Wedlock, Marriage (Nikaah)

كتاب النكاح

Chapter 1: Awakening the desire for marriage

To say: {So they would not have wore women.}
Narrated Anas bin Malik

A group of three men came to the houses of the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) asking how the Prophet (ﷺ) worshipped (Allah), and when they were informed about that, they considered their worship insufficient and said, "Where are we from the Prophet (ﷺ) as his past and future sins have been forgiven." Then one of them said, "I will offer the prayer throughout the night forever." The other said, "I will fast throughout the year and will not break my fast." The third said, "I will keep away from the women and will not marry forever." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came to them and said, "Are you the same people who said so-and-so? By Allah, I am more submissive to Allah and more afraid of Him than you; yet I fast and break my fast, I do sleep and I also marry women. So he who does not follow my tradition in religion, is not from me (not one of my followers).

Narrated 'Urwa

that he asked `Aisha about the Statement of Allah: 'If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with the orphan girls, then marry (other) women of your choice, two or three or four; but if you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one, or (the captives) that your right hands possess. That will be nearer to prevent you from doing injustice.' (4.3) `Aisha said, "O my nephew! (This Verse has been revealed in connection with) an orphan girl under the guardianship of her guardian who is attracted by her wealth and beauty and intends to marry her with a Mahr less than what other women of her standard deserve. So they (such guardians) have been forbidden to marry them unless they do justice to them and give them their full Mahr, and they are ordered to marry other women instead of them."

Chapter 2: "Whoever is able to marry, should marry..."

Narrated 'Alqama

While I was with `Abdullah, `Uthman met him at Mina and said, "O Abu `Abdur-Rahman ! I have something to say to you." So both of them went aside and `Uthman said, "O Abu `Abdur-Rah. man! Shall we marry you to a virgin who will make you remember your past days?" When `Abdullah felt that he was not in need of that, he beckoned me (to join him) saying, "O 'Alqama!" Then I heard him saying (in reply to `Uthman), "As you have said that, (I tell you that) the Prophet (ﷺ) once said to us, 'O young people! Whoever among you is able to marry, should marry, and whoever is not able to marry, is recommended to fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power.

Chapter 3: Whoever is not able to marry, is recommended to fast

Narrated `Abdullah

We were with the Prophet (ﷺ) while we were young and had no wealth. So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry, because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty (i.e. his private parts from committing illegal sexual intercourse etc.), and whoever is not able to marry, should fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power."

Chapter 4: About (marrying) several women

Narrated 'Ata

We presented ourselves along with Ibn `Abbas at the funeral procession of Maimuna at a place called Sarif. Ibn `Abbas said, "This is the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ) so when you lift her bier, do not Jerk it or shake it much, but walk smoothly because the Prophet (ﷺ) had nine wives and he used to observe the night turns with eight of them, and for one of them there was no night turn."

Narrated Anas

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to go round (have sexual relations with) all his wives in one night, and he had nine wives.

Narrated Sa`id bin Jubair

Ibn `Abbas asked me, "Are you married?" I replied, "No." He said, "Marry, for the best person of this (Muslim) nation (i.e., Muhammad) of all other Muslims, had the largest number of wives."

Chapter 5: Whoever emigrated with the intention of marrying a woman

Narrated `Umar bin Al-Khattab

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The rewards (of deeds) are according to the intention, and everybody will get the reward for what he has intended. So whoever emigrated for Allah's and His Apostle's sake, his emigration was for Allah and His Apostle; and whoever emigrated for worldly benefits, or to marry a woman, then his emigration was for the thing for what he emigrated for." (1)

Chapter 6: The marrying of a poor man

It is easy for the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him.
Narrated Ibn Masud

We used to fight in the holy battles in the company of the Prophet (ﷺ) and we had no wives with us. So we said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Shall we get castrated?" The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade us to do so.

Chapter 7: The saying of a man to his brother (in Islam)

Abd al -Rahman narrated it.
Narrated Anas bin Malik

`Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf came (from Mecca to Medina) and the Prophet (ﷺ) made a bond of brotherhood between him and Sa`d bin Ar-Rabi` Al-Ansari. Al-Ansari had two wives, so he suggested that `Abdur- Rahman take half, his wives and property. `Abdur-Rahman replied, "May Allah bless you with your wives and property. Kindly show me the market." So `Abdur-Rahman went to the market and gained (in bargains) some dried yoghurt and some butter. After a few days the Prophet (ﷺ) saw `Abdur-Rahman with some yellow stains on his clothes and asked him, "What is that, O `Abdur-Rahman?" He replied, "I had married an Ansari woman." The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, "How much Mahr did you give her?" He replied, "The weight of one (date) stone of gold." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Offer a banquet, even with one sheep."

Chapter 8: What is disliked of not marrying and of getting castrated

Narrated Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade `Uthman bin Maz'un to abstain from marrying (and other pleasures) and if he had allowed him, we would have gotten ourselves castrated.

Narrated Sa`d bin Abi Waqqas

The Prophet (ﷺ) prevented `Uthman bin Mazun from that (not marrying), and had he allowed him, we would have got ourselves castrated.

Narrated 'Abdullah

We used to participate in the holy battles led by Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and we had nothing (no wives) with us. So we said, "Shall we get ourselves castrated?" He forbade us that and then allowed us to marry women with a temporary contract (2) and recited to us: -- 'O you who believe ! Make not unlawful the good things which Allah has made lawful for you, but commit no transgression.' (5.87)

Narrated Abu Huraira

I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I am a young man and I am afraid that I may commit illegal sexual intercourse and I cannot afford to marry." He kept silent, and then repeated my question once again, but he kept silent. I said the same (for the third time) and he remained silent. Then repeated my question (for the fourth time), and only then the Prophet said, "O Abu Huraira! The pen has dried after writing what you are going to confront. So (it does not matter whether you) get yourself castrated or not."

Chapter 9: To marry virgins

Ibn Abi Malik said that Ibn Abbas said to Ayashah, and the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, was married.
Narrated `Aisha

I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Suppose you landed in a valley where there is a tree of which something has been eaten and then you found trees of which nothing has been eaten, of which tree would you let your camel graze?" He said, "(I will let my camel graze) of the one of which nothing has been eaten before." (The sub-narrator added: `Aisha meant that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had not married a virgin besides herself .)

Narrated `Aisha

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said (to me), "You have been shown to me twice in (my) dreams. A man was carrying you in a silken cloth and said to me, 'This is your wife.' I uncovered it; and behold, it was you. I said to myself, 'If this dream is from Allah, He will cause it to come true.' "

Chapter 10: The marrying of matrons

The mother of Habibah said, “The Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, said to me:“ Do not be exposed to your daughters, nor your brothers. ”
Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah

While we were returning from a Ghazwa (Holy Battle) with the Prophet, I started driving my camel fast, as it was a lazy camel A rider came behind me and pricked my camel with a spear he had with him, and then my camel started running as fast as the best camel you may see. Behold! The rider was the Prophet (ﷺ) himself. He said, 'What makes you in such a hurry?" I replied, I am newly married " He said, "Did you marry a virgin or a matron? I replied, "A matron." He said, "Why didn't you marry a young girl so that you may play with her and she with you?" When we were about to enter (Medina), the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Wait so that you may enter (Medina) at night so that the lady of unkempt hair may comb her hair and the one whose husband has been absent may shave her pubic region.

Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah

When I got married, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to me, "What type of lady have you married?" I replied, "I have married a matron' He said, "Why, don't you have a liking for the virgins and for fondling them?" Jabir also said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Why didn't you marry a young girl so that you might play with her and she with you?'

Chapter 11: The marrying of young lady to an elderly man

Narrated 'Urwa

The Prophet (ﷺ) asked Abu Bakr for `Aisha's hand in marriage. Abu Bakr said "But I am your brother." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "You are my brother in Allah's religion and His Book, but she (Aisha) is lawful for me to marry."