67/44. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 5140 — Orphan Girls, Mahr, and Fair Marriage
The giving of an orphan girl in marriage
لِقَوْلِهِ: {وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَنْ لاَ تُقْسِطُوا فِي الْيَتَامَى فَانْكِحُوا}، إِذَا قَالَ لِلْوَلِيِّ زَوِّجْنِي فُلاَنَةَ. فَمَكِثَ سَاعَةً أَوْ قَالَ مَا مَعَكَ فَقَالَ مَعِي كَذَا وَكَذَا. أَوْ لَبِثَا ثُمَّ قَالَ زَوَّجْتُكَهَا. فَهْوَ جَائِزٌ. فِيهِ سَهْلٌ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.
Hadith About Orphan Girls and Fair Mahr in Marriage
Sahih Bukhari : 5140
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 5140
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ،. وَقَالَ اللَّيْثُ حَدَّثَنِي عُقَيْلٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّهُ سَأَلَ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَ لَهَا يَا أُمَّتَاهْ {وَإِنْ خِفْتُمْ أَنْ لاَ تُقْسِطُوا فِي الْيَتَامَى} إِلَى {مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ} قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ يَا ابْنَ أُخْتِي هَذِهِ الْيَتِيمَةُ تَكُونُ فِي حَجْرِ وَلِيِّهَا، فَيَرْغَبُ فِي جَمَالِهَا وَمَالِهَا، وَيُرِيدُ أَنْ يَنْتَقِصَ مِنْ صَدَاقِهَا، فَنُهُوا عَنْ نِكَاحِهِنَّ. إِلاَّ أَنْ يُقْسِطُوا لَهُنَّ فِي إِكْمَالِ الصَّدَاقِ وَأُمِرُوا بِنِكَاحِ مَنْ سِوَاهُنَّ مِنَ النِّسَاءِ، قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ اسْتَفْتَى النَّاسُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ {وَيَسْتَفْتُونَكَ فِي النِّسَاءِ} إِلَى {وَتَرْغَبُونَ} فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَهُمْ فِي هَذِهِ الآيَةِ أَنَّ الْيَتِيمَةَ إِذَا كَانَتْ ذَاتَ مَالٍ وَجَمَالٍ، رَغِبُوا فِي نِكَاحِهَا وَنَسَبِهَا وَالصَّدَاقِ، وَإِذَا كَانَتْ مَرْغُوبًا عَنْهَا فِي قِلَّةِ الْمَالِ وَالْجَمَالِ، تَرَكُوهَا وَأَخَذُوا غَيْرَهَا مِنَ النِّسَاءِ ـ قَالَتْ ـ فَكَمَا يَتْرُكُونَهَا حِينَ يَرْغَبُونَ عَنْهَا، فَلَيْسَ لَهُمْ أَنْ يَنْكِحُوهَا إِذَا رَغِبُوا فِيهَا، إِلاَّ أَنْ يُقْسِطُوا لَهَا وَيُعْطُوهَا حَقَّهَا الأَوْفَى مِنَ الصَّدَاقِ.
`Urwa bin Az-Zubair Narrated from:
Narrated 'Urwa bin Az-Zubair: that he asked `Aisha, saying to her, "O Mother! (In what connection was this Verse revealed):'If you fear that you shall not be able to deal justly with orphan girls (to the end of the verse) that your right hands possess?" (4.3)Aisha said, "O my nephew! It was about the female orphan under the protection of her guardian who was interested in her beauty and wealth and wanted to marry her with a little or reduced Mahr. So such guardians were forbidden to marry female orphans unless they deal with them justly and give their full Mahr; and they were ordered to marry women other than them." `Aisha added, "(Later) the people asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), for instructions, and then Allah revealed:'They ask your instruction concerning the women . . . And yet whom you desire to marry.' (4.127)So Allah revealed to them in this Verse that-if a female orphan had wealth and beauty, they desired to marry her and were interested in her noble descent and the reduction of her Mahr; but if she was not desired by them because of her lack in fortune and beauty they left her and married some other woman. So, as they used to leave her when they had no interest in her, they had no right to marry her if they had the desire to do so, unless they deal justly with her and gave her a full amount of Mahr."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5140In-book reference : Book 67, Hadith 76USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 62, Hadith 71
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5140
This Hadith explains the meaning of a verse about orphan girls under the care of their guardians. The core message is justice in marriage, especially when wealth, beauty, and Mahr are involved. A guardian might want to marry an orphan girl because of her wealth or beauty, while also trying to reduce her Mahr. Aisha explains that such a guardian was not allowed to marry her unless he treated her fairly and gave her the full Mahr. If he was not ready to be fair, he was told to marry someone else. This Hadith about orphan girls and Mahr teaches that marriage should not be used to take advantage of someone under one’s care.
What we learn from this hadith
- A guardian must deal fairly with an orphan girl under his care.
- Mahr should not be reduced because someone is weak or dependent.
- Marriage should not be based on taking advantage of wealth or beauty.
- If fairness cannot be kept, one should avoid that marriage.
