The fourth issue of DABIQ magazine, owned by ISIS, published an article that claimed support for the revival of slavery through the capture of the Yazidis tribe.

One of the basis of their arguments for the revival of slavery is a verse from the Quran that says, “And when the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, let them [go] on their way. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (The Quran, 9:5)

The ISIS writers then argue using the prophet’s sayings about the birth of children who will become masters to their domiciled mothers who happen to be slaves. The hadith indicates that at the end of times, there will be plenty of such births. There is, therefore, a clear sign in the hadith which justifies making the Yazidis women slaves, as well as sex slaves, which ISIS claims to be desirable as the precise time has come for such an act as mentioned in the hadith.

…Mustazah Bahari is an Associate Research Fellow at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, NTU.