27/35. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 3466 — The Case of Uwaimir and Li'an
The Beginning Of Al-Li'an (The Curse)
Hadith About Li'an and Marital Accusation
Sunan an-Nasai : 3466
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3466
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَعْمَرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو دَاوُدَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، وَإِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ عَدِيٍّ، قَالَ جَاءَنِي عُوَيْمِرٌ - رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي الْعَجْلاَنِ - فَقَالَ أَىْ عَاصِمُ أَرَأَيْتُمْ رَجُلاً رَأَى مَعَ امْرَأَتِهِ رَجُلاً أَيَقْتُلُهُ فَتَقْتُلُونَهُ أَمْ كَيْفَ يَفْعَلُ يَا عَاصِمُ سَلْ لِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . فَسَأَلَ عَاصِمٌ عَنْ ذَلِكَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَعَابَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَسَائِلَ وَكَرِهَهَا . فَجَاءَهُ عُوَيْمِرٌ فَقَالَ مَا صَنَعْتَ يَا عَاصِمُ فَقَالَ صَنَعْتُ أَنَّكَ لَمْ تَأْتِنِي بِخَيْرٍ كَرِهَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْمَسَائِلَ وَعَابَهَا . قَالَ عُوَيْمِرٌ وَاللَّهِ لأَسْأَلَنَّ عَنْ ذَلِكَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . فَانْطَلَقَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَسَأَلَهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " قَدْ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ فِيكَ وَفِي صَاحِبَتِكَ فَائْتِ بِهَا " . قَالَ سَهْلٌ وَأَنَا مَعَ النَّاسِ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَجَاءَ بِهَا فَتَلاَعَنَا فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهِ لَئِنْ أَمْسَكْتُهَا لَقَدْ كَذَبْتُ عَلَيْهَا . فَفَارَقَهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْمُرَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِفِرَاقِهَا فَصَارَتْ سُنَّةَ الْمُتَلاَعِنَيْنِ .
'Asim bin 'Adiyy Narrated from:
Uwaimir, a man from Banu 'Ajlan, came and said: 'O 'Asim, what do you think if a man sees another man with his wife, should he kill him and be killed in retaliation, or what should he do? O 'Asim, ask the Messenger of Allah about that for me.'" So 'Asim asked the Messenger of Allah about that, and the Messenger of Allah disapproved of the question and criticized the asking of too many questions.Then 'Uwaimir came to him and said: "What happened, O 'Asim?" 'Asim said to 'Uwaimir: "What happened?! You have not brought me any good. The Messenger of Allah disapproved of the question I asked." 'Uwaimir said: "By Allah, I will go and ask the Messenger of Allah." So he went to the Messenger of Allah and asked him. The Messenger of Allah said: "Allah the Mighty and Sublime has revealed (something) concerning you and your wife, so bring her here."Sahl said: "I was among the people in the presence of the Messenger of Allah and he brought her and they engaged in the procedure of Li'an. He said: 'O Messenger of Allah, by Allah! If I keep her I would have been telling lies about her.' So he parted from her before the Messenger of Allah told him to separate from her, and that became the way of Li'an."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3466In-book reference : Book 27, Hadith 78English translation : Vol. 4, Book 27, Hadith 3496
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3466
This hadith about Li'an tells the case of Uwaimir from Banu Ajlan. He asked what a man should do if he sees another man with his wife. The question first came through Asim, and the Messenger of Allah disliked the asking of too many questions. Uwaimir then came himself and asked. The Prophet said that Allah had revealed something concerning him and his wife, and told him to bring her. They then completed the procedure of Li'an in the Prophet’s presence. Uwaimir said that if he kept her, he would be lying about her, so he parted from her before being told to separate. The narration ends by saying that this became the way of the people who engage in Li'an.
What we learn from this hadith
- Serious accusations in marriage are not handled through anger or violence.
- The case was taken to the Messenger of Allah for judgment.
- Li'an was carried out in public legal form, not as private revenge.
- The narration says separation became the way of those who engage in Li'an.
