Salaam. Excuse me for the long post but I feel some background on this will help. I don't mean to offend anyone but I'm going to be bluntly honest and hopefully someone will be able to help me reach something that feels more than just a superficial understanding that deep down I'm not comfortable with.
I have always identified myself as a Muslim and throughout my teenage years ( I am now approaching twenty) I undoubtedly have run into people, situations and scenarios that have made me question my religion, but despite this I've managed to reconcile these issues with my faith. At times, despite my personal opinion on an issue, I acknowledge it is what Islam says and I just have to accept it.
A few years ago I came across the concept of concubines in Islam and instead of facing the issue, I put it to the back of my mind, but recently being on this 'journey' to strengthen and consolidate my faith I have been looking into matters that may be considered more 'fragile'.
Despite wanting to I am unable to reconcile the concept of concubines with my faith. Despite my hardest efforts, I can only somewhat understand the purpose of concubines.
Something's I don't understand.
-I don't understand why having sex and then a possible pregnancy is what would free a slave, why not just free her on the spot?
- It is pointed out if these women were not used in this way they would be killed instead, but why not just keep them as maids? Why not just free them without killing them?
-It's often pointed out that other faiths just killed their prisoners, but the wrongs of another religious group doesn't justify something that to my mind only seems slightly better.
- Another reason is because 'women have needs', but what if the woman doesn't wish to be a concubine? I have been told that the woman would have had no right to refuse. If a woman can not refuse sexual intercourse then you are forcing yourself onto an unwilling woman, you are raping her.
- Am I right in believing if she is Muslim she can't be used as a concubine? So if she said the shahada, that would automatically stop her from becoming a concubine (regardless of whether it was genuine or not?)
- I keep being told slavery is abolished but that is besides the point and seems like a cop out, if there was a proper Islamic Shariah state would concubines be allowed in this day and age?
I was looking on a very well known Muslim question and answer website and they were addressing the question of concubines. The individual answering the question also stated the wife of a man would be unable to protest or be displeased if her husband were to take a concubine. In effect her opinion was of no importance and the man was free to have intercourse with as many concubines as he wished. If this is true, then I don't understand how a woman can state in her marriage contract she has the right to divorce if a man takes another wife, but can not object to concubines.
I have many more questions and I understand that this is a very long query and for that I apologise but this is something that I feel I have to ignore and have it chip at and weaken my faith, or tackle it head on and solve how shaky my faith feels when I'm approached with these subjects. I hope someone can answer some of the questions, if not all and I hope you don't mind my follow up questions.