26/43. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 3283 — Returning After Irrevocable Divorce
The Type of Marriage After Which A Thrice-Divorced Woman May Return To Her First Husband
Hadith About Irrevocable Divorce and Remarriage
Sunan an-Nasai : 3283
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3283
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ جَاءَتِ امْرَأَةُ رِفَاعَةَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَتْ إِنَّ رِفَاعَةَ طَلَّقَنِي فَأَبَتَّ طَلاَقِي وَإِنِّي تَزَوَّجْتُ بَعْدَهُ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ الزَّبِيرِ وَمَا مَعَهُ إِلاَّ مِثْلُ هُدْبَةِ الثَّوْبِ . فَضَحِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَقَالَ " لَعَلَّكِ تُرِيدِينَ أَنْ تَرْجِعِي إِلَى رِفَاعَةَ لاَ حَتَّى يَذُوقَ عُسَيْلَتَكِ وَتَذُوقِي عُسَيْلَتَهُ " .
A'isha Narrated from:
The wife of Rifa'ah came to the Messenger of Allah and said: 'Rifa'ah divorced me and made it irrevocable. Then I married 'Abdur-Rahman bin Az-Zubair, and what he has is like the fringe of a garment.' The Messenger of Allah smiled and said: 'Do you want to go back to Rifa'ah? No, not until he ('Abdur-Rahman) tastes your sweetness and you taste his sweetness.'
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3283In-book reference : Book 26, Hadith 88English translation : Vol. 4, Book 26, Hadith 3285
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3283
This hadith about irrevocable divorce and remarriage tells the case of the wife of Rifa'ah. She said that Rifa'ah divorced her and made the divorce final. She then married Abdur-Rahman bin Az-Zubair and described a problem in that marriage. The Prophet smiled and asked whether she wanted to return to Rifa'ah. He then said no, not until the second husband tasted her sweetness and she tasted his sweetness. The text is focused on a specific marriage ruling tied to returning to a former husband after final divorce. It does not invite extra details beyond the words given. The simple lesson is that remarriage after irrevocable divorce has real conditions and cannot be used as a formality.
What we learn from this hadith
- A final divorce has serious legal effects in marriage.
- Returning to a first husband after remarriage is not treated as a mere formality.
- The Prophet answered the woman’s question clearly while acknowledging her situation.
- Marriage rulings should be handled according to the stated conditions.
