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and would not take them captive, because they know that only free
women would be desired by the enemy. 1 Some even preferred death
to being taken captive. An example is the story of tatimah bint
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Khurshub al-IAnm! ryyah, who was one of the noble matrons who bore
the title al-Munjibý-at (the mother of heroes). When Hamal bin Badr
raided BaZcAbs, the tribe to which she belonged, and made her his
prisoner, she cried, 'Man, thy wits are wandering. By God. if thou
take me captive, and if we have behind us this. hill which is now in
front of us, surely there will never be peace between thee and. the
sons of Ziyad. 0 (Ziyad was the name of her-husband) 'because people
will say what they please and the mere suspicion of evil is enough. '
'I will carry thee off$ said he, 'that thou mayest-tend my camel. '
When F; timah knew that she was certainly taken captive, she threw
herself headlong from the camel and died. so greatly did she fear to
bring disgrace to her husband and sons. 2
If the woman taken captive
had no alternative but to submit, herself to her captor, she married
her captor without a dowry. lived with him and gave birth to children.
However, whenever she had a chance to flee back to her people. she
would do so, as in the case of Jamrah bint Nawfal.
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It was regarded
as praiseworthy for the leader of a tribe to reward his men lavishly
with the captives and booty of their battles.,, When the war was over.
they distributed women captives as well as booty among the fighting men
of the tribe. Everyone took his captive. and unless her own people
took her back either by ransom or by force. he had a free hand
regarding her. He could marry her without a dowry. as mentioned before.
to satisfy his desire for having more children. or give her as a
present to one of his relatives or friends. as did Al-Nulam-an.
1. Ibid
2. Nicholson, R. A.. A Literary History of the Arabs, P. 88
3. Al-HZTfr, op. cit., P. 482
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