CONCUBINE. Arabic Surriyah سرية, pl. sarari. The Muslim religion
appears to give almost unlimited license to concubinage,
provided the woman be a slave and not a free Muslim woman. Those
female slaves must be either (1) taken captive in war, (2) or
purchased by money, (3) or the descendants of slaves. Even
married women, if taken in war, are, according to the injunction
of the Qur’an, Surah iv. 28, entirely at the disposal of the
Muslim conqueror. “(Unlawful) to you are married women except
such as your right hand possess (i.e. taken in war or purchased
as slave).” This institution of concubinage is founded upon the
example of Muhammad himself, who took Rihanah the Jewess as his
concubine after the battle with the Bani Quraizah (A.H. 5), and
also Maria the Copt, who was sent him as a slave by the Governor
of Egypt. Should a concubine bear her master a child, the Muslim
law rules that she and her offspring are ipso facto free. For a
further treatment of this subject, see the article on SLAVES.
Amongst the Shi`