Divorce (Kitab Al-Talaq)

Maimun bin Mihram said “I came to Median and went to Sa’id bin Al Musayyab”. I said (to him) Fathimah daughter of Qais was divorced and she shifted from her house. Sa’id said “This woman has perverted people. She was arrogant so she was placed with Ibn Umm Makhtum, the blind.”

Jabir said “My maternal aunt was divorced by three pronouncements and she went out to cut down fruit from her palm trees. A man met her and forbade her (to go out). So she went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and mentioned it to him. He said “Go out, and cut down fruit from your palm trees for perhaps you may give alms (sadaqah) or do an act of kindness.

The Qur’anic verse “Those of you who die and leave widows should bequeath for their widows a year’s maintenance and residence was abrogated by the verse containing the laws of succession, as one-fourth or one-eighth share was prescribed for them (i.e., the widows). The waiting period for one year was also repealed as a period of four months ten days was prescribed for them.

Humaid ibn Nafi' reported the following three traditions on the authority of Zaynab, daughter of Abu Salamah: Zainab said: I visited Umm Habibah when her father AbuSufyan, died. She asked for some yellow perfume containing saffron (khaluq) or something else. Then she applied it to a girl and touched her cheeks. She said: I have no need of perfume, but I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to observe mourning for one who has died, more than three nights, except for four months and ten days in the case of a husband. Zaynab said: I also visited Zaynab, daughter of Jahsh, when her brother died. She asked for some perfume and used it upon herself. She then said: I have no need of perfume, but I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say when he was on the pulpit: It is not lawful for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to observe mourning for one who has died, more than three nights, except for four months and ten days in the case of a husband. Zaynab said: I heard my mother, Umm Salamah, say: A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: Messenger of Allah, the husband of my daughter has died, and she is suffering from sore eyes; may we put antimony in her eyes? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: No. He said this twice or thrice. Each time he said: No. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: The waiting period is now four months and ten days. In pre-Islamic days one of you used to throw away a piece of dung at the end of a year. Humayd said: I asked Zaynab: What do you mean by throwing away a piece of dung at the end of a year. Zaynab replied: When the husband of a woman died, she entered a small cell and put on shabby clothes, not touching perfume or any other thing until a year passed. Then an animal such as donkey or sheep or bird was provided for her. She rubbed herself with it. The animal with which she rubbed herself rarely survived. She then came out and was given a piece of dung which she threw away. She then used perfume or something else which she desired.Abu Dawud said: The Arabic word "hafsh" means a small cell.

Zaynab, daughter of Ka'b ibn Ujrah narrated that Furay'ah daughter of Malik ibn Sinan, told her that she came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and asked him whether she could return to her people, Banu Khidrah, for her husband went out seeking his slaves who ran away. When they met him at al-Qudum, they murdered him. So I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ): "Should I return to my people, for he did not leave any dwelling house of his own and maintenance for me? She said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) replied: Yes. She said: I came out, and when I was in the apartment or in the mosque, he called for me, or he commanded (someone to call me) and, therefore, I was called. He said: what did you say? So I repeated my story which I had already mentioned about my husband. Thereupon he said: Stay in your house till the term lapses. She said: So I passed my waiting period in it (her house) for four months and ten days. When Uthman ibn Affan became caliph, he sent for me and asked me about that; so I informed him, and he followed it and decided cases accordingly.

Ibn ‘Abbas said “The following verse abrogated the rule of passing her waiting period with her people. A year’s maintenance and residence. She may pass her waiting period now anywhere she wishes. ‘Ata said “If she wishes she can pass her waiting period with the people of her husband and live in the house left by her husband by will. Or she may shift if she wishes according to the pronouncement of Allah the Exalted. But if they leave (the residence) there is no blame on you for what they do. Ata’ said “Then the verses regarding inheritance were revealed. The commandment for living in a house (for one year) was repealed. She may pass her waiting period wherever she wishes.

‘Umm Athiyah reported the Prophet(ﷺ) as saying “A woman must not observe mourning for more than three (days) except for four months and ten days in the case of a husband and she must not wear a dyed garment except one of the types made of dyed yarn or apply collyrium or touch perfume except for a little costus or azfar when she has been purified after her menstrual courses.The narrator Ya’qub mentioned the words “except washed clothes” instead of the words “one of the types made of dyed yarn”. Ya’qub also added “She must not apply Henna”

The tradition mentioned above has also been narrated by Al ‘Umm Athiyah from the Prophet (ﷺ) through a different chain of narrators. The tradition narrated by Yazid bin Harun from Hisham does perfectly correspond to the tradition transmitted by Ibrahim bin Tahman and ‘Abd Allah Al Shami from Hisham. The narrator Al Misma’I reported Yazid as saying “I do not know but that he said “she should not dye herself.” To this the narrator Harun added “She should not wear colored clothes except one of the types made of dyed yarn.”

Narrated Umm Salamah, Ummul Mu'minin: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: A woman whose husband has died must not wear clothes dyed with safflower (usfur) or with red ochre (mishq) and ornaments. She must not apply henna and collyrium.

Umm Hakim, daughter of Usayd, reported on the authority of her mother that her husband died and she was suffering from sore eyes. She therefore applied collyrium (jala'). Ahmad said: The correct version is "glittering collyrium (kuhl al-jala'). She sent her slave-girl to Umm Salamah, and she asked her about the use of glittering collyrium (kuhl al-jala'). She said: Do not apply it except in the case of dire need which is troubling you. In that case you can use it at night, but you should remove it in the daytime. Then Umm Salamah said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to visit me when AbuSalamah died, and I had put the juice of aloes in my eye. He asked : What is this, Umm Salamah? I replied: It is only the juice of aloes and contains no perfume. He said: It gives the face a glow, so apply it only at night and remove it in daytime, and do not comb yourself with scent or henna, for it is a dye. I asked: What should I use when I comb myself, Messenger of Allah? He said: Use lote-tree leaves and smear your head copiously with them.

‘Ubaid Allah bin ‘Abd Allah bin ‘Utbah said that his father wrote (a letter) to ‘Abd Allaah bin Al Arqam Al Zuhri asking him to visit Subai’ah daughter of Al Harith Al Aslamiyyah and ask her about her story and what the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) said to her when she asked his opinion (about her). So, ‘Umar bin Abd allah wrote in reply to ‘Abd Allah bin ‘Utbah informing him what she told him. She told that she was under (i.e., the wife of) Sa’d bin Khawlah who belonged to Banu Amir bin Luwayy. He was one of those who participated in the battle of Badr. He died at the Farwell Pilgrimage while she was pregnant. Soon after his death she gave birth to a child. When she was purified from her bleeding after child birth she adorned herself for seekers in marriage. Then Abu Al Sanabil bin Ba’kah a man from Banu Abd Al Dar entered upon her and said to her “What is the matter seeing you adorned, perhaps you are seeking marriage? I swear by Allah you cannot marry until four months and ten days pass away. Saubai’ah said “When she said this to me, I gathered my clothes on me when the evening came and I came to the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) and asked him about that. He told me that I became lawful when I had delivered a child. He suggested me to marry if I wished. Ibn Shihab said “I do not see any harm if she marries when she gives birth to the child, even though she had the bleeding after the child birth, but her husband should not have sexual intercourse till she is purified.

Narrated Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: I can invoke the curse of Allah on anyone who wishes: The smaller surat an-Nisa (i.e. Surat at-Talaq) was revealed after the verse regarding the waiting period of four months and ten days had been revealed.

Narrated Amr ibn al-'As: Do not confuse us about his Sunnah. Ibn al-Muthanna said: The Sunnah of our Prophet (ﷺ) is that the waiting period of a slave-mother whose husband has died is four months and ten days.

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was asked about a man who divorced his wife three times, and she married another who entered upon her, but divorced her before having intercourse with her, whether she was lawful for the former husband. She said: The Prophet (ﷺ) replied: She is not lawful for the first (husband) until she tastes the honey of the other husband and he tastes her honey.

‘Abd Allaah (bin Masud) said “I asked Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) which sin is the gravest?” He replied “That you associate someone with Allaah, while He has created you”. I again asked “Which then?” He replied “That you commit adultery with the wife of your neighbor.” Allaah then revealed the following Qur’anic verse in support of the statement of the Prophet (ﷺ) “Those who invoke not with Allaah any other god nor slay such life as Allaah has made sacred except for just cause nor commit fornication.”

Narrated Jabir ibn Abdullah: Musaykah, a slave-girl of some Ansari, came and said: My master forces me to commit fornication. Thereupon the following verse was revealed: "But force not your maids to prostitution (when they desire chastity)."

Mu’tamir reported on the authority of his father Sa’id bin Al Hassan explain the Qur’anic verse “But if anyone compels them, yet after such compulsion is Allaah oft-forgiving most merciful(to them), said Allaah is oft-forgiving to those (slave girls) who were compelled (to prostitution)