More research needed.

Submitted by Shahzad (United Arab Emirates), Jan 17, 2006 at 13:36

Dear Siddiqui,
Its good that being a nonMuslim you have done some research in Quran but however the verse you have narrated does not mean that prostitution is allowed in Islam. Islam very strictly on several places rules out sex with any except ones lawful wife ( wives ). Its sometimes difficult to understand translations of Quran , you can always lookup the details . One good site I would recommend is www.altafsir.com ( Tafsir in arabic means explanation ... in this case of Holy Quran by learned scholars of Islam ).

In verse you have quoted , its mentioned that slave girls who are 'forced' into prostitution are forgiven by Allah if they repent ( would preserve there chastity ). Otherwise remember Islam has punishment for prostitution. Below is a copy of explanation of above verse from altafsir.com:

************* Start of tafsir ****
And let those who cannot find the means to marry be continent, those who do not have] the bridal money or the means for financial support needed for marriage, [let them restrain themselves] from fornication, until God enriches them, [until] He improves their means, out of His bounty, and they marry. And those who seek a written contract [of emancipation], from among those whom your right hand owns, of male slaves and female slaves, contract with them accordingly, if you know in them any good, such as trustworthiness and the ability to earn [income] in order to fulfil the amount stated in the written contract, which might be worded for example thus: 'I contract you for [the amount of] two thousand to be paid over a period of two months, at one thousand a month, and if you fulfill this, you are a free man', and the other would say, 'I accept'; and give them - this is a command for the [slaves'] owners - out of the wealth of God which He has given you, in the measure that will help them to fulfill their commitment to you (the action of ītā', 'giving', here suggests that some of the amount to which they have committed themselves should be waived). And do not compel your slave-girls, your handmaidens, to prostitution, fornication, when they desire to be chaste, to abstain therefrom (this 'desire' is the cause of the [act of] 'compulsion', so that the statement is not properly a conditional), that you may seek, through such compulsion, the transient things of the life of this world - this was revealed regarding 'Abd Allāh b. Ubayy, who used to force his slave-girls to earn money through fornication. And should anyone compel them, then surely God, after their compulsion, will be Forgiving, to these [slave-girls], Merciful, to them
******* End of tafsir *********

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