9/9. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 1866 — Consent and Looking Before Marriage
Looking at a woman when wanting to marry her
Hadith About Looking Before Marriage With Respect
Sunan Ibn Majah : 1866
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 1866
حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ أَبِي الرَّبِيعِ، أَنْبَأَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ، عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ الْبُنَانِيِّ، عَنْ بَكْرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْمُزَنِيِّ، عَنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ بْنِ شُعْبَةَ، قَالَ أَتَيْتُ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَذَكَرْتُ لَهُ امْرَأَةً أَخْطُبُهَا فَقَالَ " اذْهَبْ فَانْظُرْ إِلَيْهَا فَإِنَّهُ أَجْدَرُ أَنْ يُؤْدَمَ بَيْنَكُمَا " . فَأَتَيْتُ امْرَأَةً مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ فَخَطَبْتُهَا إِلَى أَبَوَيْهَا وَأَخْبَرْتُهُمَا بِقَوْلِ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ . فَكَأَنَّهُمَا كَرِهَا ذَلِكَ . قَالَ فَسَمِعَتْ ذَلِكَ الْمَرْأَةُ وَهِيَ فِي خِدْرِهَا فَقَالَتْ إِنْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ أَمَرَكَ أَنْ تَنْظُرَ فَانْظُرْ . وَإِلاَّ فَإِنِّي أَنْشُدُكَ كَأَنَّهَا أَعْظَمَتْ ذَلِكَ . قَالَ فَنَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهَا فَتَزَوَّجْتُهَا . فَذَكَرَ مِنْ مُوَافَقَتِهَا .
Al-Mughirah bin Shu'bah Narrated from:
I came to the Prophet and told him of a woman to whom I had to propose marriage. He said: 'Go and look at her, for that is more likely to create love between you.' So I went to a woman among the Ansar and proposed marriage through her parents. I told them what the Prophet had said, and it was as if they did not like that.Then I heard that woman, behind her curtain, say: 'If the Messenger of Allah has told you to do that, then do it, otherwise I adjure you by Allah (not to do so)'. And it was as if she regarded that as a serious matter. So I looked at her and married her.” And he mentioned how well he got along with her.
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 1866In-book reference : Book 9, Hadith 22English translation : Vol. 3, Book 9, Hadith 1866
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 1866
This hadith gives a fuller story about looking at a woman before marriage. Mughirah bin Shubah told the Prophet about a woman he wanted to propose to. The Prophet told him to look at her, saying that it was more likely to create love between them. Mughirah then went through her parents and told them what the Prophet had said. They seemed uneasy, but the woman herself said that if the Messenger of Allah had told him to do it, then he could look. The main topic is looking before marriage in Islam, but the narration also shows seriousness, family setting, and respect for the woman’s concern.
What we learn from this hadith
- Looking before marriage is linked here to a real proposal.
- The woman’s response is shown as important in the story.
- The family setting was part of how the proposal was handled.
- The purpose mentioned is to help love grow between the couple.
