Sunan Abi Dawud

Sunan Abi Dawud 2046

Arabic hadith text

حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، قَالَ إِنِّي لأَمْشِي مَعَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ بِمِنًى إِذْ لَقِيَهُ عُثْمَانُ فَاسْتَخْلاَهُ فَلَمَّا رَأَى عَبْدُ اللَّهِ أَنْ لَيْسَتْ لَهُ حَاجَةٌ قَالَ لِي تَعَالَ يَا عَلْقَمَةُ فَجِئْتُ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُثْمَانُ أَلاَ نُزَوِّجُكَ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بِجَارِيَةٍ بِكْرٍ لَعَلَّهُ يَرْجِعُ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ مَا كُنْتَ تَعْهَدُ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ لَئِنْ قُلْتَ ذَاكَ لَقَدْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏"‏ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ مِنْكُمُ الْبَاءَةَ فَلْيَتَزَوَّجْ فَإِنَّهُ أَغَضُّ لِلْبَصَرِ وَأَحْصَنُ لِلْفَرْجِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ مِنْكُمْ فَعَلَيْهِ بِالصَّوْمِ فَإِنَّهُ لَهُ وِجَاءٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Translation

Alqamah said: I was walking with ʿAbd Allah ibn Masʿud at Mina when ʿUthman met him and took him aside for a private conversation. When ʿAbd Allah saw that ʿUthman had no further need to speak privately, he said to me, Come, Alqamah, and I came over. ʿUthman said, Abu ʿAbd al-Rahman, shall we marry you to a young virgin, so that some of the vitality you once knew may return to you? ʿAbd Allah replied: If that is what you mean, I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: Those of you who are able to marry should marry, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and guarding chastity. Whoever is unable should fast, for fasting is a restraint for him.