Mishkat
al-Masabih

مشكاة المصابيح

13

Marriage

كتاب النكاح

 

Chapter 12b: The Woman who is Divorced by three Pronouncements - Section 2

باب المطلقة ثلاثا - الفصل الثاني

Mishkat al-Masabih 3299

Abu Salama told that Sulaiman b. Sakhr, also called Salama b. Sakhr al-Bayadi, made his wife like his mother’s back* to him till the end of Ramadan, but when only half the month had gone he had inter-course with her during the night and went to God’s Messenger and mentioned that to him. He told him to set free a slave, but he replied that he could not get one; so he told him to fast two consecutive months, but he replied that he was unable to do that; he then told him to feed sixty poor people, but he replied that he did not possess the means, God’s Messenger then said to Farwa b. ‘Amr, “Give him that ‘araq (i.e., a date-basket holding fifteen or sixteen sa’s) (Cf. page 426) in order that he may feed sixty poor people.” Tirmidhi transmitted it. *I have retained the Arabic idiom in the translation. The phrase is said to have been used as a kind of divorce in pre-Islamic times, meaning that intercourse with the woman is being considered as intercourse with one’s mother.

وَعَن أبي سلمةَ: أَنَّ سَلْمَانَ بْنَ صَخْرٍ وَيُقَالُ لَهُ: سَلَمَةُ بْنُ صَخْرٍ الْبَيَاضِيُّ جَعَلَ امْرَأَتَهُ عَلَيْهِ كَظَهْرِ أُمِّهِ حَتَّى يَمْضِيَ رَمَضَانُ فَلَمَّا مَضَى نِصْفٌ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ وَقَعَ عَلَيْهَا لَيْلًا فَأَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَذَكَرَ لَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «أَعْتِقْ رَقَبَةً» قَالَ: لَا أَجِدُهَا قَالَ: «فَصُمْ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ» قَالَ: لَا أَسْتَطِيعُ قَالَ: «أَطْعِمْ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِينًا» قَالَ: لَا أَجِدُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لِفَرْوَةَ بْنِ عَمْرٍو: «أَعْطِهِ ذَلِكَ الْعَرَقَ» وَهُوَ مِكْتَلٌ يَأْخُذُ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ صَاعًا أَوْ سِتَّةَ عَشَرَ صَاعا «ليُطعِمَ سِتِّينَ مِسْكينا» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ