Is it permissible to purchase a Christian woman owned by a Christian man, and would she be considered a bondwoman?

It is not permissible to sell a free woman, whether Muslim or disbeliever, based on the Prophet's (peace be upon him) saying: "There are three whose adversary I shall be on the Day of Resurrection: a man who gives a pledge in My Name and then breaks his pledge; a man who sells a free person and consumes his price; and a man who hires a laborer and benefits fully from him but does not pay him his wages."

As for a female slave (amah), it is permissible to sell and possess her if her enslavement is established through a legitimate means, such as being taken captive in a lawful war, though female slaves are rare in this era.

One must be careful not to buy women or children under the claim of slavery without verifying its legitimacy, as some people sell their sons or daughters who are free, and some confuse a maid with a slave. A maid is a free person, and it is not permissible to sell her or to enjoy her.