Eternal Dilemmas: Can the Qur’an Be Reinterpreted to Forbid Slavery and Concubinage Today?
Introduction: The Ethics of an Eternal Word
One of the most pressing moral questions facing Islam in the modern age is this: Can the Qur’an’s rulings on slavery and concubinage be reinterpreted today to align with universal human rights?
This question isn’t just academic. It strikes at the core of Islamic theology. If the Qur’an is truly eternal, final, and perfect—as orthodox Islam maintains—then every verse must be eternally valid. But therein lies the moral crisis: key Qur’anic verses not only allow slavery and sex with captive women but do so in the voice of divine legislation.
So which is it?
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If these verses can be reinterpreted to forbid slavery and concubinage, then the Qur’an is clearly subject to revision—and therefore not eternal or timeless.
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If they cannot be reinterpreted, then slavery and sexual ownership remain morally valid under divine law—today, tomorrow, and forever.
There is no third option.
1. What the Qur’an Actually Says
Let’s begin by examining the key verses themselves.
Qur’an 4:24
“And [forbidden to you are] married women except those your right hands possess. [This is] the decree of Allah upon you...” (Sahih International)
This verse permits Muslim men to have sexual relations with women captured in war—even if they are married. The phrase “what your right hands possess” (ma malakat aymanukum) is a euphemism found throughout the Qur’an for female captives or slaves.
Qur’an 33:50
“O Prophet, We have made lawful to you your wives... and those your right hand possesses from what Allah has returned to you [as spoils of war]...”
Here, the Prophet Muhammad himself is granted divine license to engage in sexual relations with female war captives, alongside his wives and others. The justification? These women were “given by Allah” as spoils of war.
There is no command to free them. No condemnation of slavery. No restriction on concubinage.
2. The Historical Consensus: Not a Misinterpretation
Apologists today argue that these verses must be “read in context” or “understood metaphorically.” But this is not how early Muslims—or any of the classical jurists—understood them.
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All four Sunni madhhabs (legal schools) agreed that slavery was permissible and that slave women could be sexually used by their male owners without marriage.
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Ibn Kathir, one of the most influential Qur’anic commentators, affirms the plain meaning: a man may have sex with his slave woman even if she is married to someone else.
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Al-Tabari, Al-Qurtubi, Al-Jassas—all confirm the same: these are legal allowances, not metaphors or temporary exceptions.
This was not fringe thinking. It was orthodoxy.
3. The Reinterpretation Gambit: Can We Ethically ‘Update’ the Qur’an?
Faced with this moral dissonance, many modern Muslim thinkers try to reinterpret the text. They argue:
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That the verses were contextual, not universal.
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That the spirit of the Qur’an ultimately leads to the abolition of slavery.
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That Islam only regulated slavery until it could be phased out.
But here lies the theological trap.
If the Qur’an is truly the uncreated, eternal word of God—as mainstream Sunni Islam teaches—then contextualization is a betrayal. You cannot "contextualize" eternal law any more than you can update the laws of physics.
More critically: there is no verse in the Qur’an that abolishes slavery. There are verses encouraging the freeing of slaves, but this is not the same as forbidding ownership. In fact, slavery is explicitly upheld as a divine institution:
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Qur’an 24:33 – Encourages slaves to buy their freedom “if you know any good in them,” not because slavery is wrong.
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Qur’an 8:67–70 – Permits the enslavement of war captives and allows ransom or exchange.
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Qur’an 16:75 – Uses the analogy of slave vs. free to describe divine inequality, never criticizing slavery itself.
These are not abolitionist texts. They are regulatory texts. The Qur’an presupposes slavery as a normal, legitimate part of society.
4. The Double Bind: Morality or Revelation?
This creates an ethical double bind for contemporary Muslims and reformists:
Option 1: Reinterpret or disregard these verses to align Islam with modern ethics.
✅ Slavery and concubinage are wrong.
❌ But then the Qur’an is not timeless or perfect.
Option 2: Maintain the Qur’an’s literal integrity.
✅ The Qur’an is consistent and eternal.
❌ But slavery and sex with captives remain morally acceptable under divine law.
There is no honest way to square this circle without sacrificing either ethics or theology.
5. The Abrahamic Contrast: A Unique Qur’anic Problem
Some try to evade the problem by claiming that the Bible also condones slavery. While it's true that the Old Testament contains laws regulating slavery, the key difference is this:
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Jews and Christians do not claim the Torah is a final and eternal legal code for all time.
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The New Testament does not legislate slavery and instead contains subversive elements that laid the groundwork for its moral rejection.
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Most importantly, modern Christianity does not claim Jesus upheld slavery or engaged in concubinage.
By contrast, the Qur’an is supposed to be God’s final word, and Muhammad is believed to be the perfect example for all humanity—including his actions as a slave-owner and master of concubines.
6. The Consequences of Infallibility
By insisting on Muhammad’s moral perfection and the Qur’an’s legal finality, Islam locks itself into a moral framework that includes:
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Slavery
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Concubinage
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Child marriage
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Gender inequality
These are not fringe positions—they are the default rulings of centuries of Islamic jurisprudence. Any modern movement away from them requires rejecting core dogmas:
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That the Qur’an is eternal and unchanging.
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That Muhammad’s Sunnah is the perfect example.
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That Sharia is the final and universal legal system.
Conclusion: The Price of Reform
So can Qur’an 4:24 or 33:50 be reinterpreted today to forbid slavery and concubinage?
Not without gutting Islam’s theological foundations.
To reinterpret these verses is to admit they are not eternal, that Muhammad was not morally perfect, and that Islamic law must be subordinate to evolving human ethics. This is precisely why many traditional scholars refuse reinterpretation—because they recognize what’s at stake.
But for modern Muslims, the choice is unavoidable:
Either the Qur’an is eternal, and slavery remains divinely sanctioned…
Or human rights are universal, and the Qur’an must be morally reevaluated.
There is no third path. The question is not only theological—it is moral, civilizational, and inescapably human.
Key Takeaways:
✅ Qur’an 4:24 and 33:50 explicitly allow slavery and concubinage
✅ Classical Islamic scholars upheld these permissions without shame
✅ Modern reinterpretation contradicts the Qur’an’s claim of timelessness
✅ Maintaining textual integrity requires accepting slavery as moral
✅ Reform demands moral honesty—and theological courage
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