Sunan Ibn Majah
Sunan Ibn Majah 1845
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَامِرِ بْنِ زُرَارَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُسْهِرٍ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ بْنِ قَيْسٍ، قَالَ كُنْتُ مَعَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ بِمِنًى فَخَلاَ بِهِ عُثْمَانُ فَجَلَسْتُ قَرِيبًا مِنْهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُثْمَانُ هَلْ لَكَ أَنْ أُزَوِّجَكَ جَارِيَةً بِكْرًا تُذَكِّرُكَ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ بَعْضَ مَا قَدْ مَضَى فَلَمَّا رَأَى عَبْدُ اللَّهِ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ لَهُ حَاجَةٌ سِوَى هَذَا أَشَارَ إِلَىَّ بِيَدِهِ فَجِئْتُ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ لَئِنْ قُلْتَ ذَلِكَ لَقَدْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " يَا مَعْشَرَ الشَّبَابِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ مِنْكُمُ الْبَاءَةَ فَلْيَتَزَوَّجْ فَإِنَّهُ أَغَضُّ لِلْبَصَرِ وَأَحْصَنُ لِلْفَرْجِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَعَلَيْهِ بِالصَّوْمِ فَإِنَّهُ لَهُ وِجَاءٌ " .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abdullah ibn Amir ibn Zurarah narrated to us; Ali ibn Mushir narrated to us, from al-A‘mash, from Ibrahim, from Alqamah ibn Qays, who said: I was with Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud at Mina. Uthman drew him aside, and I sat close by. Uthman said to him, ‘Would you like me to arrange for you to marry a young virgin who will remind you of some of what has passed of your own life?’ When Abdullah saw that he had no need beyond this, he gestured to me with his hand, so I came. He was saying, ‘If you say that, then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did say: “O young men, whoever among you is able to marry, let him marry, for it is more effective in lowering the gaze and guarding the private parts. Whoever cannot, let him fast, for fasting is like castration for him.”’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The phrase about Abdullah having no need beyond this is kept close to the source; its subject and intended implication are not fully explicit.
قَالَ كُنْتُ مَعَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ بِمِنًى فَخَلاَ بِهِ عُثْمَانُ فَجَلَسْتُ قَرِيبًا مِنْهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُثْمَانُ هَلْ لَكَ أَنْ أُزَوِّجَكَ جَارِيَةً بِكْرًا تُذَكِّرُكَ مِنْ نَفْسِكَ بَعْضَ مَا قَدْ مَضَى فَلَمَّا رَأَى عَبْدُ اللَّهِ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ لَهُ حَاجَةٌ سِوَى هَذَا أَشَارَ إِلَىَّ بِيَدِهِ فَجِئْتُ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ لَئِنْ قُلْتَ ذَلِكَ لَقَدْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " يَا مَعْشَرَ الشَّبَابِ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ مِنْكُمُ الْبَاءَةَ فَلْيَتَزَوَّجْ فَإِنَّهُ أَغَضُّ لِلْبَصَرِ وَأَحْصَنُ لِلْفَرْجِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ فَعَلَيْهِ بِالصَّوْمِ فَإِنَّهُ لَهُ وِجَاءٌ " .
The clause ‘when Abdullah saw that he had no need except this’ does not make fully clear whether it refers to Uthman’s purpose or Abdullah’s need, or what the demonstrative ‘this’ denotes.
How should the subject and demonstrative in this clause be understood?