Sunan Abi Dawud

Hadith 2272

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Sunan Abi Dawud · Hadith 2272

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/33. Regarding The Types Of Marriages That Were Practiced Before Islam

English source

Darussalam · Volume 3

13. THE BOOK OF DIVORCE

Sunan Abi Dawud Darussalam English translation

Arabic source
Shamela Arabic edition (opens in a new tab)

الحديث: 2272 ¦ الجزء: 2 ¦ الصفحة: 281

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Text and translation

English translation

2272 'Āishah, may Allāh be pleased with her, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, narrated that there were four types of marriages that were practiced in Jāhiliyyah. There was a type which is what the people do today: A man would propose to another man (guardian) for his female ward's (hand in marriage), and would give her a dowry and then marry her. Another type was that a man would say to his wife, after she had finished her menses: 'Call so-and-so, and mate with him,' and her husband would avoid her until it was clear that she was pregnant from that other man whom she was mating with. After her pregnancy was apparent, her husband could then enjoy her if he pleased. And they would only do that type because they desired a bright (and noble) child. This type of marriage was called: 'Mating marriage.' Another type of marriage was that a group of men, less than ten, would visit a woman, all of them enjoying her. So if she became pregnant and gave birth, then a few nights after her delivery, she would call for all of them, and none of them could refuse to come. When they would all gather, she would say to them: 'You know (the result) of what you have done, and I have given birth, and he is your child: O so-and-so,' and she would name whomever she pleased, so her child would be considered his. And the fourth type was that a lot of men would enter upon a woman, for she would not turn away any that came to her — and these were the prostitutes. They would place flags on their doors, and these would act as signs; whoever wanted them would enter in upon them. If she became pregnant and gave birth, then after her delivery, they would all gather and call a Qāfah. Then the child would be given to the one whom he saw fit, and so it would be given to him, and called his son. None could refuse that. So when Allāh sent Muḥammad ﷺ, he obliterated all the marriages of the People of Jāhiliyyah except for the marriage of the Muslims today. (Sahih)

Arabic text

2272 - حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَنْبَسَةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَنِي يُونُسُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ، قَالَ: قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمِ بْنِ شِهَابٍ: أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَخْبَرَتْهُ، " أَنَّ النِّكَاحَ كَانَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ عَلَى أَرْبَعَةِ أَنْحَاءٍ: فَكَانَ مِنْهَا نِكَاحُ النَّاسِ الْيَوْمَ، يَخْطُبُ الرَّجُلُ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ وَلِيَّتَهُ فَيُصْدِقُهَا، ثُمَّ يَنْكِحُهَا، وَنِكَاحٌ آخَرُ كَانَ الرَّجُلُ يَقُولُ لِامْرَأَتِهِ إِذَا طَهُرَتْ مِنْ طَمْثِهَا: أَرْسِلِي إِلَى فُلَانٍ فَاسْتَبْضِعِي مِنْهُ، وَيَعْتَزِلُهَا زَوْجُهَا، وَلَا يَمَسُّهَا أَبَدًا حَتَّى يَتَبَيَّنَ حَمْلُهَا مِنْ ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلِ الَّذِي تَسْتَبْضِعُ مِنْهُ، فَإِذَا تَبَيَّنَ حَمْلُهَا أَصَابَهَا زَوْجُهَا إِنْ أَحَبَّ، وَإِنَّمَا يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ رَغْبَةً فِي نَجَابَةِ الْوَلَدِ، فَكَانَ هَذَا النِّكَاحُ يُسَمَّى نِكَاحَ الِاسْتِبْضَاعِ، وَنِكَاحٌ آخَرُ يَجْتَمِعُ الرَّهْطُ دُونَ الْعَشَرَةِ، فَيَدْخُلُونَ عَلَى الْمَرْأَةِ كُلُّهُمْ يُصِيبُهَا، فَإِذَا حَمَلَتْ وَوَضَعَتْ، وَمَرَّ لَيَالٍ بَعْدَ أَنْ تَضَعَ حَمْلَهَا، أَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِمْ فَلَمْ يَسْتَطِعْ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمْ أَنْ يَمْتَنِعَ حَتَّى يَجْتَمِعُوا عِنْدَهَا، فَتَقُولُ لَهُمْ: قَدْ عَرَفْتُمُ الَّذِي كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِكُمْ وَقَدْ وَلَدْتُ، وَهُوَ ابْنُكَ يَا فُلَانُ، فَتُسَمِّي مَنْ أَحَبَّتْ مِنْهُمْ بِاسْمِهِ، فَيَلْحَقُ بِهِ وَلَدُهَا، وَنِكَاحٌ رَابِعٌ يَجْتَمِعُ النَّاسُ الْكَثِيرُ، فَيَدْخُلُونَ عَلَى الْمَرْأَةِ لَا تَمْتَنِعُ مِمَّنْ جَاءَهَا وَهُنَّ الْبَغَايَا كُنَّ يَنْصِبْنَ عَلَى أَبْوَابِهِنَّ رَايَاتٍ يَكُنَّ عَلَمًا لِمَنْ أَرَادَهُنَّ دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِنَّ، فَإِذَا حَمَلَتْ فَوَضَعَتْ حَمْلَهَا جُمِعُوا لَهَا، وَدَعَوْا لَهُمُ الْقَافَةَ، ثُمَّ أَلْحَقُوا وَلَدَهَا بِالَّذِي يَرَوْنَ فَالْتَاطَهُ، وَدُعِيَ ابْنَهُ لَا يَمْتَنِعُ مِنْ ذَلِكَ، فَلَمَّا بَعَثَ اللَّهُ مُحَمَّدًا صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ هَدَمَ نِكَاحَ أَهْلِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ كُلَّهُ إِلَّا نِكَاحَ أَهْلِ الْإِسْلَامِ الْيَوْمَ "

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