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.
tirmidhi:3177ʿAbd b. Ḥumayd > Rawḥ b. ʿUbādah > ʿUbaydullāh b. al-Akhnas > ʿAmr b. Shuʿayb from his father from his grandfather

from his father, from his grandfather, who said "There was a man named Marthad bin Abi Marthad, and he was a man who would carry captives from Makkah to Al-Madinah." He said: "And there was a prostitute woman in Makkah called 'Anaq, who was a friend of his. He had promised a man from the captives of Makkah that he would transport him, and he said: 'So I came until I reached one of the walls of Makkah on a moon-lit night.' He said "'Anaq came along and she saw the darkness of my shadow next to the wall. When she reached me she recognized me and said: "Marthad?" So I replied: "(Yes it is) Marthad." She said: "Welcome, come and spend the night with us." I said: "O 'Anaq! Allah has made illicit sexual relations unlawful." So she said: "O people of the tents! That is the man who takes your captives away!" He said: "Eight people followed me, and I went through the passes of Al-Khandamah. I stopped at a cave and entered it. They came until they stood over my head, and they began urinating, their urine falling on my head. Yet Allah made them unable to see me. He said: 'Then I went back. I returned to my companion to transport him - and he was a heavy man - until I reached Al-Idhkir. There I removed his shackles to make him easier to carry, since he was exhausting me, until I arrived at Al-Madinah. I went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and I said "O Messenger of Allah! May I marry 'Anaq? [I said this, two times] but the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was silent, and he did not reply to me at all until (the following) was revealed: The Zani marries not but a Zaniyah or a Mushrikah; and the Zaniyah, none marries her except a Zani or a Mushrik (24:3). So do not marry her.'"

Abū ʿĪsá said that this Ḥadīth is Ḥasan-Gharīb and we do not know of any other Ḥadīth except through this particular context.

الترمذي:٣١٧٧حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ حَدَّثَنَا رَوْحُ بْنُ عُبَادَةَ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الأَخْنَسِ أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ شُعَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ كَانَ رَجُلٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ مَرْثَدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَرْثَدٍ وَكَانَ رَجُلاً يَحْمِلُ الأَسْرَى مِنْ مَكَّةَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ بِهِمُ الْمَدِينَةَ قَالَ وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَةٌ بَغِيٌّ بِمَكَّةَ

يُقَالُ لَهَا عَنَاقُ وَكَانَتْ صَدِيقَةً لَهُ وَإِنَّهُ كَانَ وَعَدَ رَجُلاً مِنْ أُسَارَى مَكَّةَ يَحْمِلُهُ قَالَ فَجِئْتُ حَتَّى انْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى ظِلِّ حَائِطٍ مِنْ حَوَائِطِ مَكَّةَ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُقْمِرَةٍ قَالَ فَجَاءَتْ عَنَاقُ فَأَبْصَرَتْ سَوَادَ ظِلِّي بِجَنْبِ الْحَائِطِ فَلَمَّا انْتَهَتْ إِلَىَّ عَرَفَتْهُ فَقَالَتْ مَرْثَدُ فَقُلْتُ مَرْثَدُ فَقَالَتْ مَرْحَبًا وَأَهْلاً هَلُمَّ فَبِتْ عِنْدَنَا اللَّيْلَةَ قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا عَنَاقُ حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ الزِّنَا قَالَتْ يَا أَهْلَ الْخِيَامِ هَذَا الرَّجُلُ يَحْمِلُ أَسْرَاكُمْ قَالَ فَتَبِعَنِي ثَمَانِيَةٌ وَسَلَكْتُ الْخَنْدَمَةَ فَانْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى كَهْفٍ أَوْ غَارٍ فَدَخَلْتُ فَجَاءُوا حَتَّى قَامُوا عَلَى رَأْسِي فَبَالُوا فَطَلَّ بَوْلُهُمْ عَلَى رَأْسِي وَأَعْمَاهُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِّي قَالَ ثُمَّ رَجَعُوا وَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى صَاحِبِي فَحَمَلْتُهُ وَكَانَ رَجُلاً ثَقِيلاً حَتَّى انْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى الإِذْخِرِ فَفَكَكْتُ عَنْهُ كَبْلَهُ فَجَعَلْتُ أَحْمِلُهُ وَيُعِينُنِي حَتَّى قَدِمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَنْكِحُ عَنَاقًا مَرَّتَيْنِ فَأَمْسَكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَىَّ شَيْئًا حَتَّى نَزَلَتِ (الزَّانِي لاَ يَنْكِحُ إِلاَّ زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً وَالزَّانِيَةُ لاَ يَنْكِحُهَا إِلاَّ زَانٍ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ وَحُرِّمَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ) فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَا مَرْثَدُ الزَّانِي لاَ يَنْكِحُ إِلاَّ زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً وَالزَّانِيَةُ لاَ يَنْكِحُهَا إِلاَّ زَانٍ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ فَلاَ تَنْكِحْهَا

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ

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Collected by Nasāʾī, Bayhaqī

Prohibition of marrying a prostitute

nasai:3228Ibrāhīm b. Muḥammad al-Taymī > Yaḥyá, huwa Ibn Saʿīd > ʿUbaydullāh b. al-Akhnas > ʿAmr b. Shuʿayb > abīhi > jaddihi

[AI] Marthad bin Abi Marthad al-Ghanawi, who was a strong man and used to carry prisoners from Mecca to Medina, said: I called for a man so that I might carry him, and in Mecca there was a prostitute called Anaq, and she had been his friend. She came out and saw my shadow in the shade of the wall, and she said, "Who is this? Marthad? Welcome, O Marthad. Come tonight and spend the night with us in the tent." I said, "O Anaq, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has forbidden zina." She said, "O people of the tents, this porcupine is the one who carries your prisoners from Mecca to Medina." So I took the path of Al-Khandamah, and eight men came after me. They came until they stood over my head and urinated, and their urine fell on me, but Allah blinded them to me. Then I came to my companion and carried him, and when I reached Al-Arak with him, I undid his fetter. Then I came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "O Messenger of Allah, should I marry Anaq?" He remained silent concerning me, then this was revealed: "The adulteress, none marries her except an adulterer or an idolater." Then he called me, recited it to me, and said, "Do not marry her."

النسائي:٣٢٢٨أَخْبَرَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ التَّيْمِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى هُوَ ابْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الأَخْنَسِ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ

أَنَّ مَرْثَدَ بْنَ أَبِي مَرْثَدٍ الْغَنَوِيَّ، وَكَانَ رَجُلاً شَدِيدًا، وَكَانَ يَحْمِلُ الأُسَارَى مِنْ مَكَّةَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ، قَالَ: فَدَعَوْتُ رَجُلاً لأَحْمِلَهُ، وَكَانَ بِمَكَّةَ بَغِيٌّ يُقَالُ لَهَا عَنَاقُ، وَكَانَتْ صَدِيقَتَهُ، خَرَجَتْ فَرَأَتْ سَوَادِي فِي ظِلِّ الْحَائِطِ، فَقَالَتْ: «مَنْ هَذَا؟ مَرْثَدٌ؟ مَرْحَبًا وَأَهْلاً يَا مَرْثَدُ، انْطَلِقِ اللَّيْلَةَ فَبِتْ عِنْدَنَا فِي الرَّحْلِ». قُلْتُ: يَا عَنَاقُ، إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَرَّمَ الزِّنَا. قَالَتْ: «يَا أَهْلَ الْخِيَامِ، هَذَا الدُّلْدُلُ، هَذَا الَّذِي يَحْمِلُ أُسَرَاءَكُمْ مِنْ مَكَّةَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ». فَسَلَكْتُ الْخَنْدَمَةَ، فَطَلَبَنِي ثَمَانِيَةٌ، فَجَاءُوا حَتَّى قَامُوا عَلَى رَأْسِي، فَبَالُوا، فَطَارَ بَوْلُهُمْ عَلَىَّ، وَأَعْمَاهُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِّي، فَجِئْتُ إِلَى صَاحِبِي فَحَمَلْتُهُ، فَلَمَّا انْتَهَيْتُ بِهِ إِلَى الأَرَاكِ فَكَكْتُ عَنْهُ كَبْلَهُ، فَجِئْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَنْكِحُ عَنَاقَ؟ فَسَكَتَ عَنِّي، فَنَزَلَتْ ﴿الزَّانِيَةُ لاَ يَنْكِحُهَا إِلاَّ زَانٍ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ﴾، فَدَعَانِي فَقَرَأَهَا عَلَىَّ، وَقَالَ: «لاَ تَنْكِحْهَا».

Marthad and the prohibition on marrying Anaq

bayhaqi:13861Abū Ṭāhir al-Faqīh > Abū Bakr Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn al-Qaṭṭān > Abū al-Azhar Aḥmad b. al-Azhar > Rawḥ b. ʿUbādah > ʿUbaydullāh b. al-Akhnas > ʿAmr b. Shuʿayb > abīhi > jaddihi

[AI] There was a man called Marthad bin Abi Marthad, and he used to carry captives from Makkah until he brought them to Madinah. He said: In Makkah there was a prostitute called Anaq, and she had been his companion, and he had promised a man that he would carry him out from the captives of Makkah. He said: So I came until I reached the shade of a wall among the walls of Makkah on a moonlit night. He said: Then Anaq came and saw the dark outline of my shadow beside the wall. When she reached me, she recognized me and said, "Marthad?" I said, "Marthad." She said, "Would you like to spend the night with us tonight?" I said, "O Anaq, Allah has forbidden fornication." She said, "O people of the tents, this is the man who carries away your captives." So eight men followed me, and I took the path of al-Khandamah until I came to a cave, and I entered it. They came until they passed right over my head and urinated, and their urine fell on my head, but Allah blinded them until they went back. Then I returned to my companion and carried him, and he was a heavy man, until I reached al-Idhkhir. I removed his shackles, then I began carrying him, and he exhausted me, until I arrived in Madinah. Then I came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "O Messenger of Allah, may I marry Anaq?" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ remained silent and did not answer me at all until this surah was revealed, which is His saying: "The fornicator does not marry except a fornicatress or an idolatress, and the fornicatress is not married except by a fornicator or an idolater, and that has been forbidden to the believers" [al-Nur 3]. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "O Marthad, the fornicator does not marry except a fornicatress or an idolatress, and the fornicatress is not married except by a fornicator or an idolater."

البيهقي:١٣٨٦١أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو طَاهِرٍ الْفَقِيهُ أنبأ أَبُو بَكْرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ الْقَطَّانُ ثنا أَبُو الْأَزْهَرِ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ الْأَزْهَرِ ثنا رَوْحُ بْنُ عُبَادَةَ ثنا عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ الْأَخْنَسِ حَدَّثَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ شُعَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ

كَانَ رَجُلٌ يُقَالُ لَهُ مَرْثَدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَرْثَدٍ، وَكَانَ رَجُلًا يَحْمِلُ الْأَسْرَى مِنْ مَكَّةَ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ بِهِمُ الْمَدِينَةَ. قَالَ: وَكَانَ بِمَكَّةَ بَغِيٌّ يُقَالُ لَهَا عَنَاقٌ، وَكَانَتْ صَدِيقَتَهُ، وَأَنَّهُ وَعَدَ رَجُلًا يَحْمِلُهُ مِنْ أَسْرَى مَكَّةَ. قَالَ: فَجِئْتُ حَتَّى انْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى ظِلِّ حَائِطٍ مِنْ حَوَائِطِ مَكَّةَ فِي لَيْلَةٍ مُقْمِرَةٍ. قَالَ: فَجَاءَتْ عَنَاقٌ، فَأَبْصَرَتْ سَوَادَ ظِلِّي بِجَنْبِ الْحَائِطِ، فَلَمَّا انْتَهَتْ إِلَيَّ عَرَفَتْ، قَالَتْ: مَرْثَدٌ؟ قُلْتُ: مَرْثَدٌ. قَالَتْ: هَلْ لَكَ أَنْ تَبِيتَ عِنْدَنَا اللَّيْلَةَ؟ قُلْتُ: يَا عَنَاقُ، قَدْ حَرَّمَ اللهُ الزِّنَا. قَالَتْ: يَا أَهْلَ الْخِيَامِ، هَذَا الرَّجُلُ الَّذِي يَحْمِلُ أَسْرَاكُمْ. فَاتَّبِعْنِي ثَمَانِيَةٌ، وَسَلَكْتُ الْخَنْدَمَةَ، فَانْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى كَهْفٍ أَوْ غَارٍ فَدَخَلْتُهُ. فَجَاءُوا حَتَّى جَازُوا عَلَى رَأْسِي، فَبَالُوا، فَظَلَّ بَوْلُهُمْ عَلَى رَأْسِي، وَأَعْمَاهُمُ اللهُ حَتَّى رَجَعُوا. وَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى صَاحِبِي، وَحَمَلْتُهُ، وَكَانَ رَجُلًا ثَقِيلًا، حَتَّى انْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى الْإِذْخِرِ، فَفَكَكْتُ عَنْهُ كَبْلَهُ، فَجَعَلْتُ أَحْمِلُهُ وَيُعْيِينِي حَتَّى قَدِمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ. فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ، فَقُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، أَنْكِحُ عَنَاقًا؟ فَأَمْسَكَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَلَمْ يَرُدَّ عَلَيَّ شَيْئًا حَتَّى نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ السُّورَةُ، وَهِيَ قَوْلُهُ تَعَالَى: ﴿الزَّانِي لَا يَنْكِحُ إِلَّا زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً وَالزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنْكِحُهَا إِلَّا زَانٍ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ وَحُرِّمَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾ [النور 3]. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: «يَا مَرْثَدُ، الزَّانِي لَا يَنْكِحُ إِلَّا زَانِيَةً أَوْ مُشْرِكَةً، وَالزَّانِيَةُ لَا يَنْكِحُهَا إِلَّا زَانٍ أَوْ مُشْرِكٌ».