Partial Translation of Sahih Muslim, Book 8:

Marriage (Kitab Al-Nikah)


Book 8, Number 3240:

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) saw a woman, and so he came to his wife, Zaynab, as she was tanning a leather and had sexual intercourse with her. He then went to his Companions and told them: The woman advances and returns in the shape of a devil, so when one of you sees a woman, he should come to his wife, for that will repel what he feels in his heart.


Book 8, Number 3251:

Narrated Salamah ibn al-Akwa':

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) gave sanction for contracting temporary marriage for three nights in the year of Awtas and then forbade it.


Book 8, Number 3252:

Narrated Sabrah ibn Ma'bad al-Juhani:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) permitted temporary marriages for us. So I and another person went out and saw a woman of Banu Amir, who was like a young long-necked she-camel. We presented ourselves to her (for contracting temporary marriage), whereupon she said: What dower would you give me? I said: My cloak. And my companion also said: My cloak. And the cloak of my companion was superior to my cloak, but I was younger than he.

So when she looked at the cloak of my companion she liked it, and when she cast a glance at me I looked more attractive to her. She then said: Well, you and your cloak are sufficient for me. I remained with her for three nights, and then Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: He who has any such woman with whom he had contracted temporary marriage, he should let her off.


Book 8, Number 3274:

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: A man must not make proposal of marriage to a woman when his brother has done so already. And he must not offer a price for a thing for which his brother has already offered a price; and a woman must not be combined in marriage with her father's sister, nor with her mother's sister, and a woman must not ask to have her sister divorced in order to deprive her of what belongs to her; but she must marry, because she will have what Allah has decreed for her.


Book 8, Number 3278:

Narrated Uthman ibn Affan:

Umar ibn Ubaydullah intended to marry Talhah ibn Umar with the daughter of Shaybah ibn Jubayr; so he sent a messenger to Aban ibn Uthman to attend the marriage, and he was at that time the Amir of Hajj. Aban said: I heard Uthman ibn Affan say that Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) had stated: A Muhrim must neither marry himself, nor arrange the marriage of another one, nor should he make the proposal of marriage.


Book 8, Number 3285:

Narrated Maymunah daughter of al-Harith:

Yazid ibn al-Asamm reported: Maymunah daughter of al-Harith narrated to me that Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) married her and he was not in the state of Ihram. And she (Maymunah) was my mother's sister and that of Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with them).


Book 8, Number 3289:

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) had forbidden a dweller of the town selling the merchandise of a villager or outbidding in a sale (in order that another might fall into a snare), or a person making the proposal of marriage when his brother has already made such a proposal, or entering into a transaction when his brother has already entered; and a woman asking the divorce of her sister in order to deprive her of what belongs to her.

Amr made this addition: "The person should not purchase in opposition to his brother."


Book 8, Number 3294:

Narrated Uqbah ibn Amir:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: A believer is the brother of a believer, so it is not lawful for a believer to outbid his brother, and he should not propose an engagement when his brother has thus proposed until he gives up.


Book 8, Number 3299:

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) prohibited Shighar. Ibn Numayr added: Shighar means that a person should say to the other person: Give me the hand of your daughter in marriage and I will (in return) marry my daughter to you; or marry me your sister, and I will marry my sister to you.


Book 8, Number 3301:

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) prohibited Shighar.


Book 8, Number 3306:

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) said: A woman without a husband has more right to her person than her guardian, and a virgin's consent must be asked from her, and her silence implies her consent.


Book 8, Number 3312:

Narrated Aisha:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) contracted marriage with me in Shawwal and took me to his house as a bride during Shawwal. And who among the wives of Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) was dearer to him than I.

Aisha liked that the women (of her family) should enter the house as brides during the month of Shawwal.


Book 8, Number 3314:

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

I was in the company of Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) when there came a man and informed him that he had contracted to marry a woman of the Ansar. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: Did you cast a glance at her? He said: No. He said: Go and cast a glance at her, for there is something in the eyes of the Ansar.


Book 8, Number 3318:

Narrated Aisha:

AbuSalamah ibn AbdurRahman reported: I asked Aisha, the wife of Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him): What is the amount of dower of Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him)? She said: It was twelve uqiyahs and one nash. She said: Do you know what is an-nash? I said: No. She said: It is half of uqiyah, and it amounts to five hundred dirhams, and that was the dower given by Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) to his wives.


Book 8, Number 3337:

Narrated Abdullah ibn Umar:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: When any one of you is invited to a feast, he should attend it.


Book 8, Number 3346:

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: When any one of you is invited to a feast, he should accept it. He may eat if he likes, or he may abandon (eating) if he likes. Ibn Muthanna did not make mention of the word "feast).


Book 8, Number 3348:

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: If any one of you is invited, he should accept (the invitation) In case he is fasting he should pray (in order to bless the inmates of the house) and if he is not fasting he should eat.


Book 8, Number 3353:

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) said: The worst kind of food is at the wedding feast from which one who comes is turned away, and he who refuses it is invited, and he who did not accept the invitation disobeyed Allah and His Messenger (peace_be_upon_him).


Book 8, Number 3369:

Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: The most wicked among the people in the eye of Allah on the Day of Judgement is the man who goes to his wife and she comes to him, and then he divulges her secret.


Book 8, Number 3383:

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:

A man came to Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) and said: I have a slave-girl who is our servant and she carries water for us and I have intercourse with her, but I do not want her to conceive. He said: Practise azl, if you so like, but what is decreed for her will come to her. The person stayed back (for some time) and then came and said: The girl has become pregnant, whereupon he said: I told you what was decreed for her would come to her.


Book 8, Number 3389:

Narrated AbudDarda':

AbudDarda' related from the Prophet of Allah (peace_be_upon_him) that he came upon a (slave) woman who was in the advanced stage of pregnancy at the door of a tent.

He (the Prophet) said: Perhaps he (the man accompanying her) intends to cohabit with her. They said: Yes. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: I had decided to curse him with such a curse as may go along with him to his grave.

How can he own him (the child to be born) and that is not lawful for him, and how can he take him as a servant for that is not lawful for him?


Book 8, Number 3391:

Narrated Judamah daughter of Wahb al-Asadiyyah:

Judamah heard Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) as saying: I intended to prohibit cohabitation with a suckling woman until I considered that the Romans and the Persians do it without any injury being caused to their children thereby. (Imam Muslim said: Khalaf reported it from Judamah al-Asadiyyah, but the correct wording is what has been stated by Yahya.


Book 8, Number 3394:

Narrated Sa'd ibn AbuWaqqas / Usamah ibn Zayd:

A person came to Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) and said: I do azl with my wife. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: Why do you do that? The person said: I fear harm to her child or her children. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: If that were harmful it would harm the Persians and the Greeks.


Book 8, Number 3407:

Narrated Ali ibn AbuTalib:

Ali said: Messenger of Allah, why is it that you select (your wife) from among the Quraysh, but you ignore us (the nearest of the kin)?

Thereupon he said: Have you anything for me (a suitable match for me)? I said: Yes, the daughter of Hamzah, whereupon Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: She is not lawful for me, for she is the daughter of my brother by reason of fosterage.


Book 8, Number 3411:

Narrated Umm Salamah:

It was said to the Messenger of Allah (peace_be_upon_him): Is not the daughter of Hamzah a suitable match for you? Or it was said: Why don't you propose to marry the daughter of Hamzah, the son of AbdulMuttalib? Thereupon he said: Hamzah is my brother by reason of fosterage.


Book 8, Number 3414:

Narrated Aisha:

Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) said: One suckling or two do not make (marriage) unlawful.


Book 8, Number 3415:

Narrated Umm al-Fadl:

A bedouin came to Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) when he was in my house and said: Allah's Apostle, I have had a wife and I married another besides her, and my first wife claimed that she had suckled once or twice my newly married wife, thereupon Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) said: One suckling or two do not make the (marriage) unlawful.


Book 8, Number 3421:

Narrated Aisha:

It had been revealed in the Qur'an that ten clear sucklings make the marriage unlawful, then it was abrogated (and substituted) by five sucklings and Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) died and it was before that time (found) in the Qur'an (and recited by the Muslims).


Book 8, Number 3427:

Narrated Aisha:

Umm Salamah said to Aisha: A young boy who is at the threshold of puberty comes to you. I, however, do not like that he should come to me, whereupon Aisha said: Don't you see in Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) a model for you?

She also said: The wife of AbuHudhayfah said: Messenger of Allah, Salim comes to me and now he is a (grown-up) person, and there is something that (rankles) in the mind of AbuHudhayfah about him, whereupon Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: Suckle him (so that he may become your foster-child), and thus he may be able to come to you (freely).


Book 8, Number 3432:

Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri:

At the Battle of Hunayn Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) sent an army to Awtas and encountered the enemy and fought with them. Having overcome them and taken them captives, the Companions of Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) seemed to refrain from having intercourse with captive women because of their husbands being polytheists. Then Allah, Most High, sent down regarding that: "And women already married, except those whom your right hand possess (iv.24)" (i.e. they were lawful for them when their Iddah period came to an end).


Book 8, Number 3450:

Narrated Anas ibn Malik:

Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) had nine wives. So when he divided (his stay) with them, the turn of the first wife only came on the ninth (day). They (all the wives) used to gather every night in the house of the one where he had to come (and stay that night).

It was (the night when he had to stay) in the house of Aisha (Allah be pleased with her), when Zaynab came there. He (the Holy Prophet) stretched out his hand towards her (Zaynab), whereupon she (Aisha) said: It is Zaynab. Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) withdrew his hand. There was an altercation between the two and their voices were rising (and it was at that time when Iqamah was pronounced for prayer. There happened to come AbuBakr and he heard their voices and said: Messenger of Allah, (kindly) come for prayer, and throw dust in their mouths. So the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) went out.

Aisha said: When Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) finished his prayer, there would also come AbuBakr and he would do as he usually does (on such occasions, i.e. reprimanding). When Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) had finished his prayer, there came to her AbuBakr who spoke to her (Aisha) in stern words and said: Do you behave like this?


Book 8, Number 3451:

Narrated Aisha:

Never did I find any woman more loving to me than Sawdah bint Zam'ah. I wished I could be exactly like her who was passionate. As she became old, she had made over her day (which she had to spend) with Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) to Aisha. She said: I have made over my day with you to Aisha. So Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) allotted two days to Aisha, her own day (when it was her turn ) and that of Sawdah.


Book 8, Number 3465:

Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: The whole world is a provision, and the best object of benefit of the world is the pious woman.


Book 8, Number 3469:

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: a believing man should not hate a believing woman; if he dislikes one of her characteristics, he will be pleased with another.


Book 8, Number 3491:

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas:

The (Pronouncement) of three divorces during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) and that of AbuBakr and two years of the caliphate of Umar (Allah be pleased with him) (was treated) as one. But Umar ibn al-Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) said: Verily the people have begun to hasten in the matter in which they are required to observe respite. So if we had imposed this upon them. And he imposed it upon them.


Book 8, Number 3506:

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:

AbuBakr came and sought permission to see Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him). He found people sitting at his door and none amongst them had been granted permission, but it was granted to AbuBakr and he went in. Then came Umar and he sought permission and it was granted to him and he found Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) sitting sad and silent with his wives around him.

He (Umar) said: I wanted say something which would make the Holy Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) laugh, so he said: Messenger of Allah, I wish you had seen (the treatment meted out to) the daughter of Kharijah when she asked me for some money, and I got up and slapped her on her neck. Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) laughed and said: They are around me as you see, asking for extra money.

AbuBakr then got up, went to Aisha (Allah be pleased with her) and slapped her on the neck, and Umar stood up before Hafsah and slapped her saying: You ask Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) for that which he does not possess. They said: By Allah, we do not ask Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) for anything he does not possess. Then he withdrew from them for a month or for twenty-nine days.

Then this verse was revealed to him: "Prophet: Say to thy wives....for a mighty reward" (xxxiii.28). He then went to Aisha and said: I want to propound something to you, Aisha, but want no hasty reply before you consult your parents. She said: Messenger of Allah, what is that? He (the Holy Prophet) recited to her the verse, whereupon she said: Is it about you that I should consult my parents, Messenger of Allah? Nay, I choose Allah, His Messenger, and the Last Abode; but I ask you not to tell any of your wives what I have said. He replied: Not one of them will ask me without my informing her. God did not send me to be harsh, or cause harm, but He sent me to teach and make things easy.


Book 8, Number 3512:

Narrated Fatimah bint Qays:

AbuAmr ibn Hafs divorced her absolutely when he was away from home, and he sent his agent to her with some barley. She was displeased with him and when he said: I swear by Allah that you have no claim on us, she went to Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) and mentioned that to him. He said: There is no maintenance due to you from him, and he commanded her to spend the Iddah in the house of Umm Sharik, but then said: That is a woman whom my companions visit. So you had better spend this period in the house of Ibn Umm Maktum, for he is a blind man and you can take off your garments. And when the Iddah is over, inform me.

She said: When my period of Iddah was over, I mentioned to him that Mu'awiyah ibn AbuSufyan and Jahm had sent proposals of marriage to me. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: As for AbuJahm, he does not put down his staff from his shoulder, and as for Mu'awiyah, he is a poor man, having no property. Marry Usamah ibn Zayd. I objected to him, but he again said: Marry Usamah. So I married him. Allah blessed our marriage and I was envied (by others).


Book 8, Number 3532:

Narrated Fatimah bint Qays:

Fatimah said to the Prophet (peace_be_upon_him): Allah's Messenger, my husband divorced me with three pronouncements and I am afraid that I may be put to hardship, and so he commanded her and so she moved (to another house).


Book 8, Number 3535:

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:

My maternal aunt was divorced, and she intended to pluck her dates. A person scolded her for having come out (during the period of Iddah). She came to Allah's Prophet (peace_be_upon_him) and he said: Certainly you can pluck (dates) from your palm trees, for perhaps you may give charity, or do an act of kindness.


Book 8, Number 3545:

Narrated Hafsah or Aisha:

Safiyyah bint AbuUbayd reported on the authority of Hafsah or Aisha (Allah be pleased with them) or from both of them that Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: It is not permissible for a woman believing in Allah and the Hereafter (or believing in Allah and His Messenger) that she should observe mourning for the dead beyond three days except in case of her husband.


Book 8, Number 3549:

Narrated Aisha:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: It is not permissible for a woman believing in Allah and the Hereafter to observe mourning on the dead for more than three (days), except in case of her husband.


Book 8, Number 3564:

Narrated Abdullah:

On Friday night we were staying in the mosque when one of the Ansar came there and said: If someone finds his wife with a man, and he speaks about it, you lash him, and if he kills, you kill him, and if he keeps quiet, he has to consume his anger. By Allah, I shall definitely ask about him from Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him).

On the following day he came to Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) and asked him thus: If a man were to find a man with his wife and if he were to talk about it, you would lash him; and if he killed, you would kill him, and if he were to keep quiet, he would consume his anger. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Allah, solve (this problem), and he began to supplicate (before Him). Then the verses pertaining to li'an were revealed: "Those who accuse their wives and have no witness except themselves" (xxiv.6). Then he and his wife came into the presence of Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him), and they invoked curses (in order to testify their claim). The man swore four times in the name of Allah that he was one of the truthful and then invoked a curse for the fifth time, saying: Let there be the curse of Allah upon him if he were among the liars. Then she began to invoke a curse. Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said to her: Just wait (and curse after considering it), but she refused and invoked a curse. When she turned away, he (Allah's Apostle) said: It seems that this woman shall give birth to a curly-haired black child. And so she did give birth to a curly-haired black child.


Book 8, Number 3566:

Narrated Anas ibn Malik:

Muhammad (one of the narrators) reported: I asked Anas ibn Malik (Allah be pleased with him) knowing that he had a knowledge of (the case of li'an).

He said: Hilal ibn Umayyah (Allah be pleased with him) accused his wife with the charge of fornication with Sharik ibn Sahma', the brother of al-Bara' ibn Malik from the side of his mother. And he was the first person who invoked curse (li'an) in Islam. He in fact invoked curse upon her.

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: See to her if she gives birth to a white-complexioned child having dark hair and bright eyes; he must be the son of Hilal ibn Umayyah; and if she gives birth to a child with dark eyelids, curly hair and lean shanks, he must be the offspring of Sharik ibn Sahma. He said: I was informed that she gave birth to a child having dark eyelids, curly hair and lean shanks.


Book 8, Number 3569:

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

Sa'd ibn Ubadah al-Ansari said: Messenger of Allah, tell me if a man finds his wife with another person, should he kill him? Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: No. Sa'd said: Why not? I swear by Him Who has honoured you with Truth. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: Listen to what your chief says.


Book 8, Number 3580:

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: The slave who is jointly owned by two persons, and is emancipated by one of them, (this one) has liability (upon him to secure complete freedom for that slave).


Book 8, Number 3595:

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

Aisha thought of buying a slave-girl and emancipating her, but her owners refused to (sell her but on the condition) that the right of inheritance would vest in them. She made a mention of that to Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him), whereupon he said: Let this (condition) not stand in your way, for the right of inheritance vests with one who emancipates.


Book 8, Number 3598:

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah:

Allah's Apostle (peace_be_upon_him) made it obligatory for every tribe (the payment) of blood-wit; he then also made it explicit that it is not permissible for a Muslim to make himself the ally (of the slave emancipated by another) Muslim without his permission. He (the narrator further added): I was informed that he (the Prophet) cursed the one who did that (and it was recorded) in his sahifah (in a document).


Book 8, Number 3599:

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: He who takes anyone as his ally without the consent of his previous master, there will be the curse of Allah and that of His angels upon him, and neither any obligatory act of his nor the supererogatory one will be accepted (by Allah).


Book 8, Number 3606:

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

Allah's Messenger (peace_be_upon_him) said: A son does not repay what he owes to his father unless he buys him (the father) in case he is a slave and then emancipates him.

In the narration transmitted by Ibn AbuShaybah there is a slight change of words.


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