The Book of Marriage

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as having 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."

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as having said this: Do not outbid in a sale in order to ensnare. No man should enter into a transaction in which his brother has already entered, and no dweller of the town should sell on behalf of the villager. And no man should make a proposal of marriage which his brother has already made and no woman should ask for the divorce of another (co-wife) in order to deprive her of what belongs to her.

A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of Zuhri with the same chain of transmitters but with a slight alteration.

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The Muslim should not purchase in opposition to his brother, and he should not make the proposal of marriage on the proposal already made by his brother.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) through another chain of transmitters.

'Uqba b. 'Amir said on the pulpit that Allah's Messenger (may 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 it up.

Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with them) said that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) prohibited Shighar which means that a man gives his daughter in marriage on the condition that the other gives his daughter to him in marriage with- out any dower being paid by either.

A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of" Abdullah b. 'Umar (Allah be pleased with them) but with a slight variation of words.

Ibn Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) prohibited Shighar.

Ibn 'Umar (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as having said: There is no Shighar in islam.

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) prohibited Shighar. Ibn Numair 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 merry me your sister, and I will marry my sister to you.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Vmar with the same chain of transmitters, but there is no mention of Ibn Numair.

Jabir b. Abdullah (Allah be pleased with him) reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) prohibited Shighar.

'Uqba b. Amir (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The most worthy condition which must be fulfilled is that which makes sexual intercourse lawful. In the narration transmitted by Ibn Muthanna (instead of the word" condition" ) it is" conditions".

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as having said: A woman without a husband (or divorced or a widow) must not be married until she is consulted, and a virgin must not be married until her permission is sought. They asked the Prophet of Allah (may peace be upon him): How her (virgin's) consent can be solicited? He (the Holy Prophet) said: That she keeps silence.

This hadith has been narrated through another chain of transmitters.

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: I asked Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) about a virgin whose marriage is solemnised by her guardian, whether it was necessary or not to consult her. Allah's Messerger (may peace be upon him) said: Yes, she must be consulted. 'A'isha reported: I told him that she feels shy, whereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Her silence implies her consent.

Ibn 'Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: 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.

Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with them) reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: A woman who has been previously married (Thayyib) has more right to her person than her guardian. And a virgin should also be consulted, and her silence implies her consent.

Sufyan reported on the basis of the same chain of transmitters (and the words are): A woman who has been previously married (Thayyib) has more right to her person than her guardian; and a virgin's father must ask her consent from her, her consent being her silence, At times he said: Her silence is her affirmation.

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) married me when I was six years old, and I was admitted to his house at the age of nine. She further said: We went to Medina and I had an attack of fever for a month, and my hair had come down to the earlobes. Umm Ruman (my mother) came to me and I was at that time on a swing along with my playmates. She called me loudly and I went to her and I did not know what she had wanted of me. She took hold of my hand and took me to the door, and I was saying: Ha, ha (as if I was gasping), until the agitation of my heart was over. She took me to a house, where had gathered the women of the Ansar. They all blessed me and wished me good luck and said: May you have share in good. She (my mother) entrusted me to them. They washed my head and embellished me and nothing frightened me. Allah's Messenger (, may peace be upon him) came there in the morning, and I was entrusted to him.

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) married me when I was six years old, and I was admitted to his house when I was nine years old.

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) married her when she was seven years old, and he was taken to his house as a bride when she was nine, and her dolls were with her; and when he (the Holy Prophet) died she was eighteen years old.

'A'isha (Allah be pleased with her) reported: Allah's Messenger (may 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 (may peace be upon him) was dearer to him than I, and' A'isha liked that the women (of her family) should enter the houses as brides during the month of Shawwal.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Sufyan with the same chain of transmitters, but he made no mention of the act of 'A'isha (being admitted as a wife in the house of the Holy Prophet).

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported: I was in the company of Allah's Messenger (may 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 (may 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.

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported: A man came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) and said: I have contracted marriage with a woman of the Ansar, whereupon Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: Did you cast a glance at her, for there is something in the eyes of the Ansar? He said: I did cast a glance at her, whereupon he said: For what (dower) did you marry her? He said: For four 'uqiyas. Thereupon Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) said: For four 'uqiyas; it seems as if you dig out silver from the side of this mountain (and that is why you are prepared to pay such a large amount of dower). We have nothing which we should give you. There is a possibility that we may send you to an (expedition) where you may get (booty). So he sent that man (in the expedition) which was despatched to Banu 'Abs.

Sahl b. Sa'd al-Sa'idi (Allah be pleased with him) reported: A woman came to Allah's Messenger. (may peace be upon him) and said: Messenger of Allah, I have come to you to entrust myself to you (you may contract my marriage with anyone at your discretion). Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) saw her and cast a glance at her from head to foot. Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) then lowered his head. When the woman saw that he had made no decision in regard to her, she sat down. There stood up a person from amongst his companions and said: Messenger of Allah, marry her to me if you have no need of her. He (the Prophet) said: is there anything with you (which you con give as a dower)? He said: No, Messenger of Allah, by Allah I have nothing. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Go to your people (family) and see if you can find something. He returned and said: I have found nothing. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) said: See even if it is an iron ring. He went and returned and said: No, by Allah, not even an iron ring, but only this lower garment of mine (Sahl said that he had no upper garment), half of which (I am prepared to part with) for her. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: How can your lower garment serve your purpose, for it you wear it, she would not be able to make any use of it and if she wears it there would not be anything on you? The man sat down and as the sitting prolonged he stood up (in disappointment) and as he was going back Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) commanded (him) to be called back, and as he came, he said to him: Do you know any part of the Qur'an? He said: I know such and such surahs (and he counted them), whereupon he () said: Can you recite them from heart (from your memory)? He said: Yes, whereupon he (Allah's Messenger) said: Go, I have given her to you in marriage for the part of the Qur'an which you know.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Sahl b. Sa'd with a minor alteration of words, but the hadith transmitted through Za'idah (the words are that the Holy Prophet) said: Go, I have married her to you, and you teach her something of the Qur'an.