When and how may slaves be taken, and what are the Sharia conditions for that? Is it permissible for a master and a slave woman to have a physical relationship? What are the limits of the age difference between them? Is public declaration required or is secrecy permissible? What is the minimum age? Do slave women exist only in times of war, or are there other ways to acquire them? Is it true that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, owned many slaves?

A man's act with a maidservant is forbidden, because she is a free woman and not a slave-woman. The contract between them is a contract of hire for work, not for enjoyment.

Slaves and slave-women can only be taken from the wars of Muslims against disbelievers.

It is permissible for mujahidin to own slave-women from war spoils, and it is permissible to have intercourse with them after ensuring the womb is clear.

Physical relations between a man and his slave-woman are permissible, and there is no specific age difference. The relationship must be declared.

The Prophet, peace be upon him, owned slave-women and slaves, but the existence of slaves in the shar'i (Islamic legal) sense is rare now because Muslims have abandoned jihad.

One must be careful of a misunderstanding of the concept of a slave-woman, which might be confused with prostitution.