The Book of Marriage

Harun ibn Ishaq reported to us, from Abdah, from Sa'id, from Ayyub, from Ikrimah, from Ibn Abbas, who said: When Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) married Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her), the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said to him: ‘Give her something.’ He said, ‘I have nothing.’ He said, ‘Then where is your Hutami armor?’

Ishaq ibn Ibrahim reported to us; he said: Waki' informed us; he said: Sufyan narrated to us, from Isma'il ibn Umayyah, from Abd Allah ibn Urwah, from his father, from A'ishah, who said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) married me in Shawwal and began married life with me in Shawwal. Which of his wives was more favored by him than I?’

Muhammad ibn Adam informed me, from Abdah, from Hisham, from his father, from A'ishah, who said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) married me when I was six years old, and began married life with me when I was nine. I used to play with dolls.’

Ahmad ibn Sa'd ibn al-Hakam ibn Abi Maryam reported to us; he said: My uncle narrated to us; he said: Yahya ibn Ayyub narrated to us; he said: Umarah ibn Ghaziyyah informed me, from Muhammad ibn Ibrahim, from Abu Salamah ibn Abd al-Rahman, from A'ishah, who said: ‘The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) married me when I was six years old and began married life with me when I was nine.’

Ziyad ibn Ayyub reported to us; he said: Isma'il ibn Ulayyah narrated to us; he said: Abd al-Aziz ibn Suhayb narrated to us, from Anas: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) campaigned at Khaybar. We prayed the morning prayer near it in the dim light before dawn. The Prophet mounted, Abu Talhah mounted, and I rode behind Abu Talhah. The Prophet of Allah took a narrow lane in Khaybar. My knee touched the Messenger of Allah’s thigh, and I could see the whiteness of the Prophet of Allah’s thigh. When he entered the settlement, he said, ‘Allah is the Greatest! Khaybar is ruined! When we alight in a people’s courtyard, what an evil morning it is for those who were warned!’ He said this three times. The people went out to their work—Abd al-Aziz said they said, ‘Muhammad is here’; Abd al-Aziz added that some of our companions said, ‘The army is here.’ We took the settlement by force and gathered the captives. Dihyah came and said, ‘O Prophet of Allah, give me a woman from the captives.’ He said, ‘Go and take a woman.’ Dihyah took Safiyyah bint Huyayy. A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, ‘O Prophet of Allah, you have given Dihyah Safiyyah bint Huyayy, the leading woman of Qurayzah and al-Nadir; she is suitable only for you.’ He said, ‘Bring him to me with her.’ When the Prophet saw her, he said, ‘Take another woman from the captives.’ The Prophet of Allah then freed Safiyyah and married her. Thabit asked him, ‘O Abu Hamzah, what was her bridal dower?’ He said, ‘Her own freedom: he freed her and married her.’ On the journey, Umm Sulaym prepared her for him and brought her to him at night; by morning he was a bridegroom. He said, ‘Whoever has anything, let him bring it.’ He spread out a leather mat. One man brought dried curds, another brought dates, and another brought clarified butter. They mixed them together into a dish, and that was the Messenger of Allah’s wedding feast.

Muhammad ibn Nasr reported to us; he said: Ayyub ibn Sulayman narrated to us; he said: Abu Bakr ibn Abi Uways narrated to me, from Sulayman ibn Bilal, from Yahya, from Humayd, who heard Anas say: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stayed with Safiyyah bint Huyayy ibn Akhtab for three days on the road from Khaybar when he began married life with her. She was then among those for whom the veil was prescribed.

Ali ibn Hujr reported to us; he said: Isma'il narrated to us; he said: Humayd narrated to us, from Anas, who said: The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) stayed for three days between Khaybar and Medina, beginning married life with Safiyyah bint Huyayy. I invited the Muslims to his wedding feast. There was neither bread nor meat. He ordered leather mats to be spread and put dates, dried curds, and ghee on them; that was his wedding feast. The Muslims wondered whether she was one of the Mothers of the Believers or a woman among those under his ownership. They said, ‘If he veils her, she is one of the Mothers of the Believers; if he does not veil her, she is among those under his ownership.’ When he set out, he seated her behind him and extended the veil between her and the people.

Ali ibn Hujr reported to us; he said: Sharik narrated to us, from Abu Ishaq, from Amir ibn Sa'd, who said: I entered upon Qardhah ibn Ka'b and Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari at a wedding, where young women were singing. I said, ‘You are both Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and among the people of Badr, and this is happening in your presence?’ They said, ‘Sit and listen with us if you wish, or leave. We have been granted a concession for amusement at a wedding.’

Nusayr bin al-Faraj narrated to us; Abu Usamah narrated to us, from Za'idah, who said: Ata bin al-Sa'ib narrated to us, from his father, from Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: The Messenger of Allah furnished Fatimah with a khameel, a waterskin, and a pillow stuffed with idhkhir grass.

Yunus bin Abd al-A'la narrated to us; Ibn Wahb informed us; Abu Hani al-Khawlani informed me that he heard Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Hubuli report from Jabir bin Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘A bed is for a man, a bed for his household, a third for a guest, and a fourth is for Satan.’

Qutaybah narrated to us; Sufyan narrated to us, from Ibn al-Munkadir, from Jabir, who said: The Messenger of Allah said to me, ‘Have you married?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He asked, ‘Have you acquired any namat furnishings?’ I said, ‘How could we have any namat?’ He said, ‘You will have them.’

Qutaybah narrated to us; Ja'far narrated to us—he was Ibn Sulayman—from al-Ja'd, Abu Uthman, from Anas bin Malik, who said: The Messenger of Allah married and went in to his wife—he said—and my mother, Umm Sulaym, prepared hais—he said. I took it to the Messenger of Allah and said, ‘My mother sends you greetings of peace and says: This is a small offering from us for you.’ He said, ‘Put it down.’ Then he said, ‘Go and invite so-and-so, so-and-so, and anyone you meet.’ He named some men, so I invited those he named and everyone I met. I asked Anas how many they were, and he said they were about three hundred. The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Let them sit in groups of ten, and let each person eat from what is nearest to him.’ They ate until they were satisfied. One group went out and another came in. He said to me, ‘Anas, take it away.’ I lifted it, and I do not know whether there was more when I lifted it away or when I first set it down.

Ahmad bin Yahya bin al-Wazir narrated to us; Sa'id bin Kathir bin Ufayr narrated to us; Sulayman bin Bilal informed me, from Yahya bin Sa'id, from Humayd al-Tawil, from Anas, who said that he heard him say: The Messenger of Allah established bonds of brotherhood between the Quraysh and the Ansar, pairing Sa'd bin al-Rabi' with Abd al-Rahman bin Awf. Sa'd said to him, ‘I have wealth; it is to be divided equally between us. I have two wives, so see which one you prefer. I will divorce her, and when her waiting period is over, you may marry her.’ Abd al-Rahman replied, ‘May Allah bless you in your family and wealth. Show me the marketplace.’ He did not return until he came back with some ghee and dried yogurt left over. The Messenger of Allah saw traces of yellow on me and asked, ‘What is this?’ I said, ‘I have married a woman from the Ansar.’ He said, ‘Hold a wedding feast, even if only with a sheep.’