18. The Book of Divorce

١٨۔ كتاب الطلاق

18.4 Giving one's wife the choice does not count as a divorce, unless it is intended as such

١٨۔٤ باب بَيَانِ أَنَّ تَخْيِيرَ امْرَأَتِهِ لاَ يَكُونُ طَلاَقًا إِلاَّ بِالنِّيَّةِ

(941) bukhari:4786al-Layth > Yūnus > Ibn Shihāb > Abū Salamah b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman

(the wife of the Prophet) when Messenger of Allah ﷺ was ordered to give option to his wives, he started with me, saying, "I am going to mention to you something, but you shall not hasten (to give your reply) unless you consult your parents." The Prophet ﷺ knew that my parents would not order me to leave him. Then he said, "Allah says: 'O Prophet (Muhammad)! Say to your wives: If you desire the life of this world and its glitter........a great reward." (33.28-29) I said, "Then why I consult my parents? Verily, I seek Allah, His Apostle and the Home of the Hereafter." Then all the other wives of the Prophet ﷺ did the same as I did.  

(٩٤١) البخاري:٤٧٨٦وَقَالَ اللَّيْثُ حَدَّثَنِي يُونُسُ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ

أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَتْ لَمَّا أُمِرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِتَخْيِيرِ أَزْوَاجِهِ بَدَأَ بِي فَقَالَ إِنِّي ذَاكِرٌ لَكِ أَمْرًا فَلاَ عَلَيْكِ أَنْ لاَ تَعْجَلِي حَتَّى تَسْتَأْمِرِي أَبَوَيْكِ قَالَتْ وَقَدْ عَلِمَ أَنَّ أَبَوَىَّ لَمْ يَكُونَا يَأْمُرَانِي بِفِرَاقِهِ قَالَتْ ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ جَلَّ ثَنَاؤُهُ قَالَ {يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لأَزْوَاجِكَ إِنْ كُنْتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا} إِلَى {أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا} قَالَتْ فَقُلْتُ فَفِي أَىِّ هَذَا أَسْتَأْمِرُ أَبَوَىَّ فَإِنِّي أُرِيدُ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالدَّارَ الآخِرَةَ قَالَتْ ثُمَّ فَعَلَ أَزْوَاجُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مِثْلَ مَا فَعَلْتُ  

تَابَعَهُ مُوسَى بْنُ أَعْيَنَ عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ وَقَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ وَأَبُو سُفْيَانَ الْمَعْمَرِيُّ عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ
(942) bukhari:4789Ḥibbān b. Mūsá > ʿAbdullāh > ʿĀṣim al-Aḥwal > Muʿādhah > ʿĀʾishah

ʿAisha said, "Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to take the permission of that wife with whom he was supposed to stay overnight if he wanted to go to one other than her, after this Verse was revealed:-- "You (O Muhammad) can postpone (the turn of) whom you will of them (your wives) and you may receive any (of them) whom you will; and there is no blame on you if you invite one whose turn you have set aside (temporarily). (33.51) I asked Aisha, "What did you use to say (in this case)?" She said, "I used to say to him, "If I could deny you the permission (to go to your other wives) I would not allow your favor to be bestowed on any other person."  

(٩٤٢) البخاري:٤٧٨٩حَدَّثَنَا حِبَّانُ بْنُ مُوسَى أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ أَخْبَرَنَا عَاصِمٌ الأَحْوَلُ عَنْ مُعَاذَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ؓ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ كَانَ يَسْتَأْذِنُ فِي يَوْمِ الْمَرْأَةِ مِنَّا بَعْدَ أَنْ أُنْزِلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ {تُرْجِئُ مَنْ تَشَاءُ مِنْهُنَّ وَتُؤْوِي إِلَيْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَمَنِ ابْتَغَيْتَ مِمَّنْ عَزَلْتَ فَلاَ جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكَ} فَقُلْتُ لَهَا: مَا كُنْتِ تَقُولِينَ؟ قَالَتْ: كُنْتُ أَقُولُ لَهُ إِنْ كَانَ ذَاكَ إِلَىَّ فَإِنِّي لاَ أُرِيدُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَنْ أُوثِرَ عَلَيْكَ أَحَدًا۔  

تَابَعَهُ عَبَّادُ بْنُ عَبَّادٍ سَمِعَ عَاصِمًا
(943) bukhari:5262ʿUmar b. Ḥafṣ from my father > al-Aʿmash > Muslim > Masrūq > ʿĀʾishah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave us the option (to remain with him or to be divorced) and we selected Allah and His Apostle . So, giving us that option was not regarded as divorce.  

(٩٤٣) البخاري:٥٢٦٢حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمٌ عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ؓ قَالَتْ

خَيَّرَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَاخْتَرْنَا اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَلَمْ يَعُدَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَيْنَا شَيْئًا