Sunan Abi Dawud: Book 31, Hadith 6
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu’minin: Juwayriyyah, daughter of al-Harith ibn al-Mustaliq, fell to the lot of Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas, or to her cousin. She entered into an agreement to purchase her freedom. She was a very beautiful woman, most attractive to the eye. Aisha said: She then came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) asking him for the purchase of her freedom. When she was standing at the door, I looked at her with disapproval. I realised that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) would look at her in the same way that I had looked. She said: Messenger of Allah, I am Juwayriyyah, daughter of al-Harith, and something has happened to me, which is not hidden from you. I have fallen to the lot of Thabit ibn Qays ibn Shammas, and I have entered into an agreement to purchase of my freedom. I have come to you to seek assistance for the purchase of my freedom. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Are you inclined to that which is better? She asked: What is that, Messenger of Allah? He replied: I shall pay the price of your freedom on your behalf, and I shall marry you. She said: I shall do this. She (Aisha) said: The people then heard that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had married Juwayriyyah. They released the captives in their possession and set them free, and said: They are the relatives of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) by marriage. We did not see any woman greater than Juwayriyyah who brought blessings to her people. One hundred families of Banu al-Mustaliq were set free on account of her. Abu dawud said: This evidence shows that a Muslim ruler may marry a slave woman himself.
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ يَحْيَى أَبُو الأَصْبَغِ الْحَرَّانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدٌ، – يَعْنِي ابْنَ سَلَمَةَ – عَنِ ابْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، – رضى الله عنها – قَالَتْ وَقَعَتْ جُوَيْرِيَةُ بِنْتُ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْمُصْطَلِقِ فِي سَهْمِ ثَابِتِ بْنِ قَيْسِ بْنِ شَمَّاسٍ أَوِ ابْنِ عَمٍّ لَهُ فَكَاتَبَتْ عَلَى نَفْسِهَا وَكَانَتِ امْرَأَةً مَلاَّحَةً تَأْخُذُهَا الْعَيْنُ – قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ رضى الله عنها – فَجَاءَتْ تَسْأَلُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي كِتَابَتِهَا فَلَمَّا قَامَتْ عَلَى الْبَابِ فَرَأَيْتُهَا كَرِهْتُ مَكَانَهَا وَعَرَفْتُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَيَرَى مِنْهَا مِثْلَ الَّذِي رَأَيْتُ فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَنَا جُوَيْرِيَةُ بِنْتُ الْحَارِثِ وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ مِنْ أَمْرِي مَا لاَ يَخْفَى عَلَيْكَ وَإِنِّي وَقَعْتُ فِي سَهْمِ ثَابِتِ بْنِ قَيْسِ بْنِ شَمَّاسٍ وَإِنِّي كَاتَبْتُ عَلَى نَفْسِي فَجِئْتُكَ أَسْأَلُكَ فِي كِتَابَتِي فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” فَهَلْ لَكِ إِلَى مَا هُوَ خَيْرٌ مِنْهُ ” . قَالَتْ وَمَا هُوَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ ” أُؤَدِّي عَنْكِ كِتَابَتَكِ وَأَتَزَوَّجُكِ ” . قَالَتْ قَدْ فَعَلْتُ قَالَتْ فَتَسَامَعَ – تَعْنِي النَّاسَ – أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَدْ تَزَوَّجَ جُوَيْرِيَةَ فَأَرْسَلُوا مَا فِي أَيْدِيهِمْ مِنَ السَّبْىِ فَأَعْتَقُوهُمْ وَقَالُوا أَصْهَارُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَمَا رَأَيْنَا امْرَأَةً كَانَتْ أَعْظَمَ بَرَكَةً عَلَى قَوْمِهَا مِنْهَا أُعْتِقَ فِي سَبَبِهَا مِائَةُ أَهْلِ بَيْتٍ مِنْ بَنِي الْمُصْطَلِقِ . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ هَذَا حُجَّةٌ فِي أَنَّ الْوَلِيَّ هُوَ يُزَوِّجُ نَفْسَهُ .
Sunan Abi Dawud: Book 31, Hadith 6
This hadith is from the Sunan Abi Dawud collection of hadiths. What truly distinguishes Sunan Abi Dawud among its peers is its compiler’s advanced critical scholarship. Abu Dawud was not merely a collector but a rigorous evaluator. He applied a discerning methodology to vet the authenticity of each narration, frequently providing his own notes on the strength or weakness of the hadiths included. While he prioritized sound (sahih) and reliable reports for legal derivation, he sometimes included less robust narrations to illustrate scholarly points. This transparent and critical approach is a primary reason for the collection’s esteemed and highly authoritative status within the Islamic sciences.
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For more Hadith in Book 31: The Book of Manumission of Slaves