Sahih Muslim #3628
The Book of Invoking Curses
The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَعُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لِزُهَيْرٍ - قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ الآخَرَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ إِنَّا لَيْلَةَ الْجُمُعَةِ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ إِذْ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ فَقَالَ لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلاً وَجَدَ مَعَ امْرَأَتِهِ رَجُلاً فَتَكَلَّمَ جَلَدْتُمُوهُ أَوْ قَتَلَ قَتَلْتُمُوهُ وَإِنْ سَكَتَ سَكَتَ عَلَى غَيْظٍ وَاللَّهِ لأَسْأَلَنَّ عَنْهُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . فَلَمَّا كَانَ مِنَ الْغَدِ أَتَى رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَسَأَلَهُ فَقَالَ لَوْ أَنَّ رَجُلاً وَجَدَ مَعَ امْرَأَتِهِ رَجُلاً فَتَكَلَّمَ جَلَدْتُمُوهُ أَوْ قَتَلَ قَتَلْتُمُوهُ أَوْ سَكَتَ سَكَتَ عَلَى غَيْظٍ . فَقَالَ " اللَّهُمَّ افْتَحْ " . وَجَعَلَ يَدْعُو فَنَزَلَتْ آيَةُ اللِّعَانِ { وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَاجَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ شُهَدَاءُ إِلاَّ أَنْفُسُهُمْ} هَذِهِ الآيَاتُ فَابْتُلِيَ بِهِ ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْ بَيْنِ النَّاسِ فَجَاءَ هُوَ وَامْرَأَتُهُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَتَلاَعَنَا فَشَهِدَ الرَّجُلُ أَرْبَعَ شَهَادَاتٍ بِاللَّهِ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ ثُمَّ لَعَنَ الْخَامِسَةَ أَنَّ لَعْنَةَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ كَانَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ فَذَهَبَتْ لِتَلْعَنَ فَقَالَ لَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَهْ " . فَأَبَتْ فَلَعَنَتْ فَلَمَّا أَدْبَرَا قَالَ " لَعَلَّهَا أَنْ تَجِيءَ بِهِ أَسْوَدَ جَعْدًا " . فَجَاءَتْ بِهِ أَسْوَدَ جَعْدًا.
We were on the night of Friday staying in the mosque when a person from the Ansar came there and said: If a person finds hiswoman along with a man, and he speaks about it, you would lash him, and if he kills, you will kill him, and if he keeps quiet he shall have to consume anger. By Allah, I will definitely ask about him from Allah's Mescenger (ﷺ). On the following day he came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and asked him thus: If a man were to find with his wife a man and if he were to talk about it, you would lash him; and if he killed, you would kill him, and if he were to keep quiet. he would consume anger, whereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Allah, solve (this problem), and he began to supplicate (before Him), and then the verses pertaining to li'an were revealed:" Those who accuse their wives and have no witnesses except themselves" (xxiv. 6). The person was then put to test according to these verses in the presence of the people. There came he and his wife in the presence of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), and they invoked curses (in order to testify their claim). The man swore four times in the name of Allah that he was one of the truthful and then invoked curse for the fifth time saying: Let there be curse of Allah upon him if he were among the liars. Then she began to invoke curse. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said to her: just wait (and curse after considering over it), but she refused and invoked curse and when she turned away, he (Allah's Apostle) said: It seems that this woman shall give birth to a curly-haired black child, And so she did gave birth to a curly-haired black child.
Narrated by 'Abdullah reported:
Context
This hadith recounts a scenario where a man seeks guidance from the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) regarding the appropriate response if he finds his wife with another man. The Prophet's response leads to the revelation of the verses on li'an, which provide a structured way to address accusations of infidelity, emphasizing justice and accountability in marital relationships.
Modern Application
Today, this principle can be applied to discussions about trust and communication in relationships. It highlights the need for clear guidelines and understanding in addressing sensitive issues, promoting a fair approach to conflict resolution.
Topics
This hadith is tagged with Marriage and Punishments (Hudud) because it deals with the serious implications of infidelity and the prescribed legal recourse for such accusations within a marital context.
Related Ayahs
سُورَةُ النُّورِ
An-Noor (The Light)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
3 ayahs
ٱلزَّانِيَةُ وَٱلزَّانِى فَٱجْلِدُوا۟ كُلَّ وَٰحِدٍۢ مِّنْهُمَا مِا۟ئَةَ جَلْدَةٍۢ ۖ وَلَا تَأْخُذْكُم بِهِمَا رَأْفَةٌۭ فِى دِينِ ٱللَّهِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ ۖ وَلْيَشْهَدْ عَذَابَهُمَا طَآئِفَةٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
The [unmarried] woman or [unmarried] man found guilty of sexual intercourse - lash each one of them with a hundred lashes, and do not be taken by pity for them in the religion of Allah, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. And let a group of the believers witness their punishment.
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَٰجَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُمْ شُهَدَآءُ إِلَّآ أَنفُسُهُمْ فَشَهَٰدَةُ أَحَدِهِمْ أَرْبَعُ شَهَٰدَٰتٍۭ بِٱللَّهِ ۙ إِنَّهُۥ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ
And those who accuse their wives [of adultery] and have no witnesses except themselves - then the witness of one of them [shall be] four testimonies [swearing] by Allah that indeed, he is of the truthful.
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ ٱلْمُحْصَنَٰتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَأْتُوا۟ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَآءَ فَٱجْلِدُوهُمْ ثَمَٰنِينَ جَلْدَةًۭ وَلَا تَقْبَلُوا۟ لَهُمْ شَهَٰدَةً أَبَدًۭا ۚ وَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْفَٰسِقُونَ
And those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses - lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from them testimony ever after. And those are the defiantly disobedient,
سُورَةُ النِّسَاءِ
An-Nisaa (The Women)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
وَٱلَّٰتِى يَأْتِينَ ٱلْفَٰحِشَةَ مِن نِّسَآئِكُمْ فَٱسْتَشْهِدُوا۟ عَلَيْهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةًۭ مِّنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن شَهِدُوا۟ فَأَمْسِكُوهُنَّ فِى ٱلْبُيُوتِ حَتَّىٰ يَتَوَفَّىٰهُنَّ ٱلْمَوْتُ أَوْ يَجْعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لَهُنَّ سَبِيلًۭا
Those who commit unlawful sexual intercourse of your women - bring against them four [witnesses] from among you. And if they testify, confine the guilty women to houses until death takes them or Allah ordains for them [another] way.
سُورَةُ يُوسُفَ
Yusuf (Joseph)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
وَٱسْتَبَقَا ٱلْبَابَ وَقَدَّتْ قَمِيصَهُۥ مِن دُبُرٍۢ وَأَلْفَيَا سَيِّدَهَا لَدَا ٱلْبَابِ ۚ قَالَتْ مَا جَزَآءُ مَنْ أَرَادَ بِأَهْلِكَ سُوٓءًا إِلَّآ أَن يُسْجَنَ أَوْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ
And they both raced to the door, and she tore his shirt from the back, and they found her husband at the door. She said, "What is the recompense of one who intended evil for your wife but that he be imprisoned or a painful punishment?"
Common Words
107 total92 unique13 repeated
من4x
جلدة2x
ولا2x
فى2x
ٱلله2x
بٱلله2x
أو2x
وٱلذين2x
يرمون2x
لهم2x
شهداء2x
إلا2x
ٱلباب2x
ٱلزانية1x
وٱلزانى1x
فٱجلدوا1x
كل1x
وحد1x
منهما1x
مائة1x
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About Sahih Muslim
This hadith is #3628 from Sahih Muslim, in the Book of The Book of Invoking Curses. It is graded Sahih and narrated by 'Abdullah reported:.