68/4. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 5259 — The Case of Li'an and Divorce
To divorce one's wife thrice (at a time)
لِقَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: {الطَّلاَقُ مَرَّتَانِ فَإِمْسَاكٌ بِمَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ تَسْرِيحٌ بِإِحْسَانٍ}. وَقَالَ ابْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ فِي مَرِيضٍ طَلَّقَ لاَ أَرَى أَنْ تَرِثَ مَبْتُوتَتُهُ. وَقَالَ الشَّعْبِيُّ تَرِثُهُ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ شُبْرُمَةَ. تَزَوَّجُ إِذَا انْقَضَتِ الْعِدَّةُ قَالَ نَعَمْ، قَالَ أَرَأَيْتَ إِنْ مَاتَ الزَّوْجُ الآخَرُ فَرَجَعَ عَنْ ذَلِكَ.
Hadith About Li'an: Uwaimir, Marital Accusation, and Separation
Sahih Bukhari : 5259
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 5259
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، أَخْبَرَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَنَّ سَهْلَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ السَّاعِدِيَّ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عُوَيْمِرًا الْعَجْلاَنِيَّ جَاءَ إِلَى عَاصِمِ بْنِ عَدِيٍّ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، فَقَالَ لَهُ يَا عَاصِمُ أَرَأَيْتَ رَجُلاً وَجَدَ مَعَ امْرَأَتِهِ رَجُلاً، أَيَقْتُلُهُ فَتَقْتُلُونَهُ، أَمْ كَيْفَ يَفْعَلُ سَلْ لِي يَا عَاصِمُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَسَأَلَ عَاصِمٌ عَنْ ذَلِكَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَكَرِهَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَسَائِلَ وَعَابَهَا حَتَّى كَبُرَ عَلَى عَاصِمٍ مَا سَمِعَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمَّا رَجَعَ عَاصِمٌ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ جَاءَ عُوَيْمِرٌ فَقَالَ يَا عَاصِمُ مَاذَا قَالَ لَكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ عَاصِمٌ لَمْ تَأْتِنِي بِخَيْرٍ، قَدْ كَرِهَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَسْأَلَةَ الَّتِي سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْهَا. قَالَ عُوَيْمِرٌ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَنْتَهِي حَتَّى أَسْأَلَهُ عَنْهَا فَأَقْبَلَ عُوَيْمِرٌ حَتَّى أَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَسَطَ النَّاسِ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ رَجُلاً وَجَدَ مَعَ امْرَأَتِهِ رَجُلاً، أَيَقْتُلُهُ فَتَقْتُلُونَهُ، أَمْ كَيْفَ يَفْعَلُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " قَدْ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فِيكَ وَفِي صَاحِبَتِكَ فَاذْهَبْ فَأْتِ بِهَا ". قَالَ سَهْلٌ فَتَلاَعَنَا وَأَنَا مَعَ النَّاسِ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمَّا فَرَغَا قَالَ عُوَيْمِرٌ كَذَبْتُ عَلَيْهَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنْ أَمْسَكْتُهَا، فَطَلَّقَهَا ثَلاَثًا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْمُرَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم. قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ فَكَانَتْ تِلْكَ سُنَّةُ الْمُتَلاَعِنَيْنِ.
Sahl bin Sa`d As-Sa`idi Narrated from:
Uwaimir Al-`Ajlani came to `Asim bin Adi Al-Ansari and asked, "O `Asim! Tell me, if a man sees his wife with another man, should he kill him, whereupon you would kill him in Qisas, or what should he do? O `Asim! Please ask Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about that." `Asim asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about that. Allah's Apostle disliked that question and considered it disgraceful. What `Asim heard from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was hard on him.When he returned to his family, 'Uwaimir came to him and said "O `Asim! What did Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) say to you?" `Asim said, "You never bring me any good. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) disliked to hear the problem which I asked him about." 'Uwaimir said, "By Allah, I will not leave the matter till I ask him about it." So 'Uwaimir proceeded till he came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) who was in the midst of the people and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! If a man finds with his wife another man, should he kill him, whereupon you would kill him (in Qisas): or otherwise, what should he do?"Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah has revealed something concerning the question of you and your wife. Go and bring her here." So they both carried out the judgment of Lian, while I was present among the people (as a witness). When both of them had finished, 'Uwaimir said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! If I should now keep my wife with me, then I have told a lie". Then he pronounced his decision to divorce her thrice before Allah's Apostle ordered him to do so. (Ibn Shihab said, "That was the tradition for all those who are involved in a case of Lian."
[1] See the glossary.(1) See the glossary for ‘ Li'ān .’Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5259In-book reference : Book 68, Hadith 9USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 63, Hadith 185
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5259
This hadith about Li'an reports a serious marital case. Uwaimir Al-Ajlani asked what a man should do if he found another man with his wife. He first asked Asim to ask the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم), but the Prophet disliked the question. Uwaimir then came himself and asked in front of the people. The Prophet said that Allah had revealed something concerning him and his wife, and told him to bring her. They both carried out the judgment of Li'an while Sahl was present. After they finished, Uwaimir said that if he kept her, he would have lied against her, so he divorced her three times before the Prophet ordered him to do so. Ibn Shihab said this became the practice for those involved in Li'an.
What we learn from this hadith
- Serious marital accusations were taken to the Prophet for judgment.
- Li'an was carried out between Uwaimir and his wife.
- Uwaimir separated from her after the Li'an process.
- The narration warns against acting violently in such a case.
