Muwatta Imam Malik — Marriage

Malik said, "It is not halal to marry a christian or jewish slave-girl because Allah the Blessed, the Exalted, said in His Book, 'Believing women who are muhsanat and women of those who were given the Book before you who are muhsanat', (sura 5 ayat 6) and they are free women from the Christians and Jews. Allah, the Blessed, the Exalted, said in His Book, 'If you are not affluent enough to marry believing women who are muhsanat, take believing slave-girls whom your right hands own.' " (Sura 4 ayat 24) Malik said, "In our opinion, Allah made marriage to believing slave-girls halal, and He did not make halal marriage to christian and jewish slave-girls from the People of the Book." Malik said, "The christian and jewish slave-girl are halal for their master by right of possession, but intercourse with a magian slave-girl is not halal by the right of possession." Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Said ibn al- Musayyab said, "The muhsanat among women are those who have husbands." That referred to the fact that Allah has made fornication haram

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن ابن شهاب، عن سعيد بن المسيب، انه قال المحصنات من النساء هن اولات الازواج ويرجع ذلك الى ان الله حرم الزنا

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab, and he had heard from al-Qasim ibn Muhammad that they said, "When a free man marries a slave-girl and consummates the marriage, she makes him muhsan." Malik said, "All (of the people of knowledge) I have seen said that a slave-girl makes a free man muhsan when he marries her and consummates the marriage." Malik said, "A slave makes a free woman muhsana when he consummates a marriage with her and a free woman only makes a slave muhsan when he is freed and he is her husband and has had sexual relations with her after he has been set free. If he parts from her before he is free, he is not a muhsan unless he marries her after having been set free and he consummates the marriage." Malik said, "When a slave-girl is married to a free man and then he separates from her before she is set free, his marriage to her does not make her muhsana. She is not muhsana until she has married after she has been set free and she has had intercourse with her husband. That gives her ihsan. If she is the wife of a freeman and then she is set free while she is his wife before he separates from her, the man makes her muhsana if he has intercourse with her after she has been set free." Malik said, "The christian and jewish free women and the muslim slave-girl all make a muslim free man muhsan when he marries one of them and has intercourse with her

وحدثني عن مالك، عن ابن شهاب، وبلغه، عن القاسم بن محمد، انهما كانا يقولان اذا نكح الحر الامة فمسها فقد احصنته . قال مالك وكل من ادركت كان يقول ذلك تحصن الامة الحر اذا نكحها فمسها فقد احصنته . قال مالك يحصن العبد الحرة اذا مسها بنكاح ولا تحصن الحرة العبد الا ان يعتق وهو زوجها فيمسها بعد عتقه فان فارقها قبل ان يعتق فليس بمحصن حتى يتزوج بعد عتقه ويمس امراته . قال مالك والامة اذا كانت تحت الحر ثم فارقها قبل ان تعتق فانه لا يحصنها نكاحه اياها وهي امة حتى تنكح بعد عتقها ويصيبها زوجها فذلك احصانها والامة اذا كانت تحت الحر فتعتق وهي تحته قبل ان يفارقها فانه يحصنها اذا عتقت وهي عنده اذا هو اصابها بعد ان تعتق . وقال مالك والحرة النصرانية واليهودية والامة المسلمة يحصن الحر المسلم اذا نكح احداهن فاصابها

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Abdullah and Hasan, the sons of Muhammad ibn Ali ibn Abi Talib from their ather, mayAllah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, forbade temporary marriage with women and the flesh of domestic donkeys on the Day of Khaybar

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن ابن شهاب، عن عبد الله، والحسن، ابنى محمد بن علي بن ابي طالب عن ابيهما، عن علي بن ابي طالب، رضى الله عنه ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى عن متعة النساء يوم خيبر وعن اكل لحوم الحمر الانسية

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab from Urwa ibn az- Zubayr that Khawla ibn Hakim came to Umar ibn al-Khattab and said, ''Rabia ibn Umayya made a temporary marriage with a woman and she is pregnant by him.'' Umar ibn al-Khattab went out in dismay dragging his cloak, saying, "This temporary marriage, had I come across it, I would have ordered stoning and done away with it

وحدثني عن مالك، عن ابن شهاب، عن عروة بن الزبير، ان خولة بنت حكيم، دخلت على عمر بن الخطاب فقالت ان ربيعة بن امية استمتع بامراة فحملت منه . فخرج عمر بن الخطاب فزعا يجر رداءه فقال هذه المتعة ولو كنت تقدمت فيها لرجمت

Yahya related to me from Malik that he heard Rabia ibn Abd ar- Rahman say that a slave could marry four women. Malik said, "This is the best of what I have heard about the matter." Malik said, "The slave differs with the muhallil if the slave is given permission by his master for his ex-wife. If his master does not give him permission, he separates them. The muhallil is separated in any case if he intends to make the woman halal by marriage." Malik said, "When a slave is owned by his wife or a husband owns his wife, the possession of each of them is rendered void without divorce. If a man, for instance, is married to a slave-girl, and then he buys her, he must divorce her as a matter of course. They can then re- marry. If they re-marry afterwards, that separation was not divorce." Malik said, "When a slave is freed by his wife who owns him and she is in the idda-period from him, they can only return to each other after she has made another marriage

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، انه سمع ربيعة بن ابي عبد الرحمن، يقول ينكح العبد اربع نسوة . قال مالك وهذا احسن ما سمعت في ذلك . قال مالك والعبد مخالف للمحلل ان اذن له سيده ثبت نكاحه وان لم ياذن له سيده فرق بينهما والمحلل يفرق بينهما على كل حال اذا اريد بالنكاح التحليل . قال مالك في العبد اذا ملكته امراته او الزوج يملك امراته ان ملك كل واحد منهما صاحبه يكون فسخا بغير طلاق وان تراجعا بنكاح بعد لم تكن تلك الفرقة طلاقا . قال مالك والعبد اذا اعتقته امراته اذا ملكته وهي في عدة منه لم يتراجعا الا بنكاح جديد

Malik related to me from Ibn Shihab that he had heard that in the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, women were becoming muslim in their own lands and they did not do hijra while their husbands were still kafirun although they themselves had become muslim. Among them was the daughter of al-Walid ibn al-Mughira and she was the wife of Safwan ibn Umayya. She became muslim on the day of the conquest (of Makka), and her husband, Safwan ibn Umayya fled from Islam. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent Safwan's paternal cousin, Wahb ibn Umayr with the cloak of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, as a safe-conduct for Safwan ibn Umayya, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, called him to Islam and asked for him to come to him and if he was pleased with the matter to accept it. If not he would have a respite for two months. When Safwan came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with his cloak, he called out to him over the heads of the people, "Muhammad! Wahb ibn Umayr brought me your cloak and claimed that you had summoned me to come to you and if I was pleased with the matter, I should accept it and if not, you would give me a respite for two months. "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Come down, Abu Wahb." He said, "No, by Allah! I will not come down until you make it clear to me." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "You have a respite of four months." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, went out toward Hawazin at Hunayn. He sent to Safwan ibn Umayya to borrow some equipment and arms that he had. Safwan said, "Willingly or unwillingly?" He said, "Willingly." Therefore he lent him the equipment and arms which he had. Then Safwan went out with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, while he was still a kafir. He was present at the battles of Hunayn and at-Ta'if while he was still a kafir and his wife was a muslim. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, did not separate Safwan and his wife until he had become muslim, and his wife was settled with him by that marriage

حدثني مالك، عن ابن شهاب، انه بلغه ان نساء، كن في عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يسلمن بارضهن وهن غير مهاجرات وازواجهن حين اسلمن كفار منهن بنت الوليد بن المغيرة . وكانت تحت صفوان بن امية فاسلمت يوم الفتح وهرب زوجها صفوان بن امية من الاسلام فبعث اليه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ابن عمه وهب بن عمير برداء رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم امانا لصفوان بن امية ودعاه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم الى الاسلام وان يقدم عليه فان رضي امرا قبله والا سيره شهرين فلما قدم صفوان على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بردايه ناداه على رءوس الناس فقال يا محمد ان هذا وهب بن عمير جاءني بردايك وزعم انك دعوتني الى القدوم عليك فان رضيت امرا قبلته والا سيرتني شهرين . فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم " انزل ابا وهب " . فقال لا والله لا انزل حتى تبين لي . فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم " بل لك تسير اربعة اشهر " . فخرج رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قبل هوازن بحنين . فارسل الى صفوان بن امية يستعيره اداة وسلاحا عنده فقال صفوان اطوعا ام كرها فقال " بل طوعا " . فاعاره الاداة والسلاح التي عنده ثم خرج صفوان مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو كافر فشهد حنينا والطايف وهو كافر وامراته مسلمة ولم يفرق رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بينه وبين امراته حتى اسلم صفوان واستقرت عنده امراته بذلك النكاح

Yahya related to me from Malik that Ibn Shihab said, "Between the Islam of Safwan and the Islam of his wife there was about one month." Ibn Shihab said, "We have not heard about any woman doing hijra for Allah and His Messenger while her husband was a kafir abiding in the land of kufr, but that her hijra separated her and her husband unless her husband came in hijra before her period of idda had been completed

وحدثني عن مالك، عن ابن شهاب، انه قال كان بين اسلام صفوان وبين اسلام امراته نحو من شهر . قال ابن شهاب ولم يبلغنا ان امراة هاجرت الى الله ورسوله وزوجها كافر مقيم بدار الكفر الا فرقت هجرتها بينها وبين زوجها الا ان يقدم زوجها مهاجرا قبل ان تنقضي عدتها

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Umm Hakim bint al-Harith ibn Hisham who was the wife of Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl became muslim on the day of the conquest of Makka, and her husband Ikrima fled from Islam as far as the Yemen. Umm Hakim set out after him until she came to him in the Yemen and she called him to Islam, and he became muslim. He went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, in the year of the conquest. When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saw him, he rushed to him in joy and did not bother to put on his cloak until he had made the pledge with him. They were confirmed in their marriage. Malik said, "If a man becomes muslim before his wife, a separation occurs between them when he presents Islam to her and she does not become muslim, because Allah, the Blessed, the Exalted, said in His Book, 'Do not hold fast to the ties of women who are kafirun

وحدثني عن مالك، عن ابن شهاب، ان ام حكيم بنت الحارث بن هشام، وكانت، تحت عكرمة بن ابي جهل فاسلمت يوم الفتح وهرب زوجها عكرمة بن ابي جهل من الاسلام حتى قدم اليمن فارتحلت ام حكيم حتى قدمت عليه باليمن فدعته الى الاسلام فاسلم وقدم على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عام الفتح فلما راه رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وثب اليه فرحا وما عليه رداء حتى بايعه فثبتا على نكاحهما ذلك . قال مالك واذا اسلم الرجل قبل امراته وقعت الفرقة بينهما اذا عرض عليها الاسلام فلم تسلم لان الله تبارك وتعالى يقول في كتابه {ولا تمسكوا بعصم الكوافر}

Yahya related to me from Malik from Humayd at-Tawil from Anas ibn Malik that Abd ar-Rahman ibn Awf came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he had a traceof yellow on him. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked about it. He told him that he had just been married. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "How much did you hand over to her?" He said, "The weight of a date pit in gold." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, "Hold a feast, even if it is only with a sheep

وحدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن حميد الطويل، عن انس بن مالك، ان عبد الرحمن بن عوف، جاء الى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وبه اثر صفرة فساله رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فاخبره انه تزوج فقال له رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم " كم سقت اليها " . فقال زنة نواة من ذهب . فقال له رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم " اولم ولو بشاة

Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Said said, "I have heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, held a wedding feast in which there was neither meat nor bread

وحدثني عن مالك، عن يحيى بن سعيد، انه قال لقد بلغني ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يولم بالوليمة ما فيها خبز ولا لحم

Yahya related to me from Malik from Nafi from Abdullah ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When you are invited to a wedding feast, you must go to it

وحدثني عن مالك، عن نافع، عن عبد الله بن عمر، ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال " اذا دعي احدكم الى وليمة فلياتها

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibr. Shihab from al-Araj that Abu Hurayra said, "The worst food is the food of a wedding feast to which the rich are invited and the poor are left out. If anyone rejects an invitation, he has rebelled against Allah and His Messenger

وحدثني عن مالك، عن ابن شهاب، عن الاعرج، عن ابي هريرة، انه كان يقول شر الطعام طعام الوليمة يدعى لها الاغنياء ويترك المساكين ومن لم يات الدعوة فقد عصى الله ورسوله

Yahya related to me from Malik that Ishaq ibn Abdullah ibn Abi Talha heard Anas ibn Malik say that a certain tailor invited the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to eat some food which he had prepared. Anas said, "I went with the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to eat the food. He served barley bread and a soup with pumpkin in it. I saw the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, going after the pumpkin around the dish, so I have always liked pumpkin since that day

وحدثني عن مالك، عن اسحاق بن عبد الله بن ابي طلحة، انه سمع انس بن مالك، يقول ان خياطا دعا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لطعام صنعه . قال انس فذهبت مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم الى ذلك الطعام فقرب اليه خبزا من شعير ومرقا فيه دباء . قال انس فرايت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يتتبع الدباء من حول القصعة فلم ازل احب الدباء بعد ذلك اليوم

Yahya related to me from Malik from Zayd ibn Aslam that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "When you marry a woman or buy a slave-girl, take her by the forelock and ask for baraka. When you buy a camel, take the top of its hump, and seek refuge with Allah from Shaytan

حدثني يحيى، عن مالك، عن زيد بن اسلم، ان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال " اذا تزوج احدكم المراة او اشترى الجارية فلياخذ بناصيتها وليدع بالبركة واذا اشترى البعير فلياخذ بذروة سنامه وليستعذ بالله من الشيطان

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z-Zubayr al-Makki that somebody asked a man for his sister in marriage and the man mentioned that she had committed fornication. Umar ibn al-Khattab heard about it and he beat the man or almost beat him, and said, "What did you mean by giving him such information?

وحدثني عن مالك، عن ابي الزبير المكي، ان رجلا، خطب الى رجل اخته فذكر انها قد كانت احدثت فبلغ ذلك عمر بن الخطاب فضربه - او كاد يضربه - ثم قال ما لك وللخبر

Yahya related to me from Malik from Rabia ibn Abi Abd ar-Rahman that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad and Urwa ibn az-Zubayr said that a man who had four wives and then divorced one of them irrevocably, could marry straightaway if he wished, and he did not have to wait for the completion of her idda

وحدثني عن مالك، عن ربيعة بن ابي عبد الرحمن، ان القاسم بن محمد، وعروة بن الزبير، كانا يقولان في الرجل يكون عنده اربع نسوة فيطلق احداهن البتة انه يتزوج ان شاء ولا ينتظر ان تنقضي عدتها

Yahya related to me from Malik from Rabia ibn Abd ar-Rahman that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad and Urwa ibn az-Zubayr gave the same judgement to al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik in the year of his arrival in Madina except that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad said that he divorced his wife on various occasions. (i.e. not at one time)

وحدثني عن مالك، عن ربيعة بن ابي عبد الرحمن، ان القاسم بن محمد، وعروة بن الزبير، افتيا الوليد بن عبد الملك عام قدم المدينة بذلك غير ان القاسم بن محمد قال طلقها في مجالس شتى

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Said ibn al-Musayyab said, "There are three things in which there is no jest:marriage, divorce, and setting free

وحدثني عن مالك، عن يحيى بن سعيد، عن سعيد بن المسيب، انه قال ثلاث ليس فيهن لعب النكاح والطلاق والعتق

Yahya related to me from Malik from Ibn Shihab that Rafi ibn Khadij married the daughter of Muhammad ibn Maslama al-Ansari. She was with him until she grew older, and then he married a young girl and preferred the young girl to her. She begged him to divorce her, so he divorced her and then he gave her time until she had almost finished her idda period and then he returned and still preferred the young girl. She therefore asked him to divorce her. He divorced her once, and then returned to her, and still preferred the young girl, and she asked him to divorce her. He said, "What do you want? There is only one divorce left. If you like, continue and put up with what you see of preference, and if you like, I will separate from you." She said, "I will continue in spite of the preference." He kept her in spite of that. Rafi did not see that he had done any wrong action when she remained with him in spite of preference

وحدثني عن مالك، عن ابن شهاب، عن رافع بن خديج، انه تزوج بنت محمد بن مسلمة الانصاري فكانت عنده حتى كبرت فتزوج عليها فتاة شابة فاثر الشابة عليها فناشدته الطلاق فطلقها واحدة ثم امهلها حتى اذا كادت تحل راجعها ثم عاد فاثر الشابة فناشدته الطلاق فطلقها واحدة ثم راجعها ثم عاد فاثر الشابة فناشدته الطلاق فقال ما شيت انما بقيت واحدة فان شيت استقررت على ما ترين من الاثرة وان شيت فارقتك . قالت بل استقر على الاثرة . فامسكها على ذلك ولم ير رافع عليه اثما حين قرت عنده على الاثرة