The Koran, believed to be the literal word of Allah, emphasizes the importance for others to embrace this belief. Muslims often assert that Islam promotes peace and justice in order to spread their faith, suggesting that verses about warfare in the Koran aim to eliminate injustice. However, they do not clarify what constitutes “injustice,” a critical concept. It is puzzling to consider why Allah allows slavery and grants Muslim men rights over sexual relations with female slaves if he strongly opposes injustice.
Islam permits the termination of a married woman’s marriage if she is taken as a captive in war, regardless of her husband’s survival. Consequently, she becomes a sex slave to her new Muslim possessor. Muslim men have no restrictions on the number of concubines they may have. Akbar possessed approximately 5000 Hindu women as concubines in his harem, while his son had around 6000. Many individuals mistakenly assume that slavery was exclusively associated with the West; however, they fail to recognize that it was actually the West who played a crucial role in abolishing this detestable practice, despite their own responsibility for its involvement. Slavery remained legal in Saudi Arabia until the 1960s when it was finally banned by law. In India, Islamic slavery endured until 1857 AD when British rule ultimately prohibited it.
The exclusion of British rule in India from our history textbooks can be ascribed to the bias of leftists and Marxists who possess a deep-rooted disdain for the west. Their objective is to tarnish British rule while glorifying Islamic rule, conveniently overlooking the fact that Islam introduced slavery to India—an entirely foreign concept. Shifting away from this diversion, we encounter an Islamic website presenting a fatwa that justifies the divine entitlement of Muslim men to coerce their wives and sex slaves into sexual intercourse in order to fulfill their carnal desires (source). A scholar was asked about the permissibility of a man using force on his wife or slave if they refuse.
It is not allowed for a woman to decline her husband’s request for intimate relations, as per an Islamic scholar. However, she can do so if it would cause harm or hinder her from fulfilling her responsibilities. This ruling is backed by the hadith narrated by Abu Hurayrah where Prophet Muhammad stated that if a husband invites his wife to bed and she rejects him, the angels will curse her until morning (as recorded in Al-Bukhaari and Muslim).
The refusal of a woman without any excuse is considered defiance and disobedience (nushooz). In this case, the husband is not obligated to provide financial support and clothing for her. The husband should advise her about the consequences from Allah and distance himself from her in their bed. He also has the right to lightly strike her, as long as it does not cause harm. According to Allah’s statement: “When you perceive misbehavior from women, first admonish them, then refuse to share their beds, and finally lightly strike them if it proves beneficial. However, if they return to obedience, do not seek any means against them to cause annoyance.”
According to the Quranic verse “Surely, Allah is Ever Most High, Most Great” [al-Nisa’ 4:34], Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah (may Allah have mercy on him) addressed the situation where a husband’s wife denies him intimacy. He stated that it is impermissible for her to rebel or withhold herself from him. If she persists in refusing, he has the option to non-injuriously hit her. Furthermore, in cases of plural marriage, she does not deserve financial support or a share of his time. This ruling can be found in Majmoo’ al-Fataawa, 32/279.
In addition, when asked about a rebellious wife who refuses intimate relations, Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah replied that she forfeits her right to maintenance and clothing if she denies him. In situations of continued defiance, he has the right to hit her. It is crucial for her to obey Allah and His Messenger by not refusing intimacy when asked.
The text states that in al-Saheeh, it is mentioned that if a husband invites his wife to his bed and she refuses, she will incur the anger of Allah until the morning. This hadeeth has been narrated by Muslim, 1736. Therefore, the wife should be advised and warned about defiance (nushooz), Allah’s anger, and the angels’ curse. If she still does not respond, the husband may abstain from having sexual relations with her. And if she continues to refuse, he is allowed to lightly hit her without causing harm.
If none of these steps are effective, a husband has the right to stop spending on his wife’s maintenance and clothing. He also has the right to divorce her or allow her to separate from him by khula’ in exchange for a financial settlement, such as giving up the mahr. Likewise, a slave woman cannot refuse her master’s requests unless she has a valid excuse. If she does refuse, it is considered disobedience, and he has the right to discipline her in any manner permitted by sharee’ah. May Allah have the best knowledge.
