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as mentioned before.<br />

Connected with adultery. prostitution was common throughout<br />

the Arab world. particularly among women <strong>of</strong> a low social class in<br />

Mecca, many had been brought as slave girls, or belonged to poor<br />

tribes or poor families.<br />

Hadith <strong>of</strong>7fsha :<br />

1<br />

The customary procedure is described in the<br />

"In which many people would come to a woman and she<br />

would never refuse anyone who came to her. Those<br />

were týe prostitutes who used to fix flags at their<br />

Aors<br />

and signs. and he who wished could have<br />

sexual intercourse with them. If any one <strong>of</strong> them<br />

got pregnant, and had a child. then all those men<br />

would be gathered together and they would call the<br />

'Qafahl (woman skilled in recognising the likeness<br />

<strong>of</strong> a child to his father. ) and she would let him<br />

belong to him and he called it his son. The man<br />

could not refuse all that. " 2<br />

Islam prohibited prostitution altogether.<br />

The particular case <strong>of</strong> a master forcing his slaves to commit<br />

fornication was clarified by the following verse which was revealed<br />

when one <strong>of</strong> Abdullah bin Sal7ulls women slaves went to the Prophet<br />

to complain about her master's acts:<br />

"But force not your maids to prostitution when they<br />

desire chastity, in order that ye may make a gain<br />

in the goods <strong>of</strong> this life. But if anyone compels<br />

them. yet. after such compulsion. is God <strong>of</strong>t-<br />

forgiving, most merciful (to them). " 3<br />

The definitive position taken on adultery in Islam is given in<br />

this passage from the Qurlan:<br />

1. Ibid<br />

"The woman and man guilty <strong>of</strong> adultery or fornication,<br />

flog each <strong>of</strong> them with a hundred stripes. let not<br />

compassion move you in their caseq a matter<br />

prescribed by God, if ye believe in God. and the<br />

last day. And let a party <strong>of</strong> the believers witness<br />

their punishment. " 4<br />

2. Sahih al-Bukhari. Vol. 7, Pe 35<br />

3. Q. 24 : 33<br />

4. Q. 24 1- 2<br />

29

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