Sharing Visits to one’s Wives Equally - Section 1

Ibn ‘Abbas said that when God’s Messenger died he left nine wives, eight of whom he used to visit equally. (The next tradition explains this) (Bukhari and Muslim.)

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قُبِضَ عَنْ تِسْعِ نِسْوَةٍ وَكَانَ يقسم مِنْهُنَّ لثمان

‘A’isha told that when Sauda became old she said, “Messenger of God, I appoint to ‘A'isha the day you visit me” (Cf. the last tradition in this chapter). So God’s Messenger allotted two days to ‘A’isha, hers and Sauda’s. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ أَنَّ سَوْدَةَ لَمَّا كَبِرَتْ قَالَتْ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَدْ جَعَلْتُ يَوْمِي مِنْكَ لِعَائِشَةَ فَكَانَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يُقَسَّمُ لِعَائِشَةَ يَوْمَيْنِ يَوْمَهَا وَيَوْم سَوْدَة

She said that during the illness of which God’s Messenger died he was asking, “Where do I go tomorrow? Where do I go tomorrow?” That was on ‘A’isha’s day. His wives therefore permitted him to go where he wished, and he stayed in ‘A’isha’s house till he died there. Bukhari transmitted it.

وَعَنْهَا أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يَسْأَلُ فِي مَرَضِهِ الَّذِي مَاتَ فِيهِ: «أَيْنَ أَنَا غَدًا؟» يُرِيدُ يَوْمَ عَائِشَةَ فَأَذِنَ لَهُ أَزْوَاجُهُ يَكُونُ حَيْثُ شَاءَ فَكَانَ فِي بَيْتِ عَائِشَةَ حَتَّى مَاتَ عِنْدَهَا. رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ

She said that when God’s Messenger intended to go on a journey he cast lots among his wives and the one who was chosen by lot went on it with him. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْهَا قَالَتْ: كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا أَرَادَ سَفَرًا أَقْرَعَ بَيْنَ نِسَائِهِ فأيهن خَرَجَ سَهْمُهَا خَرَجَ بِهَا مَعَهُ

Abu Qilaba quoted Anas as saying:

It pertains to the <i>sunna</i> that when a man who has a wife marries a virgin he should stay with her for seven nights and then divide the time between them, but if he marries a woman who has been previously married he should stay with her three nights and then divide his time between his wives. Abu (Qilaba remarked that if he wished he could say that Anas traced it to the Prophet. (Bukhari and Muslim.)

وَعَنْ أَبِي قِلَابَةَ عَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: مِنَ السُّنَّةِ إِذَا تَزَوَّجَ الرَّجُلُ الْبِكْرَ عَلَى الثَّيِّبِ أَقَامَ عِنْدهَا سبعا وَقسم إِذا تَزَوَّجَ الثَّيِّبَ أَقَامَ عِنْدَهَا ثَلَاثًا ثُمَّ قَسَمَ. قَالَ أَبُو قلَابَة: وَلَو شِئْت لَقلت: إِن أَنَسًا رَفْعَهُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

Abu Bakr b. ‘Abd ar-Rahman told that when God’s Messenger married Umm Salama he said to her in the morning, “You are not being humbled in my estimation. If you wish I shall stay with you seven nights as I did with my other wives, but if you wish I shall stay three and then visit my wives in turn.” She replied, “Stay three nights.” In a version he said, “The virgin gets seven nights and the woman who has had a previous husband three.” Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حِين تَزَوَّجَ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ وَأَصْبَحَتْ عِنْدَهُ قَالَ لَهَا: «لَيْسَ بِكِ عَلَى أَهْلِكِ هَوَانٌ إِنْ شِئْتِ سَبَّعْتُ عِنْدَكِ وَسَبَّعْتُ عِنْدَهُنَّ وَإِنْ شِئْتِ ثَلَّثْتُ عِنْدَكِ وَدُرْتُ» . قَالَتْ: ثَلِّثْ. وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ: إِنَّهُ قَالَ لَهَا: «لِلْبِكْرِ سَبْعٌ وَلِلثَّيِّبِ ثَلَاثٌ» . رَوَاهُ مُسلم

‘A’isha told that the Prophet (ﷺ) used to divide his time among his wives equally and say, “O God, this is my division concerning what I possess, so do not blame me concerning what You possessest and I do not.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ يَقْسِمُ بَيْنَ نِسَائِهِ فَيَعْدِلُ وَيَقُولُ: «اللَّهُمَّ هَذَا قَسْمِي فِيمَا أَمْلِكُ فَلَا تَلُمْنِي فِيمَا تَمْلِكُ وَلَا أَمْلِكُ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ والدارمي

Abu Huraira reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “When a man has two wives and does not treat them equally he will come on the day of resurrection with a side hanging down.” Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Nasa’i, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it.

وَعَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «إِذَا كَانَتْ عِنْدَ الرَّجُلِ امْرَأَتَانِ فَلَمْ يَعْدِلْ بَيْنَهُمَا جَاءَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَشِقُّهُ سَاقِطٌ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ وَالنَّسَائِيُّ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ والدارمي

‘Ata’ told that when they were with Ibn ‘Abbas at Maimuna’s funeral in Sarif he said, “This is God’s Messenger’s wife, so when you lift her bier do not shake her or disturb her, but be gentle with her, for God’s Messenger had nine wives with eight of whom he shared his time, but to one of them he did not allot a share.” ‘Ata’ said they heard that the one to whom God’s Messenger did not allot a share was Safiya who was the last of them to die. She died in Medina. Razin said that someone other than ‘Ata’ declared she was Sauda, and that is sounder. She gave her day to ‘A’isha when God's Messenger intended to divorce her, saying to him, “Keep me. I have given my day to ‘A’isha. Perhaps I may be one of your wives in paradise.” (Bukhari and Muslim.)

عَنْ عَطَاءٍ قَالَ: حَضَرْنَا مَعَ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ جَنَازَةَ مَيْمُونَةَ بِسَرِفَ فَقَالَ: هَذِهِ زَوْجَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَإِذَا رَفَعْتُمْ نَعْشَهَا فَلَا تُزَعْزِعُوهَا وَلَا تُزَلْزِلُوهَا وَارْفُقُوا بِهَا فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ تِسْعُ نِسْوَةٍ كَانَ يَقْسِمُ مِنْهُنَّ لِثَمَانٍ وَلَا يَقْسِمُ لِوَاحِدَةٍ قَالَ عَطَاءٌ: الَّتِي كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا يَقْسِمُ لَهَا بَلَغَنَا أَنَّهَا صَفِيَّةُ وَكَانَتْ آخِرهنَّ موتا مَاتَت بِالْمَدِينَةِ وَقَالَ رَزِينٌ: قَالَ غَيْرُ عَطَاءٍ: هِيَ سَوْدَةُ وَهُوَ أصح وهبت يَوْمهَا لِعَائِشَةَ حِينَ أَرَادَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ طَلَاقَهَا فَقَالَتْ لَهُ: أَمْسِكْنِي قَدْ وهبت يومي لعَائِشَة لعَلي أكون من نِسَائِك فِي الْجنَّة