Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
abudawud:2270Khushaysh b. Aṣram > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > al-Thawrī > Ṣāliḥ al-Hamdānī > al-Shaʿbī > ʿAbd Khayr > Zayd b. Arqam > Utī

Three persons were brought to Ali (Allah be pleased with him) when he was in the Yemen. They and sexual intercourse with a woman during a single state of purity. He asked two of them: Do you acknowledge this child for this (man)? They replied: No. He then put this (question) to all of them. Whenever he asked two of them, they replied in the negative. He, therefore, cast a lot among them, and attributed the child to the one who received the lot. He imposed two-third of the blood-money (i.e. the price of the mother) on him. This was then mentioned to the Prophet ﷺ and he laughed so much that his molar teeth appeared.  

أبو داود:٢٢٧٠حَدَّثَنَا خُشَيْشُ بْنُ أَصْرَمَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أَخْبَرَنَا الثَّوْرِيُّ عَنْ صَالِحٍ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ خَيْرٍ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ قَالَ

أُتِيَ عَلِيٌّ ؓ بِثَلاَثَةٍ وَهُوَ بِالْيَمَنِ وَقَعُوا عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ فِي طُهْرٍ وَاحِدٍ فَسَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ أَتُقِرَّانِ لِهَذَا بِالْوَلَدِ قَالاَ لاَ حَتَّى سَأَلَهُمْ جَمِيعًا فَجَعَلَ كُلَّمَا سَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ قَالاَ لاَ فَأَقْرَعَ بَيْنَهُمْ فَأَلْحَقَ الْوَلَدَ بِالَّذِي صَارَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْعَةُ وَجَعَلَ عَلَيْهِ ثُلُثَىِ الدِّيَةِ قَالَ فَذُكِرَ ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَضَحِكَ حَتَّى بَدَتْ نَوَاجِذُهُ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Nasāʾī, Ibn Mājah, Aḥmad, Ṭabarānī, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Bayhaqī
nasai:3488Abū ʿĀṣim Khushaysh b. Aṣram > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > al-Thawrī > Ṣāliḥ al-Hamdānī > al-Shaʿbī > ʿAbd Khayr > Zayd b. Arqam > Utī

"Three men were brought to 'Ali while he was in Yemen; they all had intercourse with a woman during a single menstrual cycle. He asked two of them: 'Do you affirm that this child belongs to (the third man)?' And they said: 'No.' He asked another two of them: 'Do you affirm that this child belongs to (the third man)?' And they said: 'No.' So he cast lots between them, and attributed the child to the one whom the lot fell, and obliged him to pay two-thirds of the Diyah. The Prophet was told of this, and he laughed so much that his back teeth became visible."  

النسائي:٣٤٨٨أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ خُشَيْشُ بْنُ أَصْرَمَ قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا الثَّوْرِيُّ عَنْ صَالِحٍ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ خَيْرٍ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ قَالَ

أُتِيَ عَلِيٌّ ؓ بِثَلاَثَةٍ وَهُوَ بِالْيَمَنِ وَقَعُوا عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ فِي طُهْرٍ وَاحِدٍ فَسَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ أَتُقِرَّانِ لِهَذَا بِالْوَلَدِ قَالاَ لاَ ثُمَّ سَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ أَتُقِرَّانِ لِهَذَا بِالْوَلَدِ قَالاَ لاَ فَأَقْرَعَ بَيْنَهُمْ فَأَلْحَقَ الْوَلَدَ بِالَّذِي صَارَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْعَةُ وَجَعَلَ عَلَيْهِ ثُلُثَىِ الدِّيَةِ فَذُكِرَ ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَضَحِكَ حَتَّى بَدَتْ نَوَاجِذُهُ  

ibnmajah:2348Isḥāq b. Manṣūr > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > al-Thawrī > Ṣāliḥ al-Hamdānī > al-Shaʿbī > ʿAbd Khayr al-Ḥaḍramī > Zayd b. Arqam

“A case was brought to 'Ali bin Abu Talib when he was in Yemen, concerning three men who had intercourse with a woman during one period of being free from menses. He asked two of them: “Do you affirm that this child belongs to (the third man)?” And they said: “No.” He asked another two of them: “Do you affirm that this child belongs to (the third man)?” And they said: “No.” Every time he asked two of them whether they affirmed that the child belonged to the third, they would say no. So he cast lots between them, and attributed the child to the one whose name was chosen in this manner, and obliged him to pay two thirds of the Diyah. The Prophet ﷺ was told of this, and he smiled so broadly that his back teeth became visible.  

ابن ماجة:٢٣٤٨حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أَنْبَأَنَا الثَّوْرِيُّ عَنْ صَالِحٍ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ خَيْرٍ الْحَضْرَمِيِّ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ قَالَ أُتِيَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وَهُوَ بِالْيَمَنِ فِي ثَلاَثَةٍ قَدْ وَقَعُوا عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ فِي طُهْرٍ وَاحِدٍ فَسَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ فَقَالَ

أَتُقِرَّانِ لِهَذَا بِالْوَلَدِ فَقَالاَ لاَ ثُمَّ سَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ فَقَالَ أَتُقِرَّانِ لِهَذَا بِالْوَلَدِ فَقَالاَ لاَ فَجَعَلَ كُلَّمَا سَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ أَتُقِرَّانِ لِهَذَا بِالْوَلَدِ قَالاَ لاَ فَأَقْرَعَ بَيْنَهُمْ وَأَلْحَقَ الْوَلَدَ بِالَّذِي أَصَابَتْهُ الْقُرْعَةُ وَجَعَلَ عَلَيْهِ ثُلُثَىِ الدِّيَةِ فَذُكِرَ ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَضَحِكَ حَتَّى بَدَتْ نَوَاجِذُهُ  

ahmad:19329ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Sufyān > Ajlaḥ > al-Shaʿbī > ʿAbd Khayr al-Ḥaḍramī > Zayd b. Arqam

[Machine] Ali was in Yemen, and a woman was brought to him who had been with three different men in one state of ritual purity. He asked two men, "Do you both bear witness to this child being his (result)?" They did not bear witness. He then asked two other men, "Do you both bear witness to this child being his (result)?" They did not bear witness. He continued to ask pairs of men until he exhausted asking twos about ones (child). They did not bear witness. He then banged his hand between them and obliged the child upon whom the lot fell, and he imposed upon him two-thirds of the blood money. This matter was brought to the Prophet ﷺ , who laughed until his canine teeth were visible.  

أحمد:١٩٣٢٩حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أَخْبَرَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ أَجْلَحَ عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ خَيْرٍ الْحَضْرَمِيِّ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ قَالَ

كَانَ عَلِيٌّ بِالْيَمَنِ فَأُتِيَ بِامْرَأَةٍ وَطِئَهَا ثَلَاثَةُ نَفَرٍ فِي طُهْرٍ وَاحِدٍ فَسَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ أَتُقِرَّانِ لِهَذَا بِالْوَلَدِ؟ فَلَمْ يُقِرَّا ثُمَّ سَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ أَتُقِرَّانِ لِهَذَا بِالْوَلَدِ؟ فَلَمْ يُقِرَّا ثُمَّ سَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ حَتَّى فَرَغَ يَسْأَلُ اثْنَيْنِ اثْنَيْنِ عَنْ وَاحِدٍ فَلَمْ يُقِرُّوا ثُمَّ أَقْرَعَ بَيْنَهُمْ فَأَلْزَمَ الْوَلَدَ الَّذِي خَرَجَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْعَةُ وَجَعَلَ عَلَيْهِ ثُلُثَيِ الدِّيَةِ فَرُفِعَ ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَضَحِكَ حَتَّى بَدَتْ نَوَاجِذُهُ  

tabarani:4987Isḥāq b. Ibrāhīm al-Dabarī > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > al-Thawrī > Ṣāliḥ > al-Shaʿbī > ʿAbd Khayr al-Ḥaḍramī > Zayd b. Arqam > Kān

[Machine] Ali was in Yemen, and a woman was brought to him who had been trespassed by three men in one state of purity. He asked two men, "Will you testify regarding this child?" They did not testify. Then he asked two other men, "Will you testify regarding this child?" They did not testify. He continued to ask two men until he was done, and then he asked two men about one person, but they did not testify. So he hit between them, and he imposed on the child upon whom the lots had fallen two-thirds of the blood money. This matter was raised to the Prophet ﷺ , and he laughed until his molars could be seen.  

الطبراني:٤٩٨٧حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الدَّبَرِيُّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّزَّاقِ عَنِ الثَّوْرِيِّ عَنْ صَالِحٍ عَنْ الشَّعْبِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ خَيْرٍ الْحَضْرَمِيِّ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ قَالَ

كَانَ عَلِيٌّ ؓ بِالْيَمَنِ فَأُتِيَ بِامْرَأَةٍ وَطِئَهَا ثَلَاثَةٌ فِي طُهْرٍ وَاحِدٍ فَسَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ أَتُقِرَّانِ لِهَذَا الْوَلِيدِ؟ فَلَمْ يُقِرَّا ثُمَّ سَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ أَتُقِرَّانِ لِهَذَا بِالْوَلِيدِ؟ ثُمَّ سَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ حَتَّى فَرَغَ فَسَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ عَنْ وَاحِدٍ فَلَمْ يُقِرُّوا فَأَقْرَعَ بَيْنَهُمْ فَأَلْزَمَ الْوَلَدَ الَّذِي خَرَجَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْعَةُ وَجَعَلَ عَلَيْهِ ثُلُثَيِ الدِّيَةِ فَرُفِعَ ذَلِكَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَضَحِكَ حَتَّى بَدَتْ نَوَاجِذُهُ  

nasai-kubra:5652Abū ʿĀṣim Khashīsh b. Aṣram > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > al-Thawrī > Ṣāliḥ al-Hamdānī > al-Shaʿbī > ʿAbd Khayr > Zayd b. Arqam

[Machine] Ali came with three men while he was in Yemen. They encountered a woman in a state of ritual purity, so Ali asked the two men, "Do you both testify to the paternity of this child?" They replied, "No." Then Ali asked two other men, "Do you both testify to the paternity of this child?" They also replied, "No." Ali then ordered that the child be slapped, and he awarded two-thirds of the blood money to the man upon whom the lot fell. This incident was mentioned to the Prophet ﷺ , who laughed until his molar teeth could be seen. 5653 Ali ibn Hujr al-Marwazi reported to us, he said: Ali ibn Musahir reported to us from Al-Ajlaha, from Al-Sha'bi, who said: Abdullah ibn Abi Al-Khalil Al-Hadrami informed me, from Zaid ibn Arqam, who said: "While we were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , a man from Yemen came and began informing and conversing with him. Ali was present and relayed to the Prophet ﷺ the following: 'O Messenger of Allah, three men have come to Ali and they are disputing the parentage of a child. They encountered a woman in a state of ritual purity.'"  

الكبرى للنسائي:٥٦٥٢أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ خَشِيشُ بْنُ أَصْرَمَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا الثَّوْرِيُّ عَنْ صَالِحٍ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ خَيْرٍ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ قَالَ

أُتِيَ عَلِيٌّ بِثَلَاثَةٍ وَهُوَ بِالْيَمَنِ وَقَعُوا عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ فِي طُهْرٍ وَاحِدٍ فَسَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ أَتُقِرَّانِ لِهَذَا بِالْوَلَدِ؟ قَالَا لَا ثُمَّ سَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ أَتُقِرَّانِ لِهَذَا بِالْوَلَدِ؟ قَالَا لَا فَأَقْرَعَ بَيْنَهُمْ فَأَلْحَقَ الْوَلَدَ بِالَّذِي صَارَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْعَةُ وَجَعَلَ عَلَيْهِ ثُلُثَيِ الدِّيَةِ فَذُكِرَ ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَضَحِكَ حَتَّى بَدَتْ نَوَاجِذُهُ 5653 أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُجْرٍ الْمَرْوَزِيُّ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُسْهِرٍ عَنِ الْأَجْلَحِ عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ أَبِي الْخَلِيلِ الْحَضْرَمِيُّ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ قَالَ بَيْنَا نَحْنُ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ إِذْ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْيَمَنِ فَجَعَلَ يُخْبِرُهُ وَيُحَدِّثُهُ وَعَلِيٌّ بِهَا فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَتَى عَلِيًّا ثَلَاثَةُ نَفَرٍ يَخْتَصِمُونَ فِي وَلَدٍ وَقَعُوا عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ فِي طُهْرٍ وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ  

nasai-kubra:5993Abū ʿĀṣim Khashīsh b. Aṣram > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > al-Thawrī > Ṣāliḥ al-Hamdānī > al-Shaʿbī > ʿAbd Khayr > Zayd b. Arqam

[Machine] "Ali came with three others while he was in Yemen. They encountered a woman in a state of menstruation, so he asked two men, 'Do you confirm that this child is hers?' They replied, 'No.' Then he asked two other men, 'Do you confirm that this child is hers?' They also replied, 'No.' So he drew lots among them and ruled that the child belonged to the one on whom the lot fell. He then imposed on him two-thirds of the blood money. I mentioned this to the Prophet ﷺ, and he laughed until his molars showed. Is'haq ibn Shahin reported to us that Khalid narrated to us from Ash-Sha'bi from a man from Hadramaut, from Zaid ibn Arqam who said: 'The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent Ali to Yemen and he brought back a boy who three people claimed as their own, and the narration continues.'"  

الكبرى للنسائي:٥٩٩٣أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ خَشِيشُ بْنُ أَصْرَمَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا الثَّوْرِيُّ عَنْ صَالِحٍ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ خَيْرٍ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ قَالَ

أُتِيَ عَلِيٌّ بِثَلَاثَةٍ وَهُوَ بِالْيَمَنِ وَقَعُوا عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ فِي طُهْرٍ وَاحِدٍ فَسَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ أَتُقِرَّانِ يَعْنِي لِهَذَا بِالْوَلَدِ ؟ قَالَا لَا ثُمَّ سَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ أَتُقِرَّانِ لِهَذَا بِالْوَلَدِ؟ قَالَا لَا فَأَقْرَعَ بَيْنَهُمْ فَقَضَى بِالْوَلَدِ لِلَّذِي صَارَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْعَةُ وَجَعَلَ عَلَيْهِ ثُلُثَيِ الدِّيَةِ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَضَحِكَ حَتَّى بَدَتْ نَوَاجِذُهُ 5994 أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ شَاهِينَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ عَنِ الشَّيْبَانِيِّ عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ عَنْ رَجُلٍ مِنْ حَضْرَمَوْتَ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ قَالَ بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ عَلِيًّا عَلَى الْيَمَنِ فَأُتِيَ بِغُلَامٍ تَنَازَعَ فِيهِ ثَلَاثَةٌ وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ  

bayhaqi:21281Abū Ṭāhir al-Faqīh > Abū Bakr Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn al-Qaṭṭān > Abū al-Azhar > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > al-Thawrī > Ṣāliḥ > al-Shaʿbī > ʿAbd Khayr > Zayd b. Arqam > Utī

[Machine] Ali came to Yemen and there were three men who had intercourse with one woman while she was in her menstrual period. He asked two of the men, "Do you both admit that this child belongs to you?" They replied, "No." Then he asked two more men, "Do you both admit that this child belongs to you?" They also replied, "No." He asked two more men the same question and they also replied, "No." Ali said, "Indeed, whenever I ask two men if this child belongs to them, they both say no." So he made them draw lots, and the child was attributed to the one upon whom the lot fell, and he was required to pay two-thirds of the blood money. This incident was mentioned to the Prophet ﷺ , who laughed until his molars showed. This narration is included in the individuals of Abd al-Razzaq from Sufyan al-Thawri.  

البيهقي:٢١٢٨١أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو طَاهِرٍ الْفَقِيهُ أنبأ أَبُو بَكْرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ الْقَطَّانُ ثنا أَبُو الْأَزْهَرِ ثنا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أنبأ الثَّوْرِيُّ عَنْ صَالِحٍ عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ خَيْرٍ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَرْقَمَ قَالَ

أُتِيَ عَلِيٌّ ؓ وَهُوَ بِالْيَمَنِ فِي ثَلَاثَةٍ وَقَعُوا عَلَى امْرَأَةٍ فِي طُهْرٍ وَاحِدٍ فَسَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ أَتُقِرَّانِ لِهَذَا بِالْوَلَدِ؟ فَقَالَا لَا ثُمَّ سَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ فَقَالَ أَتُقِرَّانِ لِهَذَا بِالْوَلَدِ؟ قَالَا لَا ثُمَّ سَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ فَقَالَ أَتُقِرَّانِ لِهَذَا بِالْوَلَدِ؟ قَالَا لَا قَالَ فَعَلِيٌّ كُلَّمَا سَأَلَ اثْنَيْنِ أَتُقِرَّانِ لِهَذَا بِالْوَلَدِ؟ قَالَا لَا فَأَقْرَعَ بَيْنَهُمْ فَأَلْحَقَ الْوَلَدَ بِالَّذِي صَارَتْ عَلَيْهِ الْقُرْعَةُ وَجَعَلَ عَلَيْهِ ثُلُثَيِ الدِّيَةِ قَالَ فَذُكِرَ ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَضَحِكَ حَتَّى بَدَتْ نَوَاجِذُهُ هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ مِمَّا يُعَدُّ فِي أفْرَادِ عَبْدِ الرَّزَّاقِ عَنْ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيِّ