On the verse: "And married women"

Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that on (the campaign of) Hunayn the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent out a detachment. On the day of Awtas they encountered a tribe of the Arabs, defeated them and killed them, and they captured some of their women who had husbands. Some of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) considered it sinful to have intercourse with them because of their husbands. Thereupon Allah Almighty revealed this verse of the Qur'an: "And (forbidden to you are) the married women, except those whom your right hands possess", that is, those of them who become your slave-women are lawful for you.

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), explaining the verse of the Qur'an "And the married women", said: These women are the polytheist women who have husbands.

Sayyiduna Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), explaining the verse of the Qur'an "And the married women", said: It refers to women who are captives and who had husbands before being taken captive.

Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him), explaining the verse of the Qur'an "And the married women", said: It refers to women who have husbands.

Sa'id bin al-Musayyib said: (It refers to) women who have husbands; this goes back to the fact that Allah Almighty has forbidden fornication.

Regarding the verse of the Qur'an "And the married women", Ubaydah gestured with his hand like this, indicating four (with his fingers), (and recited): "except those whom your right hands possess."

Ibrahim said: Every woman who has a husband is forbidden to you, except the women who are brought as captives; they are lawful.

Al-Sha'bi, explaining the verse of the Qur'an "And the married women", said: This verse was revealed on the day of Awtas.

Al-Hasan said: Every woman who has a husband is forbidden to you, except slave-women, that is, women brought as captives.

Something similar is reported from al-Hasan bin Muhammad.

Ata said: It is fornication.

Mujahid said: It is fornication.

Ikrimah said: It is fornication, "except those whom your right hands possess."

Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "Except those whom your right hands possess" (means that) a man may take back his slave-woman who is the wife of his slave.

Others said: Captive women of the enemy may be had intercourse with when their husbands have also been taken captive.

Sa'id bin Jubayr said: He may keep four such women.

Makhul said: He may keep four such women.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), explaining the verse of the Qur'an "And the muhsanat among women", said: It refers to women who have husbands.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him), explaining the verse of the Qur'an "And the muhsanat among women", said: Every woman who has a husband is forbidden to you, except one who is your slave-woman or whom you have bought.

Al-Hasan, explaining the verse of the Qur'an "And the muhsanat among women", said: Every woman who has a husband is forbidden to you, except your captive slave-woman.

Makhul, explaining the verse of the Qur'an "And the muhsanat among women", said: It refers to women who have husbands.

Abu al-Sawda said: I asked Ikrimah about this verse, and he said that he did not know.

Abu al-Sawda said: And I asked al-Sha'bi, and he said: It refers to every woman who has a husband.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), explaining the verse of the Qur'an "And the muhsanat among women", said: It refers to all women, except those women with husbands who have been taken captive.

Ata, explaining the verse of the Qur'an "And the muhsanat among women", said: Intercourse with such women is zina (fornication).

And Mujahid said: It refers to zina (fornication).

And Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: It refers to zina (fornication). "Except those whom your right hands possess": a man may take away a slave-woman of his who is the wife of his slave and have intercourse with her if he wishes.

And someone else said: It refers to the captive women of the enemy.

Sa'id bin Jubayr, explaining the verse of the Qur'an "And the muhsanat among women", said: This verse was revealed concerning the women of the people of Hunayn. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) conquered Hunayn, the Muslims took many captives. Whenever one of the Muslims went to one of the captive women, she would say: "I have a husband." So this was mentioned to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and Allah Almighty revealed this verse: "And the muhsanat among women, except those whom your right hands possess." It refers to captive women who have husbands.

Mujahid, explaining the verse of the Qur'an "And the muhsanat among women", said that in it zina (fornication) has been forbidden.

Sa'id bin al-Musayyib, explaining the verse of the Qur'an "And the muhsanat among women", said: Do not be deceived by this verse. It refers to slave-women, not to male slaves.