the rape was not carried out at knife-point or gun-point. If the use of a weapon was threatened, then he is a muhaarib, and is to be subjected to the hadd punishment described in the verse in which Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“The recompense of those who wage war against Allaah and His Messenger and do mischief in the land is only that they shall be killed or crucified or their hands and their feet be cut off from opposite sides, or be exiled from the land. That is their disgrace in this world, and a great torment is theirs in the Hereafter”

[al-Maaidah 5:33]

So the judge has the choice of the four punishments mentioned in this verse, and may choose whichever he thinks is most suitable to attain the objective, which is to spread peace and security in society, and ward off evildoers and aggressors.

See also question no. 41682

And Allaah knows best.

Islam Q&A

Tafsir (Commentary) on the verse 24:34

Allah's saying:


﴿وَلاَ تُكْرِهُواْ فَتَيَـتِكُمْ عَلَى الْبِغَآءِ﴾


(And force not your slave-girls to prostitution...) Among the people of the Jahiliyyah, there were some who, if he had a slave-girl, he would send her out to commit Zina and would charge money for that, which he would take from her every time. When Islam came, Allah forbade the believers to do that. The reason why this Ayah was revealed, according to the reports of a number of earlier and later scholars of Tafsir, had to do with `Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul. He had slave-girls whom he used to force into prostitution so that he could take their earnings and because he wanted them to have children which would enhance his status, or so he claimed.

In his Musnad, Al-Hafiz Abu Bakr Ahmad bin `Amr bin `Abd Al-Khaliq Al-Bazzar, may Allah have mercy on him, recorded that Az-Zuhri said, "`Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul had a slave-girl whose name was Mu`adhah, whom he forced into prostitution. When Islam came, the Ayah


﴿وَلاَ تُكْرِهُواْ فَتَيَـتِكُمْ عَلَى الْبِغَآءِ﴾


(And force not your slave-girls to prostitution...) was revealed.'' Al-A`mash narrated from Abu Sufyan that Jabir said concerning this Ayah, "This was revealed about a slave-girl belonging to `Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul whose name was Musaykah. He used to force her to commit immoral actions, but there was nothing wrong with her and she refused. Then Allah revealed this Ayah:


﴿وَلاَ تُكْرِهُواْ فَتَيَـتِكُمْ عَلَى الْبِغَآءِ﴾


(And force not your slave-girls to prostitution,) until His saying;


﴿وَمَن يُكْرِههُنَّ فِإِنَّ اللَّهِ مِن بَعْدِ إِكْرَاهِهِنَّ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾


(But if anyone compels them, then after such compulsion, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.)'' An-Nasa'i also recorded something similar. Muqatil bin Hayyan said, "I heard -- and Allah knows best -- that this Ayah was revealed about two men who used to force two slave-girls of theirs (into prostitution). One of them was called Musaykah who belonged to ﴿the Ansari﴾, and Umaymah the mother of Musaykah belonged to `Abdullah bin Ubayy. Mu`adhah and Arwa were in the same situation. Then Musaykah and her mother came to the Prophet and told him about that. Then Allah revealed:


﴿وَلاَ تُكْرِهُواْ فَتَيَـتِكُمْ عَلَى الْبِغَآءِ﴾


(And force not your slave-girls to prostitution), meaning Zina.


﴿إِنْ أَرَدْنَ تَحَصُّناً﴾


(if they desire chastity,) means, if they want to be chaste, which is the case with the majority of slave-girls.


﴿لِّتَبْتَغُواْ عَرَضَ الْحَيَوةِ الدُّنْيَا﴾


(in order that you may make a gain in the goods of this worldly life.) meaning, from the money they earn and their children. The Messenger of Allah forbade the money earned by the cupper, the prostitute and the fortune-teller. According to another report:


«مَهْرُ الْبَغِيِّ خَبِيثٌ وَكَسْبُ الْحَجَّامِ خَبِيثٌ، وَثَمَنُ الْكَلْبِ خَبِيثٌ»


(The earnings of a prostitute are evil, the earnings of a cupper are evil, and the price of a dog is evil.)


﴿وَمَن يُكْرِههُنَّ فِإِنَّ اللَّهِ مِن بَعْدِ إِكْرَاهِهِنَّ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ﴾


(But if anyone compels them, then after such compulsion, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.) meaning, towards them, as has already been stated in the Hadith narrated from Jabir. Ibn Abi Talhah narrated that Ibn `Abbas said, "If you do that, then Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful, and their sin will be on the one who forced them to do that.'' This was also the view of Mujahid, `Ata' Al-Khurasani, Al-A`mash and Qatadah. After explaining these rulings in detail, Allah says:


﴿وَلَقَدْ أَنْزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ ءَايَـتٍ مُّبَيِّنَـتٍ﴾


(And indeed We have sent down for you Ayat that make things plain,) meaning, in the Qur'an there are Ayat which are clear and explain matters in detail.


﴿وَمَثَلاً مِّنَ الَّذِينَ خَلَوْاْ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ﴾


(and the example of those who passed away before you,) means, reports about the nations of the past and what happened to them when they went against the commandments of Allah, as Allah says:


﴿فَجَعَلْنَـهُمْ سَلَفاً وَمَثَلاً لِّلاٌّخِرِينَ ﴾


(And We made them a precedent, and an example to later generations.) ﴿43:56﴾; We made them a lesson, i.e., a rebuke for committing sin and forbidden deeds.


﴿لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ﴾


(for those who have Taqwa. ) meaning, for those who remember and fear Allah.






http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ref=72338&ln=eng&txt=raped

Answer 2

This verse does say tat you should not force slave girls into prostitution but it does not validate or allow rape as you have suggested. As an experienced reader of the Quran I should tell you that the words, "... Allah if oft-forgiving" occur in the Quran numerous times to remind Muslims of his sublime qualities.
To think that Allah's claim of being forgiving after a line about prostitution gives muslim men the right to have any woman they want could not be further from the truth. This is just the style of the Quran and you will find similar verses throughout the book.
So, the message is simple: Although God is very forgiving, clement and merciful, forcing slave girls to prostitution (so that you can enjoy your life as the verse says) is simply wrong and forbidden.
I would leave it to the imagination of any reader just how ugly such a crime would be.
Cheers & God bless.

Answer 3

It means:

Don't make your female slaves whores, if they don't want to be whores. But if they're forced, then Allah often forgives THEM -- not those who forced them. This passage mentions nothing about the men who may have forced them into prostitution. But, implicitly, if Allah directs the slave owners not to force prostituion, presumably Allah doesn't condone others who would do the same thing.

The words are reflective of the era during which they were written. Today's non-fundamentalist muslims would condemn men who force prostitution in the same way as it would condemn women who voluntarily enter the profession.

Adherents of the Muslim faith are not known today to take a Libertarian view of prostitution, nor, for that matter, do any of the mainstream religions.

Answer 4

In those days slaves were considered property and so an owner could pretty much do what he wanted with them. This meant that many owners used their slaves as prostitutes, forcing them to have sex for money etc. Slaves couldnt refuse of course without getting punished.

After Mohammed started preaching about Islam there were lots of converts and many of those were slaves and slave owners obviously. So basically, God was trying to instill moral guidelines among slaveowners and slaves where there werent any before. God is telling the owners that its now considered forbidden to force your slave women to have sex against their wills, expecially for your financial gain. God says that if they are forced(as a slave it would really be hard to resist) then God is forgiving towards the slave...not the slaveowner or the one that forced her against her will. God was trying to teach the new muslim community to see their slaves as people and not property. the Quran mentions many times the virtue of freeing a slave as a charitable deed or to cover sins that you may have committed.

Answer 5

Hmm... OK you have the wrong verse. It's 24:33
At that time, it was OK to have slaves. They brought them from Africa mostly and from previous wars. It's basically saying that just because they are your slaves (NOT SEX SLAVES) you can't use them to have sex. At the end of the verse, it says that if the slave owner had urges to have sex with them and resisted, Allah will be forgiving.

Answer 6

I'm not versed in the quote or the context of it.. but it seems to me that Allah is forgiving to the woman because it was not of her choice.. I don't think it applies to the men who rape her.

Answer 7

Allah is all wise-he says that we as Muslim males have God-like command over all women,we may do as we please to them.
When the revolution comes and our brave brothers overthrow the Kafoor, we will rape every white b*tch we see.