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Sunan an-Nasa'iThe Book of Divorce

Khawlah came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) complaining about her husband, but I could not hear what she was saying

Chapter: Az-Zihar

Authentic 3 scholars’ grades Sunan an-Nasa'i 3460

Narrator:Ā’ishah

أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ تَمِيمِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّهَا قَالَتِ

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي وَسِعَ سَمْعُهُ الأَصْوَاتَ لَقَدْ جَاءَتْ خَوْلَةُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم تَشْكُو زَوْجَهَا فَكَانَ يَخْفَى عَلَىَّ كَلاَمُهَا فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ‏‏{‏ قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا وَتَشْتَكِي إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَسْمَعُ تَحَاوُرَكُمَا ‏}‏ الآيَةَ ‏.‏

‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "Praise be to Allah Whose hearing encompasses all voices. Khawlah came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) complaining about her husband, but I could not hear what she was saying. Then Allah, Glorified and Exalted, revealed the verse: {Certainly has Allah heard the speech of the one who argues with you [O Muhammad] concerning her husband and directs her complaint to Allah. And Allah hears your dialogue.} [Sūrat al-Mujādilah: 1]."

Reported by An-Nasa’i (No. 3460), Ibn Majah (No. 188) and Ahmad (No. 23064).

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Explanation

Khawlah bint Tha‘labah was married to Aws ibn As-Sāmit who said to her: "You are to me like my mother's back," i.e. you are no longer lawful for me as a wife. So she went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and mentioned this to him. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: "You have become unlawful for him (as a wife)." So she started to say in a low voice which not even ‘Ā'ishah could hear though she was near her: "After I have become old, he (meaning her husband) says this to me. I complain to Allah about (my) children who, if they stayed with me, would be hungry, and if they stayed with him, would be lost."

This was her argument with the Messenger of Allah that Allah mentioned in the Quran: {Certainly has Allah heard the speech of the one who argues with you [O Muhammad] concerning her husband and directs her complaint to Allah. And Allah hears your dialogue.}

So ‘Ā'ishah said: "Praise be to Allah Whose hearing encompasses all voices." i.e. He heard everything and did not miss anything thereof even if it were murmured in a very low voice.

"Khawlah came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) complaining about her husband, but I could not hear what she was saying. Then Allah, Glorified and Exalted, revealed the verse: {Certainly has Allah heard the speech of the one who argues with you [O Muhammad] concerning her husband and directs her complaint to Allah. And Allah hears your dialogue.} [Sūrat al-Mujādilah: 1]" This means that when Khawlah came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) to complain about her husband, she was talking in a very low voice that ‘Ā'ishah could not hear even though she was near her. Nevertheless, Allah, the Almighty, heard what Khawlah said from above seven heavens and revealed this verse. This verse and this incident are among the major proofs that "hearing" is one of the attributes of Allah, the Almighty. This is an indisputably established fact of religion, and no one denies it except one who has gone astray.

‘Ā'ishah's statement is proof that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) believed in the texts based upon their apparent meaning which immediately comes to mind and is readily understood from them. This is what Allah required of them and other than them and of His Messenger. Had this, which they believed and affirmed regarding this issue, been incorrect, then Allah would have clarified to them that it was wrong. None of them was reported to have interpreted these texts to mean other than their apparent indication, neither with authentic nor weak chains of narration, although the motives to report such an issue existed.

Explanation in Arabic

كانت خولة بنت ثعلبة متزوجة من أوس بن الصامت فقال لها: أنتِ عليَّ كظهر أمي. أي: أنتِ حرام عليَّ، فذهبت إلى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وذكرت له قصتها، فقال لها صلى الله عليه وسلم: «قد حرمت عليه»، فجعلت تقول بصوت منخفض يخفى على عائشة مع قربها منها: بعدما كبرت سني ظاهرَ مني؟ إلى الله أشكو حال صبية إن ضممتُهم إليَّ جاعوا، وإن تركتُهم عنده ضاعوا. فهذه مجادلتها لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم التي ذكرها الله تعالى بقوله: {قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا وَتَشْتَكِي إِلَى اللَّهِ واللهُ يَسْمَعُ تَحَاوُرَكُما}.

فقالت عائشة: «الحمدُ للهِ الذي وَسِعَ سَمْعُه الأصواتَ» أي: استوعبها وأدركها فلا يفوته منها شيء وإن خفي «لقد جاءت خَوْلةُ إلى رسولِ الله صلى الله عليه وسلم تَشْكو زَوْجَها، فكان يخفى عليَّ كلامُها، فأنزل اللهُ عزَّ وجلَّ: {قد سَمِعَ اللهُ قولَ التي تُجَادِلُك في زَوْجِها وتشتكي إلى اللهِ واللهُ يَسْمَعُ تَحَاوُرَكُما} [المجادلة: 1]» الآية» أي: فحينما جاءت خولة تشكو زوجها لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كانت تكلمه بصوت منخفض لا تسمعه عائشة مع قربها منها، ومع ذلك سمعه الله تعالى من فوق سبع سماوات، وأنزل الآية المذكورة، وهذا من أبلغ الأدلة على اتصاف الله تعالى بالسمع، وهو أمر معلوم بالضرورة من الدين، لا ينكره إلا من ضل عن الهدى.

وقول عائشة هذا يدل على أن الصحابة رضي الله عنهم، آمنوا بالنصوص على ظاهرها الذي يتبادر إلى الفهم، وأن هذا هو الذي أراده الله منهم ومن غيرهم من المكلفين ورسوله؛ إذ لو كان هذا الذي آمنوا به واعتقدوه خطأ لم يُقَرُّوا عليه ولبُيِّن لهم الصواب، ولم يأت عن أحد منهم تأويل هذه النصوص عن ظواهرها، لا من طريق صحيح ولا ضعيف، مع توافر الدواعي على نقل ذلك.

  • اتصاف الله تعالى بالسمع الواسع المحيط لا كسمع المخلوق، وهو أمر معلوم بالضرورة من الدين، لا ينكره إلا من ضل عن الهدى.
  • أحاط سمعُ الله بكل الاصوات، لا يخفى عليه منها شيء.
  • إيمان الصحابة رضي الله عنهم بالنصوص على ظاهرها الذي يتبادر إلى الفهم.

Classical commentary

Al-Sindi — Hashiyat al-Sindi on Sunan al-Nasa'i

قَوْله ( وَسِعَ ) بِكَسْرِ السِّين أَيْ يُدْرِكُ كُلّ صَوْت ( فَكَانَ يَخْفَى عَلَيَّ ) بِتَشْدِيدِ الْيَاء يُرِيدُ أَنَّهَا تَشْكُو سِرًّا حَتَّى يَخْفَى عَلَيَّ وَأَنَا حَاضِرٌ كَلَامَهَا.…

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Scholars’ grades

ScholarGradeApplies toWork
Al-Albanid. 1420 AH AuthenticSahih The hadith No. 3460
Zubair Ali Zaid. 1435 AH AuthenticSahih The hadith No. 3460
Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddahd. 1417 AH AuthenticSahih The hadith No. 3460

Other versions

Authentic Sunan Ibn Majah 188

"Praise is to Allah Whose hearing encompasses all voices. The woman who disputed concerning her husband (Al-Mujadilah) came to the Prophet when I was (sitting) in a corner of the house, and she complained about her husband, but I did not hear what she said. The Allah revealed: 'Indeed Allah has…

الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي وَسِعَ سَمْعُهُ الأَصْوَاتَ، لَقَدْ جَاءَتِ الْمُجَادِلَةُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ وَأَنَا فِي نَاحِيَةِ الْبَيْتِ تَشْكُو زَوْجَهَا وَمَا أَسْمَعُ مَا تَقُولُ فَأَنْزَلَ…

Narrated by Ā’ishah

Also reported by… (7)
  • السنن الكبرى للنسائي (5458)جَاءَتْ خَوْلَةُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ تَشْكُو زَوْجَهَا ، فَكَانَ يَخْفَى عَلَيَّ كَلامُهَا ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا وَتَشْتَكِي إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَسْمَعُ تَحَاوُرَكُمَا سورة المجادلة آية 1
  • السنن الكبرى للنسائي (11052)الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي وَسِعَ سَمْعُهُ الأَصْوَاتَ ، لَقَدْ جَاءَتْ خَوْلَةُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ تَشْكُو زَوْجَهَا ، فَكَانَ يَخْفَى عَلَيَّ كَلامُهَا ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُعَزَّ وَجَلَّ : قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا وَتَشْتَكِي إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَسْمَعُ
  • العظمة (112)الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي وَسِعَ سَمْعُهُ الأَصْوَاتَ ، لَقَدْ جَاءَتِ الْمُجَادِلَةُ تَشْكُو إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ ، وَأَنَا فِي نَاحِيَةِ الْبَيْتِ مَا أَسْمَعُ مَا تَقُولُ ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ : قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا سورة المجادلة آية 1
  • تاريخ المدينة لابن شبة (697)الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي وَسِعَ سَمْعُهُ الأَصْوَاتَ ، إِنَّ خَوْلَةَ لَتَشْتَكِي زَوْجَهَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَيَخْفَى عَلَيَّ أَخْبَارُ بَعْضِ مَا تقول ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ : قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا سورة المجادلة آية 1
  • جامع البيان عن تأويل آي القرآن (31297)ظَاهَرَ مِنِّي زَوْجِي حِينَ كَبِرَ سِنِّي ، وَرَقَّ عَظْمِي ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهَا مَا تَسْمَعُونَ : قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا وَتَشْتَكِي إِلَى اللَّهِ سورة المجادلة آية 1 ، فَقَرَأَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ لَعَفُوٌّ غَفُورٌ { 2 } وَالَّذِينَ يُظَاهِرُونَ مِنْ نِسَائِ
  • جامع البيان عن تأويل آي القرآن (31298)قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا وَتَشْتَكِي إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَسْمَعُ تَحَاوُرَكُمَا سورة المجادلة آية 1 . قَالَ : ذَاكَ أَوْسُ بْنُ الصَّامِتِ ، ظَاهَرَ مِنَ امْرَأَتِهِ خُوَيْلَةَ ابْنَةِ ثَعْلَبَةَ ، قَالَتْ : يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ، كَبِرَت سِنِّي ، وَرَقَّ عَظْ
  • مسند إسحاق بن راهويه (631)الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ الَّذِي وَسِعَسَمْعُهُ الأَصْوَاتِ ، لَقَدْ جَاءَتْ خَوْلَةُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ تَشْتَكِي زَوْجَهَا , فَكَانَ يَخْفَى عَلَيَّ كَلامُهَا ، فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ : قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا وَتَشْتَكِي إِلَى اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ يَسْمَعُ

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