The Book of Divorce

Amr bin Ali narrated to us; Yazid bin Zuray narrated to us; Ma'mar narrated to us, from al-Zuhri, from Urwah, from Aishah, who said: The wife of Rifaa al-Qurazi came to the Prophet while Abu Bakr was with him. She said, ‘Messenger of Allah, I was married to Rifaa al-Qurazi, and he divorced me irrevocably. I married Abd al-Rahman bin al-Zubayr, but by Allah, Messenger of Allah, he has nothing except something like this tassel.’ She took a tassel from her jilbab. Khalid bin Sa'id was at the door and had not been given permission to enter. He said, ‘Abu Bakr, do you not hear her speaking aloud about what she is saying in the presence of the Messenger of Allah?’ He said, ‘Do you want to return to Rifaa? No, not until you taste his sweetness and he tastes yours.’

Ali bin Nasr bin Ali narrated to us; Sulayman bin Harb narrated to us. Hammad bin Zayd said: I asked Ayyub, ‘Did you know anyone besides al-Hasan who said, concerning “Your affair is in your hand,” that it amounts to three?’ He said, ‘No.’ Then he said, ‘May Allah forgive me!—except for what Qatadah narrated to me, from Kathir, the freedman of Ibn Samurah, from Abu Salamah, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Prophet, who said, “Three.”’ I met Kathir and asked him, but he did not know the report. I returned to Qatadah and told him, and he said, ‘He forgot.’ Abu Abd al-Rahman said: This is a munkar report.

Ishaq bin Ibrahim narrated to us; Sufyan informed us, from al-Zuhri, from Urwah, from Aishah, who said: The wife of Rifaa came to the Messenger of Allah and said, ‘My husband divorced me irrevocably. After him, I married Abd al-Rahman bin al-Zubayr, but he has nothing except something like the fringe of a garment.’ The Messenger of Allah laughed and said, ‘Perhaps you want to return to Rifaa? No, not until he tastes your sweetness and you taste his.’

Muhammad bin al-Muthanna narrated to us; Yahya narrated to us; Ubaydullah narrated to me; al-Qasim narrated to me, from Aishah, that a man divorced his wife three times. She married another husband, who divorced her before touching her. The Messenger of Allah was asked, ‘Is she lawful for the first husband?’ He said, ‘No, not until he tastes her sweetness as the first husband tasted it.’

Ali bin Hujr narrated to us; Hushaym informed us; Yahya bin Abi Ishaq informed us, from Sulayman bin Yasar, from Ubaydullah bin Abbas, that Ghumaysa—or Rumaysa—came to the Prophet, complaining that her husband did not have intercourse with her. Her husband soon came and said, ‘Messenger of Allah, she is lying. I do have intercourse with her; she only wants to return to her first husband.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘That cannot happen until you taste his sweetness.’

Amr bin Ali narrated to us; Muhammad bin Ja'far narrated to us; Shu'bah narrated to us. Alqamah bin Marthad said: I heard Salim bin Razin relate from Salim bin Abdullah, from Sa'id bin al-Musayyab, from Ibn Umar, from the Prophet, concerning a man who has a wife and divorces her, then another man marries her and divorces her before consummating the marriage, after which she returns to her first husband. He said, ‘No, not until she tastes the sweetness.’

Mahmud bin Ghaylan narrated to us; Waki narrated to us; Sufyan narrated to us, from Alqamah bin Marthad, from Razin bin Sulayman al-Ahmari, from Ibn Umar, who said: The Prophet was asked about a man who divorces his wife three times, then another man marries her, closes the door and lowers the curtain, but divorces her before consummating the marriage. He said, ‘She is not lawful for the first husband until the other man has intercourse with her.’ Abu Abd al-Rahman said: This is closer to the correct account.

Amr bin Mansur narrated to us; Abu Nu'aym narrated to us, from Sufyan, from Abu Qays, from Hudhayl, from Abdullah, who said: The Messenger of Allah cursed the woman who tattoos, the woman who seeks to be tattooed, the woman who adds hair extensions and the woman whose hair is extended, the one who consumes usury and the one who pays it, the muhallil, and the one for whose sake he does it.

Al-Husayn bin Hurayth narrated to us; al-Walid bin Muslim narrated to us; al-Awza'i narrated to us. He said: I asked al-Zuhri about the woman who sought refuge from the Messenger of Allah. He said: Urwah informed me, from Aishah, that when the Kilabiyyah entered upon the Prophet, she said, ‘I seek refuge in Allah from you.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘You have indeed sought refuge with the Great. Go and join your family.’

Ubaydullah bin Sa'id narrated to us; Abd al-Rahman narrated to us, from Sufyan, from Abu Bakr—who was Ibn Abi al-Jahm—who said: I heard Fatimah bint Qays say, ‘My husband sent me word of my divorce. I fastened my garments around me and then came to the Prophet. He asked, “How many times has he divorced you?” I said, “Three.” He said, “You are not entitled to maintenance. Observe your waiting period in the house of your cousin, Ibn Umm Maktum, for he is blind; you may take off your clothes in his presence. When your waiting period is over, inform me.”’ Abridged.

Ubaydullah bin Sa'id narrated to us; Abd al-Rahman narrated to us, from Sufyan, from Mansur, from Mujahid, from Tamim, the freedman of Fatimah, from Fatimah: He reported something similar.

Abdullah bin Abd al-Samad bin Ali al-Mawsili narrated to us; Makhlad narrated to us, from Sufyan, from Salim, from Sa'id bin Jubayr, from Ibn Abbas, who said: A man came to him and said, ‘I have made my wife forbidden to me.’ He said, ‘You have spoken falsely; she is not forbidden to you.’ Then he recited this verse: ‘O Prophet, why do you prohibit what Allah has made lawful for you?’ The strictest expiation incumbent on you is to free a slave.

Qutaybah narrated to us, from Hajjaj, from Ibn Jurayj, from Ata, who heard Ubayd bin Umayr say: I heard Aishah, the wife of the Prophet, say that the Prophet used to stay with Zaynab and drink honey at her home. Hafsah and I agreed that whichever of us the Prophet came to, she would say, ‘I smell maghafir on you.’ He went to one of them, and she said this to him. He replied, ‘No, rather, I drank honey at Zaynab's—and I will not return to it.’ Then these verses were revealed: ‘O Prophet, why do you prohibit what Allah has made lawful for you?’; ‘If the two of you turn to Allah in repentance’—concerning Aishah and Hafsah; and ‘When the Prophet confided a matter to one of his wives’—because he said, ‘Rather, I drank honey.’ All of this is in the report of Ata.

Muhammad bin Hatim bin Nu'aym narrated to us; Muhammad bin Makki bin Isa narrated to us; Abdullah narrated to us; Yunus narrated to us, from al-Zuhri, from Abd al-Rahman bin Abdullah bin Ka'b bin Malik, who said: I heard Ka'b bin Malik relate his account of staying behind from the Messenger of Allah during the expedition to Tabuk. In it he said: ‘The messenger of the Messenger of Allah came to me and said, “The Messenger of Allah…”’

Another chain: Sulayman bin Dawud informed me; Ibn Wahb informed us, from Yunus. Ibn Shihab said: Abd al-Rahman bin Abdullah bin Ka'b bin Malik informed me that Abdullah bin Ka'b bin Malik said: I heard Ka'b bin Malik relate his account of staying behind from the Messenger of Allah during the expedition to Tabuk, and he narrated the story. He said: ‘The messenger of the Messenger of Allah came to me and said, “The Messenger of Allah commands you to keep away from your wife.” I said, “Should I divorce her, or what should I do?” He said, “No. Rather, keep away from her and do not approach her.” I said to my wife, “Go to your family and stay with them until Allah decides this matter.”’

Muhammad bin Jabal and Muhammad bin Yahya bin Muhammad informed me; both said: Muhammad bin Musa bin A'yan narrated to us; he said: My father narrated to us, from Ishaq bin Rashid, from al-Zuhri. Abd al-Rahman bin Abdullah bin Ka'b bin Malik informed me, from his father, who said: I heard my father, Ka'b bin Malik—one of the three whose repentance was accepted—relate: The Messenger of Allah sent word to me and my two companions that the Messenger of Allah commanded you to keep away from your wives. I said to the messenger, ‘Should I divorce my wife, or what should I do?’ He said, ‘No. Rather, keep away from her and do not approach her.’ I said to my wife, ‘Go to your family and stay with them.’ She went to them.

Yusuf bin Sa'id narrated to us; Hajjaj bin Muhammad narrated to us; al-Layth bin Sa'd narrated to us; Uqayl narrated to me, from Ibn Shihab, who said: Abd al-Rahman bin Abdullah bin Ka'b informed me that Abdullah bin Ka'b said: I heard Ka'b relate his account of staying behind from the Messenger of Allah during the expedition to Tabuk. In it he said: ‘The messenger of the Messenger of Allah came to me and said, “The Messenger of Allah commands you to keep away from your wife.” I said, “Should I divorce her, or what should I do?” He said, “Rather, keep away from her and do not approach her.” He sent the same instruction to my two companions. I said to my wife, “Go to your family and stay with them until Allah, Mighty and Sublime, decides this matter.”’

Ma'qil bin Ubaydullah differed from them.

Muhammad bin Ma'dan bin Isa narrated to us; al-Hasan bin A'yan narrated to us; Ma'qil narrated to us, from al-Zuhri. Abd al-Rahman bin Abdullah bin Ka'b informed me, from his uncle Ubaydullah bin Ka'b, who said: I heard my father, Ka'b, relate: The Messenger of Allah sent word to me and my two companions that the Messenger of Allah commanded you to keep away from your wives. I said to the messenger, ‘Should I divorce my wife, or what should I do?’ He said, ‘No. Rather, keep away from her and do not approach her.’ I said to my wife, ‘Go to your family and stay with them until Allah, Mighty and Sublime, decides.’ She went to them.

Ma'mar differed from him.

Muhammad bin Abd al-A'la informed me; Muhammad—meaning Ibn Thawr—narrated to us, from Ma'mar, from al-Zuhri, from Abd al-Rahman bin Ka'b bin Malik, from his father, who said in his report: When a messenger from the Prophet came to me and said, ‘Separate from your wife.’ I said, ‘Should I divorce her?’ He said, ‘No, but do not approach her.’ He did not mention the words, ‘Join your family.’

Amr bin Ali informed us; he said: I heard Yahya say: Ali bin al-Mubarak narrated to us; Yahya bin Abi Kathir narrated to us, from Umar bin Mu'attib, that Abu Hasan, the client of Banu Nawfal, informed him: He said, ‘My wife and I were both enslaved. I divorced her twice, then we were both freed. I asked Ibn Abbas, and he said, “If you take her back, she will be with you with one (divorce) remaining.” The Messenger of Allah ruled accordingly.’ Ma'mar contradicted him.

Muhammad bin Rafi informed us; Abd al-Razzaq narrated to us; Ma'mar reported to us, from Yahya bin Abi Kathir, from Umar bin Mu'attib, from al-Hasan, the client of Banu Nawfal, who said: Ibn Abbas was asked about a man who divorced his wife twice, then both were freed: ‘May he marry her?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He was asked, ‘From whom did you hear this?’ He said, ‘The Messenger of Allah gave this ruling.’ Abd al-Razzaq said: Ibn al-Mubarak said to Ma'mar, ‘Who is this al-Hasan? He has carried a great rock.’