Sunan Abi Dawud

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: A guardian has no concern with a woman previously married and has no husband, and an orphan girl (i.e. virgin) must be consulted, her silence being her acceptance.

Khansa’ daughter of Khidham al-Ansariyyah reports that when her father married her when she had previously been married and she disapproved of that she went to the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) and mentioned it to him. He (the Prophet) revoked her marriage.

AbuHind cupped the Prophet (ﷺ) in the middle of his head. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Banu Bayadah, marry AbuHind (to your daughter), and ask him to marry (his daughter) to you. He said: The best thing by which you treat yourself is cupping.

I went out along with my father during the hajj performed by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). My father came near him; he was riding his she-camel. He stopped there and listened to him. He had a whip like the whip of the teachers. I heard the Bedouin and the people saying: Keep away from the whip. My father came up to him. He caught hold of his foot and acknowledged him (his Prophethood). He stopped and listened to him. He then said: I participated in the army of Athran (in the pre-Islamic days). The narrator, Ibn al-Muthanna, said: Army of Gathran. Tariq ibn al-Muraqqa' said: Who will give me a lance and get a reward? I asked: What is its reward? He replied: I shall marry him to my first daughter born to me. So I gave him my lance and then disappeared from him till I knew that a daughter was born to him and she came of age. I then came to him and said: Send my wife to me. He swore that he would not do that until I fixed a dower afresh other than that agreed between me and him, and I swore that I should not give him the dower other than that I had given him before. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: How old is she now? He said: She has grown old. He said: I think you should leave her. He said: This put awe and fear into me, and I looked at the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). When he felt this in me, he said: You will not be sinful, nor will your companion be sinful. Abu Dawud said: Qatir means old age.

Ibrahim bin Maisarah reported from his maternal aunt who reported on the authority of a woman called Mussaddaqah (a truthful woman). She said “In pre Islamic days, when my father participated in a battle the feet of the people burnt due to intense heat. Thereupon a man said “Who gives me his shoes, I shall marry him to my first daughter born to me. My father took off his shoes and there them before him. A girl was thereafter born to him and came of age.” The narrator then mentioned a similar story. But he did not mention that she had grown old.

Abu Salamah said “I asked A’ishah about the dower given by the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ). She said “It was twelve Uqiyahs and a nashsh”. I asked “What is nashsh?” She said it is half an uqiyah.

Umar (Allah be pleased with him) delivered a speech to us and said: Do not go to extremes in giving women their dower, for if it represented honour in this world and piety in Allah's sight, the one of you most entitled to do so would have been the Prophet (ﷺ). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not marry any of his wives or gave any of his daughters in marriage for more than twelve uqiyahs.

Hasanah is his mother.

The Negus married Umm Habibah daughter of Abu Sufyan to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for a dower of four thousand dirhams. He wrote it to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who accepted it.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saw the trace of yellow on 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Awf. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: What is this ? He replied: Messenger of Allah, I have married a woman. He asked: How much dower did you give her ? He said: A nawat weight of gold. He said: Hold a wedding feast, even if only with a sheep.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone gives as a dower to his wife two handfuls of flour or dates he has made her lawful for him. AbuDawud said: This tradition has been narrated by Abdur Rahman ibn Mahdi, from Salih ibn Ruman, from Abu al-Zubayr on the authority of Jabir as his own statement (not going back to the Prophet). It has also been transmitted by AbuAsim from Salih ibn Ruman , from AbuzZubayr on the authority of Jabir who said: During the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) we used to contract temporary marriage for a handful of grain. Abu Dawud said: This tradition has also been transmitted by Ibn Juraij from Abu al-Zubair on the authority of Jabir similar to the one narrated by Abu 'Asim.

A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: Messenger of Allah, I have offered myself to you. When she stood for a long time, a man got up and said: Messenger of Allah, marry her to me if you have no need for her. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asked: Have you anything to give her as dower ? He replied: I have nothing by this lower garment of mine. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: If you give your lower garment, you will sit while you have no lower garment. So look for something else. He said: I do not find anything. He said: Look for something, even though it should be an iron ring. The man sought it but found nothing. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Do you know anything from the Qur'an ? He said: Yes, I know surah so and so, which he named. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: I have given you her in marriage for the part of the Qur'an which you know.

How much do you memorize from Qur'an? He said: Surat al-Baqarah or the one that follows it. He said: Stand up and teach her twenty verses: she is your wife.

This is not lawful for anyone after the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

Masruq said on the authority of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: Abdullah (ibn Mas'ud ) was asked about a man who had married a woman without cohabiting with her or fixing any dower for her till he died. Ibn Mas'ud said: She should receive the full dower (as given to women of her class), observe the waiting period ('Iddah), and have her share of inheritance. Thereupon Ma'qil ibn Sinan said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) giving the same decision regarding Birwa' daughter of Washiq (as the decision you have given).

The aforesaid tradition has also been transmitted by 'Alqamah on the authority of 'Abd Allah. 'Uthman (b. Abi Shaibah) narrated a similar tradition.

Abdullah ibn Utbah ibn Mas'ud said: Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was informed of this story of a man. The people continued to visit him for a month or visited him many times (the narrator was not sure). He said: In this matter I hold the opinion that she should receive the type of dower given to women of her class with no diminution or excess, observe the waiting period ('iddah) and have her share of inheritance. If it is erroneous, that is from me and from Satan. Allah and His Apostle are free from its responsibility. Some people from Ashja' got up; among them were al-Jarrah and AbuSinan. They said: Ibn Mas'ud, we bear witness that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) gave a decision for us regarding Birwa', daughter of Washiq, to the same effect as the decision you have given. Her husband was Hilal ibn Murrah al-Ashja'i. Thereupon Abdullah ibn Mas'ud was very pleased when his decision agreed with the decision of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).

The Prophet (ﷺ) said to a man: Would you like me to marry you to so-and-so? He said: Yes. He also said to the woman: Would you like me to marry you to so-and-so? She said: Yes. He then married one to the other. The man had sexual intercourse with her, but he did not fix any dower for her, nor did he give anything to her. He was one of those who participated in the expedition to al-Hudaybiyyah. One part of the expedition to al-Hudaybiyyah had a share in Khaybar. When he was nearing his death, he said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) married me to so-and-so, and I did not fix a dower for her, nor did I give anything to her. I call upon you as witness that I have given my share in Khaybar as her dower. So she took the share and sold it for one lakh (of dirhams). Abu Dawud said: The version of 'Umar b. al-Khattab added in the beginning of this tradition, and his version is more perfect. He reported the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: The best marriage is the one that is most easy. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to the man. The narrator then transmitted the rest of the tradition to the same effect. Abu Dawud said: I am afraid this tradition has been added later on, for the matter is otherwise.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) taught us the address in case of some need: Praise be to Allah from Whom we ask help and pardon, and in Whom we take refuge from the evils within ourselves. He whom Allah guides has no one who can lead him astray, and he whom He leads astray has no one to guide him. I testify that there is no god but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and Apostle. "You who believe,...fear Allah by Whom you ask your mutual rights, and reverence the wombs. Allah has been watching you." ..."you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared, and die only as Muslims" ...."you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared, and die only as Muslims"....."you who believe, fear Allah and say what is true. He will make your deeds sound, and forgive your sins. He who obeys Allah and His Apostle has achieved a mighty success." The narrator, Muhammad ibn Sulayman, did mention the word "inna" (verily).

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) recited the tashahhud....He then narrated the same tradition. In this version after the word "and His Apostle" he added the words: "He has sent him in truth as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner before the Hour. He who obeys Allah and His Prophet is on the right path, and he who disobeys them does not harm anyone except himself, and he does not harm Allah to the least.