27/34. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 3465 — Keep Her or Divorce Her
What Was Narrated Concerning Khul'
Hadith About Keeping a Wife or Divorcing Her
Sunan an-Nasai : 3465
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3465
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا النَّضْرُ بْنُ شُمَيْلٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا هَارُونُ بْنُ رِئَابٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ عُمَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ رَجُلاً، قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ تَحْتِي امْرَأَةً لاَ تَرُدُّ يَدَ لاَمِسٍ قَالَ " طَلِّقْهَا " . قَالَ إِنِّي لاَ أَصْبِرُ عَنْهَا . قَالَ " فَأَمْسِكْهَا " . قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ هَذَا خَطَأٌ وَالصَّوَابُ مُرْسَلٌ .
It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that a man said: "O Messenger of Allah, I have a wife who does not object if anyone touches her." He said: "Divorce her." He said: "I cannot live without her." He said: "Then keep her."
[1] He explains in Al-Kubra , that this particular chain going through Hammad bin Salamah has a mistake in it, in that others narrated it from him, without the mention of Ibn 'Abbâs.Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3465In-book reference : Book 27, Hadith 77English translation : Vol. 4, Book 27, Hadith 3495
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3465
This hadith about marriage and divorce is similar in meaning to the previous report. A man told the Messenger of Allah that he had a wife who did not object if anyone touched her. The Prophet said, "Divorce her." The man replied, "I cannot live without her." The Prophet then said, "Then keep her." The narration also includes Abu Abdur-Rahman’s note: "This is a mistake, and the correct view is that it is Mursal." That note is important because it shows careful hadith reporting. The text gives us the man’s complaint, the Prophet’s first answer, the man’s emotional difficulty, and the final reply. It does not give room for adding extra facts about the wife or the household.
What we learn from this hadith
- Serious marital concerns were taken to the Prophet for guidance.
- The man was first told to divorce her, then told to keep her when he said he could not bear separation.
- The narration includes a report-quality note that should be preserved.
- Readers should avoid adding claims not found in the text.
