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Sunan Abu DawudDivorce (Kitab Al-Talaq)

‘Abd Yazīd — the father of Rukānah and his siblings — divorced Umm Rukānah and married a woman from Muzaynah. So the new wife came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: He does not satisfy me except like this hair does

Chapter: The Abrogation Of Taking Back A Wife After The Third Divorce

Differing grades 4 scholars’ grades Sunan Abu Dawud 2196

Narrator:Ibn ‘Abbās

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي بَعْضُ بَنِي أَبِي رَافِعٍ، مَوْلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ مَوْلَى ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ طَلَّقَ عَبْدُ يَزِيدَ - أَبُو رُكَانَةَ وَإِخْوَتِهِ - أُمَّ رُكَانَةَ وَنَكَحَ امْرَأَةً مِنْ مُزَيْنَةَ فَجَاءَتِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَتْ مَا يُغْنِي عَنِّي إِلاَّ كَمَا تُغْنِي هَذِهِ الشَّعْرَةُ ‏.‏ لِشَعْرَةٍ أَخَذَتْهَا مِنْ رَأْسِهَا فَفَرِّقْ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ فَأَخَذَتِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم حَمِيَّةٌ فَدَعَا بِرُكَانَةَ وَإِخْوَتِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِجُلَسَائِهِ ‏"‏ أَتَرَوْنَ فُلاَنًا يُشْبِهُ مِنْهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا مِنْ عَبْدِ يَزِيدَ وَفُلاَنًا يُشْبِهُ مِنْهُ - كَذَا وَكَذَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا نَعَمْ ‏.‏ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم لِعَبْدِ يَزِيدَ ‏"‏ طَلِّقْهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَفَعَلَ ثُمَّ قَالَ ‏"‏

رَاجِعِ امْرَأَتَكَ أُمَّ رُكَانَةَ وَإِخْوَتِهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ إِنِّي طَلَّقْتُهَا ثَلاَثًا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ قَدْ عَلِمْتُ رَاجِعْهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَتَلاَ ‏‏{‏ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ إِذَا طَلَّقْتُمُ النِّسَاءَ فَطَلِّقُوهُنَّ لِعِدَّتِهِنَّ ‏}‏ ‏

Ibn ‘Abbās (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: ‘Abd Yazīd — the father of Rukānah and his siblings — divorced Umm Rukānah and married a woman from Muzaynah. So the new wife came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "He does not satisfy me except like this hair does — referring to a hair that she took from her head — so separate between me and him." So the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) got angry and called Rukānah and his siblings. Then he said to those who were sitting with them: "Do you see that so-and-so resembles him in such-and-such?" meaning ‘Abd Yazīd, "and so-and-so resembles him in such-and-such?" They said: 'Yes.' Therefore, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to ‘Abd Yazīd: "Divorce her." So he did. Then he said: "Restore your wife, the mother of Rukānah and his siblings." He said: "I have divorced her thrice, O Messenger of Allah." He said: "I know; restore her." And he recited: {O Prophet, when you [Muslims] divorce women, divorce them for [the commencement of] their waiting period and keep count of the waiting period.} [Sūrat At-Talāq: 1]

Reported by Abu Dawud (No. 2196).

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Explanation

‘Abd Yazīd, the father of Rukānah and his siblings, divorced the mother of Rukānah and married a woman from Muzaynah. This woman came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and said that Abu Rukānah was impotent, so he could not have sexual intercourse with her, and asked for separation. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) became angry on that account and called Rukānah and his siblings and said to those who were sitting with him whether they recognized similarity in features between Rukānah and his siblings and their father, concluding that they were the children of ‘Abd Yazīd, and thus ‘Abd Yazīd was not impotent, as his new wife from Muzaynah claimed. As people recognized a similarity, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked ‘Abd Yazīd to divorce the woman, and he did so. Then he asked him to restore his ex-wife, the mother of Rukānah and his siblings. ‘Abd Yazīd said that he had divorced her three times in one session. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that he knew that and remarked that three utterances of divorce in one session are considered one divorce. He recited: {O Prophet, when you [Muslims] divorce women, divorce them for [the commencement of] their waiting period and keep count of the waiting period} [Sūrat At-Talāq: 1]. So ‘Abd Yazīd restored his ex-wife. According to a narration of Ahmad: Abu Rukānah divorced his wife three times in one session and regretted what he did. So the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) told him that they counted as one divorce only.

Explanation in Arabic

طلق عبد يزيد أبو ركانة، وأبو إخوة ركانة أم ركانة، وتزوج امرأة من مزينة، فجاءت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ، فقالت إن أبا ركانة عنين لايستطيع أن يجامع النساء، ففرِّق بيني وبينه في النكاح.

فأخذت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم غيرة وغضب، فدعا بركانة وإخوته، ثم قال لجلسائه: أترون ركانة وإخوته متشابهين في الخلقة والصورة، فهم أولاده ولا شك في رجوليته، وليس كما زعمت امرأته المزنية. فقالوا: نعم هو كذلك، فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لعبد يزيد: «طلقها» فطلقها.

ثم قال له: راجع امرأتك أم ركانة وأم إخوته، وذلك بإرجاعها زوجة، فقال: إني طلقتها ثلاثاً يا رسول الله في مجلس واحد ، فقال: أي قد علمت أنك طلقتها ثلاثاً ولكن الطلاق الثلاث في مجلس واحد واحدة فراجعها وتلا: (يا أيها النبي إذا طلقتم النساء فطلقوهن لعدتهن).

ولفظ أحمد طلق ركانة امرأته في مجلس واحد ثلاثا فحزن عليها، فقال له رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : فإنها واحدة.

  • أفاد الحديث اعتبار الطلاق الثلاث واحدة، وأن للمطلق الرجعة، إن لم تكن نهاية عدده من الطلاق.
  • وقوع الطلاق الثلاث لكنه واحدة؛ خلافا للرافضة الذين يقولون لا يقع أصلا.
  • أنه إذا كان المفتي على علم بالقضية التي تحتاج إلى تفصيل فإنه لا يجب عليه أن يستفصل؛ لأن النبي -عليه الصلاة والسلام- أمره بالمراجعة وقال: قد علمت أنك طلقت ثلاثا.
  • كمال وفاء النبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم- حيث أمر بإرجاع امرأته الأولى.

Classical commentary

Al-Azimabadi — Awn al-Ma'bud

( وَإِخْوَته ) : بِالْجَرِّ عَطْف عَلَى رُكَانَة أَيْ وَأَبُو إِخْوَة رُكَانَة ( أُمَّ رُكَانَة ) : بِالنَّصْبِ مَفْعُول طَلَّقَ ( فَقَالَتْ مَا يُغْنِي ) : أَيْ أَبُو رُكَانَة ( إِلَّا كَمَا تُغْنِي هَذِهِ الشَّعْرَة ) : تُرِيد أَنَّهُ عِنِّين ( فَأَحْذَتْ النَّبِيّ صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَمِيَّة ) : بِالرَّفْعِ عَلَى الْفَاعِلِيَّة أَيْ غَيْرَة وَغَضَب ( أَتَرَوْنَ فُلَانًا يُشْبِه مِنْهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا مِنْ عَبْد يَزِيد ) : أَيْ أَنَّ رُكَانَة وَإِخْوَته مُتَشَابِهُونَ فِي الْخِلْقَة وَالصُّورَة فَهُمْ أَوْلَاده وَلَا شَكّ فِي رُجُولِيَّته وَلَيْسَ كَمَا زَعَمَتْ اِمْرَأَته الْمُزَنِيَّة ( فَفَعَلَ ) : أَيْ فَطَلَّقَهَا ( أُمّ رُكَانَة ) : بِالنَّصْبِ بَدَل مِنْ اِمْرَأَتك ( وَإ…

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Scholars’ grades

The 4 scholars cited do not give the same grade: each one is shown below.

ScholarGradeApplies toWork
Al-Albanid. 1420 AH Good (hasan)Hasan حسن The hadith No. 2196
Shu'ayb al-Arna'utd. 1438 AH WeakDaif The hadith No. 2196
Zubair Ali Zaid. 1435 AH WeakDaif The hadith No. 2196
Muhammad Muhyi al-Din Abd al-Hamidd. 1392 AH Good (hasan)Hasan The hadith No. 2196
Grades of other versions (7)
  • Al-Albani هذا الإسناد وإن كان ضعيفا لكنه قد توبع — إرواء الغليل (7/144)
  • Weak chainShu'ayb al-Arna'ut إسناده ضعيف — تخريج سنن أبي داود (2196)
  • AuthenticAbu Dawud صحيح — السنن الكبرى للبيهقي (7/339)
  • ابن حزم فيه] بعض بني أبي رافع ولا حجة في مجهول — المحلى (10/168)
  • محمد الأمين الشنقيطي رواية عن مجهول لا يدري من هو فسقوطها واضح — أضواء البيان (1/209)
  • الإمام أحمد ضعف طرق هذا الحديث كلها — مختصر سنن أبي داود (2/51)
  • الخطابي في إسناده مقال لا يقوم بالحجة — معالم السنن (3/203)

Other versions

Also reported by… (2)
  • السنن الكبرى للبيهقي (13852)مَا يُغْنِي عَنِّي إِلا كَمَا تُغْنِي هَذِهِ الشَّعَرَةُ لِشَعْرَةٍ أَخَذَتْهَا مِنْ رَأْسِهَا فَفَرِّقْ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ , فَأَخَذَتِ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ حَمِيَّةٌ فَدَعَا بِرُكَانَةَ وَإِخْوَتِهِ ، ثُمَّ قَالَ لِجُلَسَائِهِ : أَتَرَوْنَ فُلانًا يُشْبِهُ مِنْهُ كَذَا وَكَذَا مِنْ عَبْدِ يَزِيدَ وَفُلانً
  • مصنف عبد الرزاق (11025)رَاجِعِ امْرَأَتَكَ أُمَّ رُكَانَةَ ، فَقَالَ : إِنِّي طَلَّقْتُهَا ثَلاثًا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ , قَالَ : قَدْ عِلَمْتُ ، رَاجِعْهَا ، وتَلا بِآيَةِ النِّسَاءِ

On the same subject

Not graded Mishkat al-Masabih 3283

Rukana b. 'Abd Yazid said he divorced his wife Suhaima absolutely and when the Prophet was informed of that he said, “I swear by God that I meant it to be only a single utterance of divorce.” God’s Messenger asked him if that was so, and when he assured him that it was, he restored her to him. Then…

وَعَنْ رُكَانَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ يَزِيدَ أَنَّهُ طَلَّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ سُهَيْمَةَ الْبَتَّةَ فَأَخْبَرَ بِذَلِكَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم وَقَالَ: وَالله مَا أردتُ إِلَّا وَاحِدَةً فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى…

+ 1 other version

Authentic Sunan an-Nasa'i 2822

"As-Sab bin Jaththamah gave the Messenger of Allah the leg of an onager that was dripping with blood when he was in Ihram, at Qudaid, and he returned it to him."

أَهْدَى الصَّعْبُ بْنُ جَثَّامَةَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم رِجْلَ حِمَارِ وَحْشٍ تَقْطُرُ دَمًا وَهُوَ مُحْرِمٌ وَهُوَ بِقُدَيْدٍ فَرَدَّهَا عَلَيْهِ ‏.‏

Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbās + 5 other versions

Weak Sunan Abu Dawud 2208

What did you intend? He said: A single utterance of divorce. He said: Do you swear by Allah? He replied: I swear by Allah. He said: It stands as you intended. Abu Dawud said: This tradition is sounder than that of Ibn Juraij that Rukanah divorced his wife by three pronouncements, for they are the…

مَا أَرَدْتَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَاحِدَةً ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ آللَّهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ آللَّهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ هُوَ عَلَى مَا أَرَدْتَ ‏"

Narrated by Rukāna

Weak Sunan Ibn Majah 2051

he divorced his wife irrevocably, then he came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and asked him. He said: "What did you mean by that?" He said: "One (divorce)." He said: "By Allah did you only mean one (divorce) thereby?" He said: "By Allah, I meant one." Then he sent her back to him. (Da'if)Muhammad…

"‏ مَا أَرَدْتَ بِهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَاحِدَةً ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ آللَّهِ مَا أَرَدْتَ بِهَا إِلاَّ وَاحِدَةً قَالَ آللَّهِ مَا أَرَدْتُ بِهَا إِلاَّ وَاحِدَةً ‏.‏ قَالَ فَرَدَّهَا عَلَيْهِ

Narrated by Rukāna

Weak Jami' at-Tirmidhi 1177

'O Messenger of Allah! I irrevocably divorced my wife.' So he said: 'What did you intend by that?' I said: 'One (divorce).' He said: '(Do you swear) By Allah?' I said: 'By Allah.' He said: 'Then it is as you intended.'"

"‏ مَا أَرَدْتَ بِهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ وَاحِدَةً ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَاللَّهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ وَاللَّهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَهُوَ مَا أَرَدْتَ ‏"

Narrated by Rukāna

Verses cited

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