Some guy has been challenging me, he said that 4:24 means that you can *marry* women of your enemies *who flee their disbelieving husbands*.
I suggest you re-read it...
Pickthal: and all married women (are forbidden? unto you) save those (captives) whom your right hands possess.
Mohsin: Also (forbidden are) women already married, except those (slaves) whom your right hands possess.
Yusuf Ali: Also (prohibited are) women already married, except those whom your right hands possess
And shall we also see what the Tafsirs say?
Jalalayn: And, forbidden to you are, wedded women, those with spouses, that you should marry them before they have left their spouses, be they Muslim free women or not; save what your right hands own, of captured [slave] girls, whom you may have sexual intercourse with, even if they should have spouses among the enemy camp, but only after they have been absolved of the possibility of pregnancy
Al Wahidi: we asked the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, about them. And the verse (And all married women (are forbidden unto you) save those (captives) whom your right hands possess) was then revealed, as a result of which we consider it lawful to have a physical relationship with them"
Tanwir Al Miqbas: (And all married women (are forbidden unto you save those (captives) whom your right hands possess) of captives, even if they have husbands in the Abode of War, after ascertaining that they are not pregnant, by waiting for the lapse of one period of menstruation.
I couldn't find any others on Al Tafseer.com
And let's take a look at a literal word-by-word translation:
http://corpus.quran.com/wordbyword.jsp?chapter=4&verse=24"except whom you rightfully possess."
The Arabic word is "مَلَكَتۡ" - which means "Slaves", it is also used here:
4:3 - You can marry from your slaves.
4:25 - You can marry from your slaves.
4:36 - Be kind to your neighbours etc, and your slaves.
16:71 - If Allah gives you provisions, don't give them to your slaves.
23:6 - You can have sex with your wives and your slaves.
24:31 - Tells women who they can expose their bodies to. Husband, brothers, etc...and their slaves.
24:33 - Talks about slaves who wish to pay for their release
24:58 - Slaves and children must ask your permission to be in your company
30:28 - More about slaves
33:50 - "We have made lawful unto thee thy wives unto whom thou hast paid their dowries, and those whom thy right hand possesseth of those whom Allah hath given thee as spoils of war"
33:52 - You cannot swap your women for lust....unless they are slaves.
33:55 - Women are free to discuss with their father/sons/brothers, etc + slaves
70:30 - You cannot have sex with women....except your wives and slaves
So...you can do something with your slaves "even if they are married", you can do the same thing with your slaves that you do with your wives (so it isn't "marry"), you must be chaste with all women except your wives and slaves, they are clearly slaves because only a slave can be emancipated (24:33), slaves are spoils of war (33:50)
Malakat (the word used for slaves, not "fleeing women") in the Quran is rooted in Mim Lam Kaf.
Other words rooted in MLK and therefore related in meaning are
MALAKatum - You POSSESS
yaMLIKum - POWER/CONTROLS/POSSESSES
yaMLIKuwnna - they will have POWER/CONTROL/WILL POSSESS
taMLIKUhum - RULING them
taMLIKU - will have POWER
taMLIKuwnna - YOU will have POWER/CONTROL/WILL POSSESS
aMLIKU - I will have POWER/POSSESS
taMLIKA - you will have POWER
MALIKI - Master
MALIKA - Owner
It's very easy to work out the meaning of words using corpus.quran.com by looking up where else those words are used + by looking at the most closely related words.
This is all about having sex with people you own.
Topic: Sex slaves