Sunan Abi Dawud — Marriage (Kitab Al-Nikah)

A man called Basrah b. Akhtam married a woman. The narrator then reported the rest of the tradition to the same effect. This version added: And he separated them. The tradition narrated by Ibn Juraij is perfect.

Ibn ‘Abbas said “Mughith was a slave.” He said “Apostle of Allaah (ﷺ) make intercession for me to her (Barirah)”. The Apostle of Allaah (ﷺ) said “O Barirah fear Allaah. He is your husband and father of your child”. She said “Apostle of Allaah (ﷺ) do you command me for that? He said No, I am only interceding. Then tears were falling down on his (her husband’s) cheeks. The Apostle of Allaah (ﷺ) said to ‘Abbas “Are you not surprised with the love of Mughith for Barirah and her hatred for him.”

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Do not fast on Saturday except what has been made obligatory on you; and if one of you can get nothing but a grape skin or a piece of wood from a tree, he should chew it.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: The fast most liked by Allah is the one observed by Dawud (David), and the prayer dearer to Allah is the one offered by Dawud (David): he would sleep half the night, and stand (in prayer) one-third of it, and sleep one-sixth of it. He would go without fasting one day, and fast the other day.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Two sheep which resemble each other are to be sacrificed for a boy and one for a girl. Abu Dawud said: This is a sound tradition, and the tradition narrated by Sufyan is misunderstanding.

The Prophet (ﷺ) appointed a sixth to a grandmother if no mother is left to inherit before her.

(Wash her) seven times or more if you think fit.

We went out with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to the funeral of a man of the Ansar, but when we reached the grave, the niche in the side had not yet been made, so the Prophet (ﷺ) sat down facing the qiblah, and we sat down along with him.

A man came to Prophet (ﷺ) and said: Messenger of Allah, my sister has taken a vow to perform hajj on foot. The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Allah gets no good from the affliction your sister imposed on herself, so let her perform hajj riding and make atonement for her oath.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: Gold for gold is interest unless both hand over on the spot ; wheat for wheat is interest unless both hand over on the spot ; dates for dates is interest unless both hand over on the spot ; barley for barley is interest unless both hand over on the spot.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as saying: No one withholds goods till their price rises but a sinner. I said to Sa’id (b. al-Musayyab): You withhold goods till their price rises. He said: Ma’mar used to withhold goods till their price rose. Abu Dawud said: I asked Ahmad (b. Hanbal): What is hoarding (hukrah) ? He replied: That on which people live. Abu Dawud said: Al-Auza’i said: A muhtakir (one who hoards) is one who withholds supply of goods in the market.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The contractual obligation of a slave is three days.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: I swear by Allah, I shall not accept gift from anyone after this day except from an immigrant Qarashi, an Ansari a Dawsi or a Thaqafi.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: It is not permissible for a woman to present a gift (from her husband’s property) except with the permission of her husband.

The Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: Life tenancy is permissible.

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) Said: Allah , Most Exalted, has appointed for everyone who has a right what is due to him, and no will be made to an heir, and a woman should not spend anything from her house except with the permission of her husband. He was asked: Even foodgrain, Messenger of Allah? He replied: That is the best of our property. He then said: A loan must be paid back, a she-camel lent for a time for milking must be returned, a debt must be discharged, one who stands surety is held responsible.

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Sa’id through a different chain of narrators to the same effect.

The Prophet (ﷺ) held a wedding feast for Safiyyah with meal and dates.

A family which has no dates will be hungry.

When the Prophet (ﷺ) was brought some old dates, he began to examine them and remove the worms from them.

on his father’s authority, told that his grandfather reported the Prophet (ﷺ) said: A slave who has entered into an agreement to purchase his freedom is a slave as long as a dirham of the agreed price remains to be paid.

Safinah said: I was a slave of Umm Salamah, and she said: I shall emancipate you, but I stipulate that you must serve the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as long as you live. I said: Even if you do not make a stipulation, I shall not leave the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). She then emancipated me and made the stipulation with me.

On his father’s authority (this is AbulWalid’s version): A man emancipated a share in a slave and the matter was mentioned to the Prophet (ﷺ). He said: Allah has no partner. Ibn Kathir added in his version: The Prophet (ﷺ) allowed his emancipation.

We used to take it away (i.e. silk) from boys, and leave it for girls. Mis’ar said: I asked Amr ibn Dinar about it, but he did not know it.

I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) at Mina giving sermon on a mule and wearing a red garment, while Ali was announcing.

The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered that the skins of the animals which had died a natural death should be used when they are tanned.

We were with the Prophet (ﷺ) on a journey. He said: Make a general practice of wearing sandals, for a man keeps riding as long as he wears sandals.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Disagreement will occur at the death of a caliph and a man of the people of Medina will come flying forth to Mecca. Some of the people of Mecca will come to him, bring him out against his will and swear allegiance to him between the Corner and the Maqam. An expeditionary force will then be sent against him from Syria but will be swallowed up in the desert between Mecca and Medina. When the people see that, the eminent saints of Syria and the best people of Iraq will come to him and swear allegiance to him between the Corner and the Maqam. Then there will arise a man of Quraysh whose maternal uncles belong to Kalb and send against them an expeditionary force which will be overcome by them, and that is the expedition of Kalb. Disappointed will be the one who does not receive the booty of Kalb. He will divide the property, and will govern the people by the Sunnah of their Prophet (ﷺ) and establish Islam on Earth. He will remain seven years, then die, and the Muslims will pray over him. Abu Dawud said: Some transmitted from Hisham “nine years” and some “seven years”.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mentioned the Dajjal (Antichrist) saying: If he comes forth while I am among you I shall be the one who will dispute with him on your behalf, but if he comes forth when I am not among you, a man must dispute on his own behalf, and Allah will take my place in looking after every Muslim. Those of you who live up to his time should recite over him the opening verses of Surat al – Kahf, for they are your protection from his trial. We asked: How long will he remain on the earth ? He replied : Forty days, one like a year, one like a month, one like a week, and rest of his days like yours. We asked : Messenger of Allah, will one day’s prayer suffice us in this day which will be like a year ? He replied : No, you must make an estimate of its extent. Then Jesus son of Marry will descend at the white minaret to the east of Damascus. He will then catch him up at the date of Ludd and kill him.

A similar tradition has been transmitted by Abu Umamah from the prophet (ﷺ) through a different chain of narrators. In this version he mentioned the prayers to the same effect.

Some people raided the camels of the Prophet (ﷺ), drove them off, and apostatised. They killed the herdsman of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who was a believer. He (the Prophet) sent (people) in pursuit of them and they were caught. He had their hands and feet cut off, and their eyes put out. The verse regarding fighting against Allah and His Prophet (ﷺ) was then revealed. These were the people about whom Anas ibn Malik informed al-Hajjaj when he asked him.

I swear by Allah, Sahl had a misunderstanding about this tradition. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) wrote to the Jews: A slain man has been found amongnst you, so pay his bloodwit. They wrote (to him): Swearing by Allah fifty oaths, we neither killed him nor do we know his slayer. He said: Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) himself paid his bloodwit which consisted of one hundred she-camels.

That Sa’d b. ‘Ubadah said to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) : What do you think if I find with my wife a man ; should I give him some time until I bring four witnesses ?” He said: “Yes”.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The teeth are equal, and the fingers are equal.