68/29. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 5308 — The Case of Uwaimir and the Lian Process
Al-Li'an, and divorce after the process of Li'an.
Hadith About Uwaimir, Lian, and Divorce After the Oaths
Sahih Bukhari : 5308
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 5308
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي 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. فَسَأَلَ عَاصِمٌ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ ذَلِكَ 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 جَاءَهُ عُوَيْمِرٌ فَقَالَ يَا عَاصِمُ مَاذَا قَالَ لَكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ عَاصِمٌ لِعُوَيْمِرٍ لَمْ تَأْتِنِي بِخَيْرٍ، قَدْ كَرِهَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَسْأَلَةَ الَّتِي سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْهَا. فَقَالَ عُوَيْمِرٌ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَنْتَهِي حَتَّى أَسْأَلَهُ عَنْهَا. فَأَقْبَلَ عُوَيْمِرٌ حَتَّى جَاءَ 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 أُنْزِلَ فِيكَ وَفِي صَاحِبَتِكَ فَاذْهَبْ فَأْتِ بِهَا ". قَالَ سَهْلٌ فَتَلاَعَنَا وَأَنَا مَعَ النَّاسِ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمَّا فَرَغَا مِنْ تَلاَعُنِهِمَا قَالَ عُوَيْمِرٌ كَذَبْتُ عَلَيْهَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنْ أَمْسَكْتُهَا. فَطَلَّقَهَا ثَلاَثًا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْمُرَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم. قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ فَكَانَتْ سُنَّةَ الْمُتَلاَعِنَيْنِ.
Sahl bin Sa`d As-Sa`idi Narrated from:
'Uwaimir Al-Ajlani came to `Asim bin Ad Al-Ansari and said to him, "O `Asim! Suppose a man saw another man with his wife, would he kill him whereupon you would kill him; or what should he do? Please, O `Asim, ask about this on my behalf." `Asim asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about it. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), disliked that question and considered it disgraceful. What `Asim heard from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was hard on him.When `Asim returned to his family, 'Uwaimir came to him and said, "O `Asim! What did Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). say to you?" `Asim said to 'Uwaimir, "You never bring me any good. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) disliked the problem which I asked him about." 'Uwaimir said, "By Allah, I will not give up this matter until I ask the Prophet (ﷺ) about it." So 'Uwaimir proceeded till he came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) in the midst of people, and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! If a man sees another man with his wife, would he kill him, whereupon you would kill him, or what should he do?"Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Allah has revealed some decree as regards you and your wives case. Go and bring her." So they carried out the process of Lian while I was present among the people with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). When they had finished their Lian, 'Uwaimir said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! If I should now keep her with me as a wife, then I have told a lie." So he divorced her thrice before Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ordered him. (Ibn Shihab said: So divorce was the tradition for all those who were involved in a case of Lian.)
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5308In-book reference : Book 68, Hadith 57USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 63, Hadith 228
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5308
This hadith about Lian gives a fuller picture of a difficult question. Uwaimir asked what a man should do if he found another man with his wife. The Prophet disliked the way the question was first raised, but when Uwaimir came himself, he was told that Allah had revealed a decree about his case and his wife. They carried out Lian in front of the Prophet. After the oaths, Uwaimir said that keeping her would make him a liar, so he divorced her three times before the Prophet ordered him. The narration ends by saying that this became the practice for those involved in Lian. The text teaches restraint, process, and the danger of acting violently from anger.
What we learn from this hadith
- A painful accusation was brought to the Prophet instead of being acted on violently.
- The Prophet directed the couple to the revealed ruling of Lian.
- The Lian process was done publicly in the presence of people.
- After Lian, separation became the practice mentioned in the narration.
