The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 3 of 4

Imm Alpad stated, "'Ahd al-Razzaq related to us, quoting Sufyan - he
being al-Thawri - from Wthman al-Battr, from Abn al-Khalil, from Aba Sacid
al-Khudari, who said, 'At Aw@s we took some women prisoner who had
hushands and we were reluctant to have intercourse with them while this was so.
We therefore asked the Messenger of God (SAAS) and this verse was revealed,
"and all married women, except those whom your right hands possess" (swat
al-Nisrt'; IV, v.24). And so we considered their bodies permissible to us."'
Al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasa'i related it thus from a hadith of Wthman al-Batti.
Muslim gave it in his ~ahih collection from a hadith of Shu'ba, from Qatada, from
Aba al-Khalil, from Ahii Sacid al-Khudari. Imm Alpad, Muslim, Aha Da'iid
and al-Nasx'i gave it from a hadith of Sa'id h. Aba Wriiha. Muslim, Shu'ba and
al-Tirmidhi gave it additionally from a hadith of Ham-, from Y&ya, all three
giving an account from Qmda, from Ahii al-Khalil, from Abii 'Alqama al-mhimi,
from Aha Sacid to the effect that the men of the Messenger of God (SAAS) at
Am% made captives of women who had husbands who were polytheists. This fact
made some of the men refrain from intercourse with them. And so this verse "and
all married women, except those whom your right hands possess" was revealed.
This is the version given by Alpnad h. Hanhal; and he added to this chain
of authorities Aba 'Alqama al-Hahimi who is considered reliable. This is the
accepted interpretation, though God knows best.
A number of the early authorities view this verse as evidence that the sale of a
female slave means her divorce. This is related of Ihn Mascad, Ubayy h. Ka'b,
Jabir h. 'Abd All&, Ihn 'Abhs, Sa'id h. al-Musayyab and al-Hasan al-Bqri.
The majority oppose these, citing an anecdote about Burayra to the effect of her
having been sold and then given a choice of ending or maintaining her marriage.
If sale of her meant her divorce, then she would not have been given a choice.
We have discussed this issue in detail and suff~ciently in our Ta&r (Exegesis).
And we will refer to it again, if God so wills it, in our (projected work) al-Ahkrtm
al-Kabir.
A number of the early authorities cite this hadith relating to those made
captive at Awtas to substantiate the permissibility (of intercourse) with female
slaves who were polytheists. The majority, however, oppose them, saying, "This
is a special case; perhaps these women accepted Islam or were Christians or
Jews." The proper place for further discussion of this issue will be in al-Ahkrtm
al-Kabir, if God Almighty wills it.
Chapter: On those who were martyred at the battle ufHunnyn and
on the Expedition to Awcris.
(These men were) Ayman h. Umm Ayman, freed-man of the Messenger of God
(SAAS), he being Ayman h. 'Uhayd; Zayd b. Zam'a h. al-Aswad h. al-Mutplih
b. Asad, whose horse, named &Jan&, bolted and so he was killed; Suraqa h.
Mdik h. al-H&th b. 'Adi al-Ansari, of Bana al-'Ajh; Aha CAmir al-Ash'ari,