13. Marriage

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «يَحْرُمُ مِنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ مَا يحرم من الْولادَة» . رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

‘A’isha reported God’s Messenger as saying, “What is unlawful by reason of consanguinity is unlawful by reason of fosterage.” Bukhari transmitted it.

وَعَنْهَا قَالَتْ: جَاءَ عَمِّي مِنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ فَاسْتَأْذَنَ عَلَيَّ فَأَبَيْتُ أَنْ آذَنَ لَهُ حَتَّى أَسْأَلَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَجَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَقَالَ: «أَنَّهُ عَمُّكِ فَأْذَنِي لَهُ» قَالَت: فَقلت: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّمَا أَرْضَعَتْنِي الْمَرْأَةُ وَلَمْ يرضعني الرَّجُلُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّه عمك فليلج عَلَيْك» وَذَلِكَ بَعْدَمَا ضرب علينا الْحجاب

My paternal uncle through fosterage came and asked permission to enter, but I refused to allow him till I asked God’s Messenger. When he came I asked him and he said, “He is your paternal uncle, so give him permission.” I replied, “Messenger of God, it was only the woman who suckled me and not the man” whereupon he said, “He is your paternal uncle, so let him come in where you are.” That was after seclusion was instituted for us. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَلْ لَكَ فِي بِنْتِ عَمِّكَ حَمْزَةَ؟ فَإِنَّهَا أَجْمَلُ فَتَاةٍ فِي قُرَيْشٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ: «أَمَا عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ حَمْزَةَ أَخِي مَنِ الرَّضَاعَةِ؟ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ حَرَّمَ مِنَ الرَّضَاعَةِ مَا حرم من النّسَب؟» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم

‘Ali said, “Messenger of God, would you like the daughter of your paternal uncle Hamza, for she is the most beautiful girl in Quraish?” He replied, “Do you not know that Hamza is my foster-brother, and that God has prohibited by reason of fosterage what He has prohibited by reason of genealogy?” Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أُمِّ الْفَضْلِ قَالَتْ: أَنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «لَا تُحَرِّمُ الرضعة أَو الرضعتان» وَفِي رِوَايَةِ عَائِشَةَ قَالَ: «لَا تُحَرِّمُ الْمَصَّةُ والمصتان» وَفِي أُخْرَى لِأُمِّ الْفَضْلِ قَالَ: «لَا تُحَرِّمُ الإملاجة والإملاجتان» . هَذِه رِوَايَات لمُسلم

Umm al-Fadl stated that God’s Prophet said, “Being suckled once or twice does not make marriage unlawful.” In ‘A’isha’s version he said, “One or two sucks do not make marriage unlawful.” In another by Umm al-Fadl he said, “One suckling or two does not make marriage unlawful.” These are versions by Muslim.

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ: كَانَ فِيمَا أُنْزِلَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ: «عَشْرُ رَضَعَاتٍ مَعْلُومَاتٍ يُحَرِّمْنَ» . ثُمَّ نُسِخْنَ بِخَمْسٍ مَعْلُومَاتٍ فَتُوُفِّيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهِيَ فِيمَا يُقْرَأُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ. رَوَاهُ مُسلم

‘A’isha said that in what was sent down in the Qur’an ten known sucklings made marriage unlawful, but they were abrogated by five known ones, and when God’s Messenger died these words were among what was recited in the Qur’an. Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْهَا: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا وَعِنْدَهَا رَجُلٌ فَكَأَنَّهُ كَرِهَ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَت: إِنَّه أخي فَقَالَ: «انظرن من إخوانكن؟ فَإِنَّمَا الرضَاعَة من المجاعة»

She said that the Prophet visited her when a man was with her and he seemed to disapprove of that. She told him that he was her brother and he replied, “Consider* who your brothers are, for fosterage is that consequent on hunger” (Fosterage applies only to infants and not to children who are able to take solid food). * The verb is in the plural, indicating that this is a general instruction and not simply a reply to A’isha. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ: أَنَّهُ تَزَوَّجَ ابْنَةً لِأَبِي إِهَابِ بْنِ عَزِيزٍ فَأَتَتِ امْرَأَةٌ فَقَالَتْ: قَدْ أَرْضَعْتُ عُقْبَةَ وَالَّتِي تَزَوَّجَ بِهَا فَقَالَ لَهَا عُقْبَةُ: مَا أَعْلَمُ أَنَّكِ قَدْ أَرْضَعْتِنِي وَلَا أَخْبَرْتِنِي فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى آلِ أَبِي إِهَابٍ فَسَأَلَهُمْ فَقَالُوا: مَا عَلِمْنَا أَرْضَعْتَ صَاحِبَتُنَا فَرَكِبَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَسَأَلَهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «كَيْفَ وَقَدْ قِيلَ؟» فَفَارَقَهَا عُقْبَةُ وَنَكَحَتْ زوجا غَيره. رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

‘Uqba b. al-Harith said he married a daughter of Ihab b. 'Aziz and a woman came and said she had suckled 'Uqba and the woman whom he had married, to which he replied, “I am not aware that you suckled me, and you did not inform me.” So he sent to the family of Abu Ihab and asked them, and when they told him that they did not know whether she had suckled their daughter he rode to the Prophet in Medina and asked him. God’s Messenger said, “How can you hesitate when you have been told?” ‘Uqba therefore separated from her and she married another husband. Bukhari transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيُّ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَوْمَ حُنَيْنٍ بَعَثَ جَيْشًا إِلَى أَوْطَاسٍ فَلَقُوا عَدُوًّا فَقَاتَلُوهُمْ فَظَهَرُوا عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَصَابُوا لَهُمْ سَبَايَا فَكَأَنَّ نَاسًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَحَرَّجُوا مِنْ غِشْيَانِهِنَّ مِنْ أَجْلِ أَزْوَاجِهِنَّ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِي ذَلِكَ (وَالْمُحْصَنَاتُ مِنَ النِّسَاء إِلَّا مَا ملكت أَيْمَانكُم) أَيْ فَهُنَّ لَهُمْ حَلَالٌ إِذَا انْقَضَتْ عِدَّتُهُنَّ. رَوَاهُ مُسلم

At the battle of Hunain God’s Messenger sent an army to Autas, and they met an enemy and fought with them. . Having prevailed over them and taken captives the Prophet’s companions seemed to hold back from having intercourse with them because of their husbands among the polytheists. Then God most high sent down regarding that, “And women already married, except those whom your right hands possess” (Al-Qur’an 4:24). That means that they were lawful for them when their ‘idda* period came to an end. * The period which a widow or divorced woman must observe before remarriage. See Ch. 26. Muslim transmitted it.

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَهَى أَنْ تُنْكَحَ الْمَرْأَةُ عَلَى عَمَّتِهَا أَوِ الْعَمَّةُ عَلَى بِنْتِ أَخِيهَا وَالْمَرْأَةُ عَلَى خَالَتِهَا أَوِ الْخَالَةُ عَلَى بِنْتِ أُخْتِهَا لَا تُنْكَحُ الصُّغْرَى عَلَى الْكُبْرَى وَلَا الْكُبْرَى عَلَى الصُّغْرَى. رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ والدارمي وَالنَّسَائِيّ وَرِوَايَته إِلَى قَوْله: بنت أُخْتهَا

Abu Huraira said that God’s Messenger forbade that a woman should be married to one who had married her paternal aunt, or a paternal aunt to one who had married her brother’s daughter, or a woman to one who had married her maternal aunt, or a maternal aunt to one who had married her sister's daughter. A younger sister must not be married to one who has married an elder sister, nor an elder sister to one who has married a younger sister. Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Darimi and Nasa’i transmitted it, Nasa’i’s version ending with “her sister’s daughter.”

وَعَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ قَالَ: مَرَّ بِي خَالِي أَبُو بردة بن دِينَار وَمَعَهُ لِوَاءٌ فَقُلْتُ: أَيْنَ تَذْهَبُ؟ قَالَ: بَعَثَنِي النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى رَجُلٍ تَزَوَّجَ امْرَأَةَ أَبِيهِ آتِيهِ بِرَأْسِهِ. رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُد

My maternal uncle Abu Burda b. Niyar passed me carrying a standard, and I asked him where he was going. He replied, “The Prophet has sent me to bring him the head of a man who has married his father’s wife.” A version by Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi has, “He has ordered me to cut off his head and take his property.” This version has “my paternal uncle” instead of “my maternal uncle.” Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ قَالَتْ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا يُحَرِّمُ مِنَ الرِّضَاعِ إِلَّا مَا فَتَقَ الْأَمْعَاءَ فِي الثَّدْيِ وَكَانَ قبل الْفِطَام» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ

Umm Salama reported God’s Messenger as saying, “The only suckling which makes marriage unlawful is that which is taken from, the breast and enters the bowels, and is taken before the time of weaning.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

وَعَنْ حَجَّاجِ بْنِ حَجَّاجٍ الْأَسْلَمِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا يُذْهِبُ عَنِّي مَذَمَّةَ الرِّضَاعِ؟ فَقَالَ: " غُرَّةٌ: عَبْدٌ أَوْ أَمَةٌ ". رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ

Hajjaj b. Hajjaj al-Aslami quoted his father as saying, “Messenger of God, what will remove from me the obligation due for fostering a child.”* He replied, “A slave or a slave-girl of good quality.” *It is said that Arabs liked to give a woman who had fostered a child something over and above the hire. This tradition deals with the amount to be considered full compensation for services rendered. Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i and Darimi transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي الطُّفَيْلِ الْغَنَوِيِّ قَالَ: كُنْتُ جَالِسًا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذْ أَقْبَلَتِ امْرَأَةٌ فَبَسَطَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رِدَاءَهُ حَتَّى قَعَدَتْ عَلَيْهِ فَلَمَّا ذَهَبَتْ قِيلَ هَذِهِ أَرْضَعَتِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ

When I was sitting with the Prophet a woman came forward and the Prophet spread out his cloak and she sat on it. Then when she went away someone said that this woman had suckled the Prophet. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ غيلَان بن سَلمَة الثَّقَفِيَّ أَسْلَمَ وَلَهُ عَشْرُ نِسْوَةٍ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَأَسْلَمْنَ مَعَهُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَمْسِكْ أَرْبَعًا وَفَارِقْ سَائِرَهُنَّ» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَالتِّرْمِذِيّ وَابْن مَاجَه

Ibn ‘Umar told that Ghailan b. Salama ath-Thaqafi accepted Islam and that he had had ten wives in the pre-Islamic period who accepted Islam along with him; so the Prophet told him to keep four and separate from the rest of them. Ahmad, Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

وَعَنْ نَوْفَلِ بْنِ مُعَاوِيَةَ قَالَ: أَسْلَمْتُ وَتَحْتِي خَمْسُ نِسْوَةٍ فَسَأَلْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: «فَارِقْ وَاحِدَةً وَأَمْسِكْ أَرْبَعًا» فَعَمَدْتُ إِلَى أَقْدَمِهِنَّ صُحْبَةً عِنْدِي: عَاقِرٍ مُنْذُ سِتِّينَ سنة ففارقتها. رَوَاهُ فِي شرح السّنة

When I accepted Islam I had five wives, so I consulted the Prophet and he said, “Separate from one and keep four.” I therefore decided on the one who had been longest with me and had been barren for sixty years,* and separated from her. * This statement may seem strange when one considers that Naufal is said to have died in the Caliphate of Yazid b. Mu'awiya (60-64 A.H.). Some say he lived 60 years in the pre-Islamic period and 60 years in Islam. Others says he died aged 100. He is said to have accepted Islam at the Conquest of Mecca. The tradition cannot mean that he had been married to this woman for 60 years; it probably indicates that she was both barren and much older than he. She was possibly his first wife. Cf. Ibn Abu Hatim, al-Jarh wat-ta’dil, IV, i, 487 i.; Isti'ab, p. 293 ; Ibn Hajar, Tahdhib, x, 492; Isaba, iii, 1191. It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna.

وَعَنِ الضَّحَّاكِ بْنِ فَيْرُوزٍ الدَّيْلَمِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ: قَلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أَسْلَمْتُ وتحتي أختَان قَالَ: «اختر أيتها شِئْتَ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ

Ad-Dahhak b. Fairuz ad-Dailamli told on his father’s authority that he had said, "Messenger of God, I have accepted Islam and I am married to two sisters." He replied, “Choose whichever of them you wish.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: أَسْلَمَتِ امْرَأَةٌ فَتَزَوَّجَتْ فَجَاءَ زَوْجُهَا إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي قَدْ أَسْلَمْتُ وَعَلِمَتْ بِإِسْلَامِي فَانْتَزَعَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنْ زَوْجِهَا الْآخَرِ وَرَدَّهَا إِلَى زَوْجِهَا الْأَوَّلِ وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: أَنَّهُ قَالَ: إِنَّهَا أَسْلَمَتْ مَعِي فَرَدَّهَا عَلَيْهِ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُد

Ibn ‘Abbas told that a woman who had accepted Islam married, and her husband (i.e. the one she had left to marry another when she became a Muslim) went to the Prophet and said, "Messenger of God, I have accepted Islam and she knew that I had done so.” So God’s Messenger took her away from her second husband and restored her to her first. In a version he said, “She accepted Islam along with me,” so he restored her to him. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

وَرُوِيَ فِي «شَرْحِ السُّنَّةِ» : أَنَّ جَمَاعَةً مِنَ النِّسَاءِ رَدَّهُنَّ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِالنِّكَاحِ الأول على أَزوَاجهنَّ عِنْد اجْتِمَاع الإسلاميين بَعْدَ اخْتِلَافِ الدِّينِ وَالدَّارِ مِنْهُنَّ بِنْتُ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ مُغِيرَةَ كَانَتْ تَحْتَ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ أُمَيَّةَ فَأَسْلَمَتْ يَوْمَ الْفَتْحِ وَهَرَبَ زَوْجُهَا مِنَ الْإِسْلَامِ فَبعث النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَيْهِ ابْنَ عَمِّهِ وَهْبَ بْنَ عُمَيْرٍ بِرِدَاءِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَمَانًا لِصَفْوَانَ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ جَعَلَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تَسْيِيرَ أَرْبَعَةِ أَشْهُرٍ حَتَّى أَسْلَمَ فَاسْتَقَرَّتْ عِنْدَهُ وَأَسْلَمَتْ أَمُّ حَكِيمٍ بِنْتُ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ امْرَأَةُ عِكْرِمَةَ بْنِ أَبِي جَهْلٍ يَوْمَ الْفَتْحِ بِمَكَّةَ وَهَرَبَ زَوْجُهَا مِنَ الْإِسْلَامِ حَتَّى قَدِمَ الْيَمَنَ فَارْتَحَلَتْ أَمُّ حَكِيمٍ حَتَّى قَدِمَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْيَمَنَ فَدَعَتْهُ إِلَى الْإِسْلَامِ فَأَسْلَمَ فَثَبَتَا عَلَى نِكَاحِهِمَا. رَوَاهُ مَالِكٌ عَنِ ابْنِ شهَاب مُرْسلا

In Sharh as-sunna it is related that the Prophet restored a number of women to their husbands by the first marriage when they had both accepted Islam after the change of religion and dwelling. Among them was the daughter of al-Walid b. Mughira, the wife of Safwan b. Umayya. She accepted Islam on the day of the Conquest, but her husband fled from Islam. Then his cousin Wahb b. ‘Umair was sent to him with God’s Messenger’s cloak as a guarantee of security to Safwan, and when he came God’s Messenger granted him a respite of four months before accepting Islam, so she stayed with him. Umm Hakim daughter of al-Harith b. Hisham, the wife of Ikrima b. Abu Jahl, accepted Islam in Mecca on the day of the Conquest, but her husband fled from Islam and went to the Yemen. Umm Hakim journeyed and came to him in the Yemen, and when she invited him to accept Islam he did so, and they remained married. Malik transmitted it in mursal form on the authority of Ibn Shihab.

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: حُرِّمَ مِنَ النَّسَبِ سَبْعٌ وَمِنَ الصِّهْرِ سَبْعٌ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ: (حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُم أُمَّهَاتكُم) الْآيَة. رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ

Seven classes of women are prohibited by reason of consanguinity and seven by reason of relationship by marriage. He then recited, "Prohibited to you are your mothers ...” (Al-Qur’an 4:23). Bukhari transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «أَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ نَكَحَ امْرَأَةً فَدَخَلَ بهَا فَلَا يَحِلُّ لَهُ نِكَاحُ ابْنَتِهَا وَإِنْ لَمْ يَدْخُلْ بِهَا فَلْيَنْكِحِ ابْنَتَهَا وَأَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ نَكَحَ امْرَأَةً فَلَا يَحِلُّ لَهُ أَنْ يَنْكِحَ أُمَّهَا دَخَلَ أَوْ لَمْ يَدْخُلْ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَقَالَ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ لَا يَصِحُّ مِنْ قِبَلِ إِسْنَادِهِ إِنَّمَا رَوَاهُ ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ وَالْمُثَنَّى بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ وَهُمَا يُضَعَّفَانِ فِي الْحَدِيثِ

‘Amr b. Shu’aib, on his father’s authority, said that his grandfather reported God’s Messenger as saying, “If any man marries a woman and cohabits with her it is not lawful for him to marry her daughter, but if he does not cohabit with her he may marry her daughter; and if any man marries a woman it is not lawful of him to marry her mother whether he has cohabited with her or not.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying this is a tradition which is not sound, with respect to its isnad. It is transmitted only by Ibn Lahi'a and al-Muthanna b. as-Sabbah on the authority of ‘Amr b. Shu’aib, and they are both declared to be weak in tradition.