67/42. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 5137 — A Virgin's Consent by Silence
The father or the guardian cannot give a virgin or matron in marriage without her consent
Hadith About a Virgin's Silence as Consent
Sahih Bukhari : 5137
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 5137
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ الرَّبِيعِ بْنِ طَارِقٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عَمْرٍو، مَوْلَى عَائِشَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ الْبِكْرَ تَسْتَحِي. قَالَ " رِضَاهَا صَمْتُهَا ".
A'isha Narrated from:
I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! A virgin feels shy." He said, "Her consent is (expressed by) her silence."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5137In-book reference : Book 67, Hadith 73USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 62, Hadith 68
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5137
This hadith is searched as a virgin's silence is her consent hadith. Aisha told Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم that a virgin feels shy. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم replied that her consent is her silence. The report is brief, so the meaning should not be stretched beyond the text. It addresses the case of a shy virgin and how her approval may be known in that setting. The key point is still consent, not forcing. The wording shows that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم answered Aisha's concern about shyness by treating silence as a sign of approval in this marriage context.
What we learn from this hadith
- Aisha raised the issue of a virgin feeling shy.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم answered that her consent is expressed by silence.
- The report is about knowing consent in a shy situation.
- The hadith should be read around the topic of marriage permission.
