67/36. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 5126 — Qur'an Knowledge as Mahr
(It is permissible) to look at a woman before marrying.
Hadith About Qur'an Knowledge as Mahr
Sahih Bukhari : 5126
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 5126
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، أَنَّ امْرَأَةً، جَاءَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ جِئْتُ لأَهَبَ لَكَ نَفْسِي. فَنَظَرَ إِلَيْهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَصَعَّدَ النَّظَرَ إِلَيْهَا وَصَوَّبَهُ، ثُمَّ طَأْطَأَ رَأْسَهُ، فَلَمَّا رَأَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَقْضِ فِيهَا شَيْئًا جَلَسَتْ، فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ فَقَالَ أَىْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ لَكَ بِهَا حَاجَةٌ فَزَوِّجْنِيهَا. فَقَالَ " هَلْ عِنْدَكَ مِنْ شَىْءٍ ". قَالَ لاَ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. قَالَ " اذْهَبْ إِلَى أَهْلِكَ فَانْظُرْ هَلْ تَجِدُ شَيْئًا ". فَذَهَبَ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ فَقَالَ لاَ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا وَجَدْتُ شَيْئًا. قَالَ " انْظُرْ وَلَوْ خَاتَمًا مِنْ حَدِيدٍ ". فَذَهَبَ ثُمَّ رَجَعَ فَقَالَ لاَ وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَلاَ خَاتَمًا مِنْ حَدِيدٍ، وَلَكِنْ هَذَا إِزَارِي ـ قَالَ سَهْلٌ مَا لَهُ رِدَاءٌ ـ فَلَهَا نِصْفُهُ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَا تَصْنَعُ بِإِزَارِكَ إِنْ لَبِسْتَهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَيْهَا مِنْهُ شَىْءٌ، وَإِنْ لَبِسَتْهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ عَلَيْكَ شَىْءٌ ". فَجَلَسَ الرَّجُلُ حَتَّى طَالَ مَجْلَسُهُ ثُمَّ قَامَ فَرَآهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مُوَلِّيًا فَأَمَرَ بِهِ فَدُعِيَ فَلَمَّا جَاءَ قَالَ " مَاذَا مَعَكَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ". قَالَ مَعِي سُورَةَ كَذَا وَسُورَةَ كَذَا وَسُورَةَ كَذَا. عَدَّدَهَا. قَالَ " أَتَقْرَؤُهُنَّ عَنْ ظَهْرِ قَلْبِكَ ". قَالَ نَعَمْ. قَالَ " اذْهَبْ فَقَدْ مَلَّكْتُكَهَا بِمَا مَعَكَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ".
Sahl bin Sa`d Narrated from:
A woman came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I have come to you to present myself to you (for marriage)." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) glanced at her. He looked at her carefully and fixed his glance on her and then lowered his head. When the lady saw that he did not say anything, she sat down.A man from his companions got up and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! If you are not in need of her, then marry her to me." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Have you got anything to offer." The man said, 'No, by Allah, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to him), "Go to your family and try to find something." So the man went and returned, saying, "No, by Allah, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I have not found anything."The Prophet said, "Go again and look for something, even if it were an iron ring." He went and returned, saying, "No, by Allah, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I could not find even an iron ring, but this is my Izar (waist sheet).' He had no Rida (upper garment). He added, "I give half of it to her." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said "What will she do with your Izar? If you wear it, she will have nothing over herself thereof (will be naked); and if she wears it, then you will have nothing over yourself thereof ' So the man sat for a long period and then got up (to leave).When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saw him leaving, he ordered that he e called back. When he came, the Prophet (ﷺ) asked (him), "How much of the Qur'an do you know (by heart)?" The man replied, I know such Sura and such Sura and such Sura," naming the suras. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Can you recite it by heart?" He said, 'Yes." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Go I let you marry her for what you know of the Qur'an (as her Mahr).
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5126In-book reference : Book 67, Hadith 62USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 62, Hadith 58
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5126
This hadith is a longer wording of the well-known Qur'an as mahr hadith. A woman came and offered herself for marriage to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. When a companion asked to marry her, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked whether he had anything to offer. The man found nothing, not even an iron ring. His idea of giving half his izar was not accepted because it would leave one person without proper covering. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم then asked what he had memorized from the Qur'an. After the man said he could recite certain surahs by heart, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم allowed the marriage for what he knew of the Qur'an.
What we learn from this hadith
- The man was asked to search for a mahr before the marriage was arranged.
- Even a small mahr like an iron ring was considered worth looking for.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did not accept an offer that would leave either person without covering.
- Memorized Qur'an was honored in this specific marriage arrangement.
