I was a man who was more given than others to sexual intercourse with women. When the month of Ramadan came, I feared lest I should have intercourse with my wife, and this evil should remain with me till the morning. So I made my wife like my mother's back to me till the end of Ramadan. But one night when she was waiting upon me, something of her was revealed. Suddenly I jumped upon her. When the morning came I went to my people and informed them about this matter. I said: Go along with me to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. They said: No, by Allah. So I went to the Prophet (peace be upon him and informed him of the matter. He said: Have you really committed it, Salamah? I said: I committed it twice, Messenger of Allah. I am content with the Commandment of Allah, the Exalted; so take a decision about me according to what Allah has shown you. He said: Free a slave. I said: By Him Who sent you with truth, I do not possess a neck other than this: and I struck the surface of my neck. He said: Then fast two consecutive months. I said: Whatever I suffered is due to fasting. He said: Feed sixty poor people with a wasq of dates. I said: By Him Who sent you with truth, we passed the night hungry; there was no food in our house. He said: Then go to the collector of sadaqah of Banu Zurayq; he must give it to you. Then feed sixty poor people with a wasq of dates; and you and your family eat the remaining dates. Then I came back to my people, and said (to them): I found with you poverty and bad opinion; and I found with the Prophet ﷺ prosperity and good opinion. He has commanded me to give alms to you. Ibn al-Ala' added: Ibn Idris said: Bayadah is a sub-clan of Banu Zurayq.  

كُنْتُ امْرَأً أُصِيبُ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ مَا لاَ يُصِيبُ غَيْرِي فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ خِفْتُ أَنْ أُصِيبَ مِنَ امْرَأَتِي شَيْئًا يُتَابَعُ بِي حَتَّى أُصْبِحَ فَظَاهَرْتُ مِنْهَا حَتَّى يَنْسَلِخَ شَهْرُ رَمَضَانَ فَبَيْنَمَا هِيَ تَخْدُمُنِي ذَاتَ لَيْلَةٍ إِذْ تَكَشَّفَ لِي مِنْهَا شَىْءٌ فَلَمْ أَلْبَثْ أَنْ نَزَوْتُ عَلَيْهَا فَلَمَّا أَصْبَحْتُ خَرَجْتُ إِلَى قَوْمِي فَأَخْبَرْتُهُمُ الْخَبَرَ وَقُلْتُ امْشُوا مَعِي إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالُوا لاَ وَاللَّهِ فَانْطَلَقْتُ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَقَالَ أَنْتَ بِذَاكَ يَا سَلَمَةُ قُلْتُ أَنَا بِذَاكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ وَأَنَا صَابِرٌ لأَمْرِ اللَّهِ فَاحْكُمْ فِيَّ مَا أَرَاكَ اللَّهُ قَالَ حَرِّرْ رَقَبَةً قُلْتُ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ مَا أَمْلِكُ رَقَبَةً غَيْرَهَا وَضَرَبْتُ صَفْحَةَ رَقَبَتِي قَالَ فَصُمْ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ قَالَ وَهَلْ أُصِبْتُ الَّذِي أُصِبْتُ إِلاَّ مِنَ الصِّيَامِ قَالَ فَأَطْعِمْ وَسْقًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ بَيْنَ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِينًا قُلْتُ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ لَقَدْ بِتْنَا وَحْشَيْنِ مَا لَنَا طَعَامٌ قَالَ فَانْطَلِقْ إِلَى صَاحِبِ صَدَقَةِ بَنِي زُرَيْقٍ فَلْيَدْفَعْهَا إِلَيْكَ فَأَطْعِمْ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِينًا وَسْقًا مِنْ تَمْرٍ وَكُلْ أَنْتَ وَعِيَالُكَ بَقِيَّتَهَا فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى قَوْمِي فَقُلْتُ وَجَدْتُ عِنْدَكُمُ الضِّيقَ وَسُوءَ الرَّأْىِ وَوَجَدْتُ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ السَّعَةَ وَحُسْنَ الرَّأْىِ وَقَدْ أَمَرَنِي أَوْ أَمَرَ لِي بِصَدَقَتِكُمْ زَادَ ابْنُ الْعَلاَءِ قَالَ ابْنُ إِدْرِيسَ بَيَاضَةُ بَطْنٌ مِنْ بَنِي زُرَيْقٍ  

My husband, Aws ibn as-Samit, pronounced the words: You are like my mother. So I came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, complaining to him about my husband. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ disputed with me and said: Remain dutiful to Allah; he is your cousin. I continued (complaining) until the Qur'anic verse came down: "Certainly has Allah heard the speech of the one who argues with you, [O Muhammad], concerning her husband..." [58:1] till the prescription of expiation. He then said: He should set free a slave. She said: He cannot afford it. He said: He should fast for two consecutive months. She said: Messenger of Allah, he is an old man; he cannot keep fasts. He said: He should feed sixty poor people. She said: He has nothing which he may give in alms. At that moment an araq (i.e. date-basket holding fifteen or sixteen sa's) was brought to him. I said: I shall help him with another date-basked ('araq). He said: You have done well. Go and feed sixty poor people on his behalf, and return to your cousin. The narrator said: An araq holds sixty sa's of dates. Abu Dawud said: She atoned on his behalf without seeking his permission. Abu Dawud said: This man (Aws b. al-Samit) is the brother of 'Ubadah b. al-Samit.  

ظَاهَرَ مِنِّي زَوْجِي أَوْسُ بْنُ الصَّامِتِ فَجِئْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَشْكُو إِلَيْهِ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُجَادِلُنِي فِيهِ وَيَقُولُ اتَّقِي اللَّهَ فَإِنَّهُ ابْنُ عَمِّكِ فَمَا بَرِحْتُ حَتَّى نَزَلَ الْقُرْآنُ { قَدْ سَمِعَ اللَّهُ قَوْلَ الَّتِي تُجَادِلُكَ فِي زَوْجِهَا } إِلَى الْفَرْضِ فَقَالَ يُعْتِقُ رَقَبَةً قَالَتْ لاَ يَجِدُ قَالَ فَيَصُومُ شَهْرَيْنِ مُتَتَابِعَيْنِ قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ شَيْخٌ كَبِيرٌ مَا بِهِ مِنْ صِيَامٍ قَالَ فَلْيُطْعِمْ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِينًا قَالَتْ مَا عِنْدَهُ مِنْ شَىْءٍ يَتَصَدَّقُ بِهِ قَالَتْ فَأُتِيَ سَاعَتَئِذٍ بِعَرَقٍ مِنْ تَمْرٍ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَإِنِّي أُعِينُهُ بِعَرَقٍ آخَرَ قَالَ قَدْ أَحْسَنْتِ اذْهَبِي فَأَطْعِمِي بِهَا عَنْهُ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِينًا وَارْجِعِي إِلَى ابْنِ عَمِّكِ قَالَ وَالْعَرَقُ سِتُّونَ صَاعًا  

A similar tradition has been transmitted by Ibn Ishaq with a different chain of narrators. But in this version he said ‘Araq is a date-basket holding thirty sa’s. Abu Dawud said “This version is sounder than that of Yahya bin Adam.”  

أَنَّهُ قَالَ وَالْعَرَقُ مِكْتَلٌ يَسَعُ ثَلاَثِينَ صَاعًا  

Another version transmitted by Abu Salamah bin ‘Abd Al Rahman has ‘Araq is a date-basket holding fifteen sa’s.  

يَعْنِي بِالْعَرَقِ زَنْبِيلاً يَأْخُذُ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ صَاعًا  

The tradition mentioned above has been transmitted by Sulaiman bin Yasar. This version has “Then some dates were brought to the Apostle of Allaah ﷺ and he gave it him. They measured about fifteen sa’s “. He said “Give them in alms”. He said “Is there anyone needier than I and my family. Apostle of Allaah ﷺ?” The Apostle of Allaah ﷺ said “Eat them, you and your family.”  

فَأُتِيَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِتَمْرٍ فَأَعْطَاهُ إِيَّاهُ وَهُوَ قَرِيبٌ مِنْ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ صَاعًا قَالَ تَصَدَّقْ بِهَذَا قَالَ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ عَلَى أَفْقَرَ مِنِّي وَمِنْ أَهْلِي فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ كُلْهُ أَنْتَ وَأَهْلُكَ  

Abu Dawud said “I recited to Muhammad bin Wazir Al Misri and said to him Bishr bin Bakr narrated it to you and Al Auza’i narrated it to us. And he said “At’a narrated it to us on the authority of Aus brother of ‘Ubadah bin Al Samit. The Prophet ﷺ gave him fifteen sa’s of wheat to feed sixty poor people. Abu Dawud said At’a did not meet Aws (bin Al Samit) who was one of the people of Badr and died in the early days of Islam. This version is therefore, mursal (i.e., a successor narrated it directly from the Prophet ﷺ, the link of the Companions is missing). This has been narrated by Al Auza’i from At’a from Aus.  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ أَعْطَاهُ خَمْسَةَ عَشَرَ صَاعًا مِنْ شَعِيرٍ إِطْعَامُ سِتِّينَ مِسْكِينًا  

Khawlah was the wife of Aws ibn as-Samit; he was a man immensely given to sexual intercourse. When his desire for intercourse was intensified, he made his wife like his mother's back. So Allah, the Exalted, sent down Qur'anic verses relating to expiation for zihar.  

أَنَّ جَمِيلَةَ كَانَتْ تَحْتَ أَوْسِ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ وَكَانَ رَجُلاً بِهِ لَمَمٌ فَكَانَ إِذَا اشْتَدَّ لَمَمُهُ ظَاهَرَ مِنَ امْرَأَتِهِ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى فِيهِ كَفَّارَةَ الظِّهَارِ  

A similar tradition has been transmitted by A’ishah through a different chain of narrators.  

عَنْ عَائِشَةَ مِثْلَهُ  

A man made his wife like the back of his mother. He then had intercourse with her before he atoned for it. He came to the Prophet ﷺ and informed him of this matter. He asked (him): What moved you to the action you have committed? He replied: I saw the whiteness of her shins in moon light. He said: Keep away from her until you expiate for your deed.  

أَنَّ رَجُلاً ظَاهَرَ مِنَ امْرَأَتِهِ ثُمَّ وَاقَعَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ فَأَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَأَخْبَرَهُ فَقَالَ مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى مَا صَنَعْتَ قَالَ رَأَيْتُ بَيَاضَ سَاقَيْهَا فِي الْقَمَرِ قَالَ فَاعْتَزِلْهَا حَتَّى تُكَفِّرَ عَنْكَ  

‘Ikrimah said “A man made his wife like the back of his mother. When he saw the illumination of her shin in the moonlight, he had intercourse with her. He came to the Prophet ﷺ. He ordered him to atone for it.  

أَنَّ رَجُلاً ظَاهَرَ مِنَ امْرَأَتِهِ فَرَأَى بَرِيقَ سَاقِهَا فِي الْقَمَرِ فَوَقَعَ عَلَيْهَا فَأَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَأَمَرَهُ أَنْ يُكَفِّرَ  

A similar tradition has been transmitted by Ibn ‘Abbas from the Prophet ﷺ through a different chain of narrators. This version does not mention the word “shin”.  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ نَحْوَهُ وَلَمْ يَذْكُرِ السَّاقَ  

A tradition similar to that of Sufyan has been transmitted by ‘Ikrimah from the Prophet ﷺ through a different chain of narrators.  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِنَحْوِ حَدِيثِ سُفْيَانَ  

Abu Dawud said “I heard Muhammad bin Isa narrating this tradition who said Mu’tamar narrated it to us. And he (Mu’tamar) said “ I heard Al Hakam bin Aban narrating this tradition. He did not mention the name of Ibn ‘Abbas. Abu Dawud said “Al Hussain bin Huraith wrote to me saying “Al Fadl bin Musa narrated from Ibn ‘Abbas to the same effect from the Prophet ﷺ.  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ