67/51. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 5149 — Quran Knowledge and Simple Mahr
To marry (a lady to) a man for what he knows of the Qur'an
Hadith About Marriage for What One Knows of the Quran
Sahih Bukhari : 5149
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 5149
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، سَمِعْتُ أَبَا حَازِمٍ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ سَهْلَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ السَّاعِدِيَّ، يَقُولُ إِنِّي لَفِي الْقَوْمِ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِذْ قَامَتِ امْرَأَةٌ فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهَا قَدْ وَهَبَتْ نَفْسَهَا لَكَ فَرَ فِيهَا رَأْيَكَ فَلَمْ يُجِبْهَا شَيْئًا ثُمَّ قَامَتْ فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهَا قَدْ وَهَبَتْ نَفْسَهَا لَكَ فَرَ فِيهَا رَأْيَكَ فَلَمْ يُجِبْهَا شَيْئًا ثُمَّ قَامَتِ الثَّالِثَةَ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّهَا قَدْ وَهَبَتْ نَفْسَهَا لَكَ فَرَ فِيهَا رَأْيَكَ فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَنْكِحْنِيهَا. قَالَ " هَلْ عِنْدَكَ مِنْ شَىْءٍ ". قَالَ لاَ. قَالَ " اذْهَبْ فَاطْلُبْ وَلَوْ خَاتَمًا مِنْ حَدِيدٍ ". فَذَهَبَ فَطَلَبَ ثُمَّ جَاءَ فَقَالَ مَا وَجَدْتُ شَيْئًا وَلاَ خَاتَمًا مِنْ حَدِيدٍ. فَقَالَ " هَلْ مَعَكَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ شَىْءٌ ". قَالَ مَعِي سُورَةُ كَذَا وَسُورَةُ كَذَا. قَالَ " اذْهَبْ فَقَدْ أَنْكَحْتُكَهَا بِمَا مَعَكَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ ".
Sahl bin Sa`d As-Sa`idi Narrated from:
While I was (sitting) among the people in the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) a woman stood up and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! She has given herself in marriage to you; please give your opinion of her." The Prophet did not give her any reply. She again stood up and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! She has given herself (in marriage) to you; so please give your opinion of her. The Prophet (ﷺ) did not give her any reply. She again stood up for the third time and said, "She has given herself in marriage to you: so give your opinion of her."So a man stood up and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Marry her to me." The Prophet asked him, "Have you got anything?" He said, "No." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Go and search for something, even if it were an iron ring." The man went and searched and then returned saying, "I could not find anything, not even an iron ring." Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do you know something of the Qur'an (by heart)?" He replied, "I know (by heart) such Sura and such Sura." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Go! I have married her to you for what you know of the Qur'an (by heart).
[1] The speaker uses the third person instead of the first person which she intends.Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5149In-book reference : Book 67, Hadith 84USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 62, Hadith 79
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5149
This Hadith gives a fuller account of a woman who offered herself in marriage to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. He did not answer her request, and after she repeated it, a man asked that she be married to him. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked whether he had anything to give. The man had nothing, so he was told to search even for an iron ring. When he found nothing, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked whether he knew any Quran by heart. The man mentioned the Surahs he knew, and the marriage was made for what he knew of the Quran. This hadith about Quran as Mahr shows care, simplicity, and value.
What we learn from this hadith
- A man was asked to offer something for marriage if he could.
- Even a small item like an iron ring was considered worth searching for.
- Quran knowledge was treated with honor in this specific marriage case.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم helped resolve the matter in a practical way.
