Mariah al Qibitiyya
Muhammad’s last conquest was a Coptic Christian slave from Egypt. This time Muhammad had to strenuously defend his behaviour. He even called upon Allah again, as was his habit when he got into trouble in his private life. Food for thought.
Muhammad had reached middle age and thought it was about time for him to expand his monotheism. He decided to write letters to the leaders of the major Arab countries, encouraging them to submit to Allah. The governor of Egypt did not intend to do so, but as a token of respect sent two female slaves and two donkeys to the prophet. One of those slaves was Mariah. She was housed not far from the other women.
When it was Hafsa’s night, Muhammad found Mariah in Hafsa’s house. He sent Hafsa to her father with an excuse and sexually assaulted Mariah in Hafsa’s bed. Hafsa’s father was not home so she returned home unexpectedly and found Muhammad in her bed with his slave girl. “In my house and in my bed!,” Hafsa shouted in dismay. After all, it was adultery. According to verse 23:6, Mohammed did not have to maintain his chastity towards a female slave. Muhammad hastened to announce that Mariah was now illegitimate to him if Hafsa promised to keep the incident secret. But Allah would help him out again with a verse (66:1): ‘O Prophet, why do you forbid something that Allah has made lawful for you?’ As we know from several other verses, the right hand possess was free (slaves and spoils of war). They did not have consent for sexual intercourse. Moreover, didn’t the prophet Abraham have a slave in bed?!
Muhammad felt that Hafsa should repent and he decided to withdraw with his slave for a month. Mariah became pregnant with a boy named Ibrahim. According to the ancient custom of Mecca, the owner had to marry his slave after a child was born. And so it happened. From being a prized possession she became his wife. Ibrahim was the first child of Muhammad born after his marriage to his first wife Khadija. And like the boys from his first marriage, Ibrahim died young. Mariah died in February 637.
Finally: Many Muslims believe that Islam has abolished slavery. Nothing could be further from the truth: the Koran allows it. In the history of Islam, approximately 20 million slaves have been traded from Africa and the Balkans. In Saudi Arabia, slavery was only abolished in 1963, and naturally it was the former slave owners that received financial compensation.
13. The wifes of the prophet: Mariah