Asalamu Alaikum,
I got this wonderful response from Sadullah Khan and i think he did a beautiful job of answering my question.

Salaam
In response to the issue of concubinage and sexula relations with "those whom
your right hand possess" ....
There are three issues that need to be addressed:

What is concubinage ?
What is the difference between a "concubine" and "those whom your right hand
Possess" ?
Does Islam promote concubinage ?
Concubinage

Concubinage is the practice of cohabiting with a woman without the authority
of legal marriage. A concubine is thus a woman with whom a man has sexual
relations without legal obligations that flow from marriage and she thus has
no real recourse to the law for protecting her rights in that relationship.

It was a custom of war to have captives or prisoners of war turned into slaves
and this was indeed a common practice, whether in ancient Rome, pre-Islamic
Arabia or elsewhere. Women were specifically subjected to all kinds of
injustices and abuse; considered as mere commodities to be bought and sold and
were often the victims of sexual abuse - as is still often the case in wartime
situations (such as we have recently witnessed in Bosnia, Kosova, Kashmir...)


The reality of war and need of the times

History bears testimony to the ruin of those who indulged in immorality. The
guarding of chastity is therefore considered a most sacred private and public
duty in Islam.

When Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) came, he tried to put an end to all such inhumane
practices and left no stone unturned in his quest to let women have their
rights and dignity restored. This is clearly manifest in the way Islam handled
the issue of the barbaric slavery system. Yet, it needed to be done gradually,
as the case with all bad practices that have gained ground, in order to affect
real social change.

Islam confined the issue of taking captives to the period of warfare; as a
situation necessitated by hostility between warring peoples. Then it allowed
the female captives to be married by their captors. Does this imply giving men
carte blanche to unleash their sexual desires or to sexually brutalize those
captives? Not at all! Here lies certain wisdom that completely escapes the
mind of those who take this issue to launch attacks against Islam. After
cessation of hostility, it's the norm that prisoners of war be freed and
exchanged through mutual agreement between the parties. Islam has made this
clear in its divine texts that the captives must be freed, through ransom or
without ransom. It is also socially understood that marrying freed female
captives, would normally secure their rights more than would be the case if
they were set free without any guarantee for survival or for preserving their
dignity.

Thus, Islam gave them hope of survival, trying to prevent their becoming
victims of a hostile or foreign community. In fact, they would have definitely
found it hard to find suitors, even among their free male counterparts, who'd
suspect them of being ravished by their captors. Grim as it may seem
initially, this secured them a marital home, whereby their rights and dignity
would be secured.

Why the term "Whom the right hand possess"

Here comes the issue of "ma malakat aimanukum" (what your right hand
possesses) mentioned in verses in the Qur'an, like the following:

If any of you have not the means wherewith to wed free believing women, they
may wed believing girls from among those whom your right hand possesses: And
God Hath full knowledge about your faith. You are one from another: Wed them
with the leave of their possessors, and give them their dowers, according to
what is reasonable...
Surah 4, Verse 25

This opened the door for female slaves or captives to be married by poor
Muslims who could not afford the dowry of free women as well ensured the
security of the female captive in this foreign environment. It is also
significant to note the expression that the Qur'an uses "what your right hand
possesses." when referring to these female captives. Islam put an end to the
despicable habit of using derogatory names of "slaves" or "servants". For in
Islam, a person must not show servitude to anyone besides Allah the Almighty.


The word "whom your right hands possess" here refers to women taken as
prisoners of war and is by no means an implication of concubinage, for
concubinage is totally prohibited in Islam. Nor does it refer to purchasing
female slaves from market to be used to satisfy sexual urges. It's during
warfare that the right hand actually takes possession of captives, and this is
what the Qur'an means.

The word, "right hands possess" also has another significance that clearly
reflects the great concern Islam has for preserving the rights of those
captives. As we know, the right hand has its special merit and privileged
functions that a person instinctively reserves for it. Imam Qurtubi, in his
commentary on this verse, says: "Allah Almighty uses the word 'right hand'
here for it denotes great honor and respect. It suffices that it's the term
used when referring to the virtues of spending as mentioned in the the saying
of the Prophet (pbuh)... 'he who provides charity (seeking only Allah's
reward) in a way that his left hand does not know what his right hand
spends...". It is the very hand used in greeting, eating, taking oath and in
making a pledge of allegiance. Those who have earned the reward of Alah are
referred to in the Qur'an as "people of the right hand" (Q90: 18).

All this indicates that the word "whom your right hand possess" has a special
meaning in Islamic usage. In fact, it signifies the great care and good
treatment that captives or prisoners of wars should be accorded. This is how
Islam dealt with the issue from the outset. Islam has also checked what was an
international custom during that era; i.e. the custom of having illicit
relations with female captives. Islam stipulated that if the female
slave/captive got pregnant from her master, she would automatically gain her
freedom and so would her child, for he'd be born free. This was Islam's
deliberate approach towards eliminating a diabolical habit! So it was not a
means of unleashing sexual desires; otherwise, being pregnant, would have
aided the captive woman nothing, for she'd remain the property of her master
under all circumstances. Islam was certainly not intending to condone such a
nefarious goal.

The only difference between those whom your right hand possess and ordinary
married woman is that a person cannot marry a married woman, but a prisoner of
war (or one previously enslaved), could marry the one who is in charge of her;
if she so wishes, despite the fact that she may have been married prior to
becoming a captive. The choice remains hers and there should be no coercion of
duress on her.

Slavery of the captured was a social ailment that needed to be addressed. So
Islam laid down a gradual strategy, not only to eradicate slavery, but also to
find avenues to free those in bondage and give them a complete social
rehabilitation. First of all, Islam stipulated that all masters should take
care of their captives; they should not be overburdened with tasks, not should
they be deprived of their human rights. The Prophet (pbuh) made this clear in
his injunction that masters should treat those under their authority as their
brothers and female captives as their sisters, if not in faith, at least in
humanity. He said:

"Your servants are thy brethren. Allah has put them under your authority. He
could, if He willed, make you under their control. Thus, whoever has his
brother under his control, let him feed him of his same food and dress him of
his same dress. Never saddle them with work that goes beyond their capability.
If the work happens to be somewhat difficult, lend them a helping hand."

Clarifying Chapters 23 verses 5-8

In chapter 23 verses 5 to 8 as well as in chapter 4 verse 25 of the holy
Qur'an, the term malakat aymanuhum (those whom the right hand possess) has
often been misconstrued to imply that Muslim males could force themselves upon
their female prisoners of war. It must be clarified that sexual relations with
a female prisoner of war without marrying her, is not at all supported in the
Qur'an nor by this specific verse. Reference here is to sexual relationships
with those to whom a man is married legally, since sexual relations outside
wedlock is totally forbidden. The emphasis or distinction of malakat aymanuhum
(those whom your right hand possess) is to indicate that besides marrying
amongst the nobility; marry even those who are under your protection (right
hand) rather than to indulge in debauchery. This fact is evident from numerous
verses in the Qur'an including (4:26) (4:4) (2:222) (24:33). The holy Prophet
(pbuh) explicitly states in an authentic tradition:

"A person who has a captive girl and gives her proper education, rears her
with dignity, frees her and marries her, for him there is double
reward."(Bukhari).

Pace
Sadullah