Sunan Abu Dawud #2255
Divorce (Kitab Al-Talaq)
The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ، أَخْبَرَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ حَسَّانَ، حَدَّثَنِي عِكْرِمَةُ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ هِلاَلَ بْنَ أُمَيَّةَ، قَذَفَ امْرَأَتَهُ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِشَرِيكِ بْنِ سَحْمَاءَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " الْبَيِّنَةَ أَوْ حَدٌّ فِي ظَهْرِكَ " . قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِذَا رَأَى أَحَدُنَا رَجُلاً عَلَى امْرَأَتِهِ يَلْتَمِسُ الْبَيِّنَةَ فَجَعَلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " الْبَيِّنَةَ وَإِلاَّ فَحَدٌّ فِي ظَهْرِكَ " . فَقَالَ هِلاَلٌ وَالَّذِي بَعَثَكَ بِالْحَقِّ نَبِيًّا إِنِّي لَصَادِقٌ وَلَيُنْزِلَنَّ اللَّهُ فِي أَمْرِي مَا يُبَرِّئُ ظَهْرِي مِنَ الْحَدِّ فَنَزَلَتْ { وَالَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ أَزْوَاجَهُمْ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ شُهَدَاءُ إِلاَّ أَنْفُسُهُمْ } فَقَرَأَ حَتَّى بَلَغَ { مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ } فَانْصَرَفَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِمَا فَجَاءَا فَقَامَ هِلاَلُ بْنُ أُمَيَّةَ فَشَهِدَ وَالنَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " اللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّ أَحَدَكُمَا كَاذِبٌ فَهَلْ مِنْكُمَا مِنْ تَائِبٍ " . ثُمَّ قَامَتْ فَشَهِدَتْ فَلَمَّا كَانَ عِنْدَ الْخَامِسَةِ أَنَّ غَضَبَ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا إِنْ كَانَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ وَقَالُوا لَهَا إِنَّهَا مُوجِبَةٌ . قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَتَلَكَّأَتْ وَنَكَصَتْ حَتَّى ظَنَنَّا أَنَّهَا سَتَرْجِعُ فَقَالَتْ لاَ أَفْضَحُ قَوْمِي سَائِرَ الْيَوْمِ . فَمَضَتْ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " أَبْصِرُوهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَتْ بِهِ أَكْحَلَ الْعَيْنَيْنِ سَابِغَ الأَلْيَتَيْنِ خَدَلَّجَ السَّاقَيْنِ فَهُوَ لِشَرِيكِ بْنِ سَحْمَاءَ " . فَجَاءَتْ بِهِ كَذَلِكَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " لَوْلاَ مَا مَضَى مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ لَكَانَ لِي وَلَهَا شَأْنٌ " . قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَهَذَا مِمَّا تَفَرَّدَ بِهِ أَهْلُ الْمَدِينَةِ حَدِيثُ ابْنِ بَشَّارٍ حَدِيثُ هِلاَلٍ .
Ibn ‘Abbas said “Hilal bin Umayyah accused his wife in the presence of Prophet (ﷺ) of having committed adultery with Sharik bin Sahma’”. The Prophet (ﷺ) said “Produce evidence or you must receive punishment on your back.” He said “Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) when one of us sees a man having intercourse with his wife should he go and seek evidence?” But the Prophet (ﷺ) merely said “You must produce evidence or you must receive punishment on your back.” Hilal then said “By Him Who sent you with the Truth, I am speaking Truly. May Allaah send down something which will free my back from punishment. Then the following Qur’anic verses were revealed “And those who make charges against their spouses but have no witnesses except themselves” reciting till he reached “one of those who speak the truth”. The Prophet (ﷺ) then returned and sent for them and they came (to him). Hilal bin Umayyah stood up and testified and the Prophet (ﷺ) was saying “Allaah knows that one of you is lying. Will one of you repent?” Then the woman got up and testified, but when she was about to do it a fifth time saying that Allaah’s anger be upon her if he was one of those who spoke the truth, they said to her “this is the deciding one”. Ibn ‘Abbas said “She then hesitated and drew back so that we thought the she would withdraw(what she said) “Look and see whether she gives birth to a child with eyes looking as if they have antimony in them, wide buttocks and fat legs, if she did. Sharik bin Sahma’ will be its father. She then gave birth to a child of a similar description. The Prophet (ﷺ) thereupon said “If it were not for what has already been stated in Allaah’s book I would have dealt severely with her.”
Abu Dawud said “This tradition has been transmitted by the people of Medina alone. They narrated the tradition of Hilal on the authority of Ibn Bashshar.”
Context
In this hadith, Hilal bin Umayyah accuses his wife of adultery, seeking the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ guidance on evidence. The Prophet emphasizes the need for proof or face punishment, highlighting the seriousness of accusations and the importance of justice in marital relationships.
Modern Application
This principle is relevant today as it calls for fairness and accountability in relationships. It encourages individuals to seek evidence before making serious accusations, fostering trust and integrity in partnerships.
Topics
This hadith is tagged with Family and Rights of Women because it addresses the rights of individuals in marriage and the necessity of just treatment in accusations.
Related Ayahs
سُورَةُ النُّورِ
An-Noor (The Light)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
2 ayahs
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 الأَحۡزَابِ
Al-Ahzaab (The Clans)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
يَٰنِسَآءَ ٱلنَّبِىِّ مَن يَأْتِ مِنكُنَّ بِفَٰحِشَةٍۢ مُّبَيِّنَةٍۢ يُضَٰعَفْ لَهَا ٱلْعَذَابُ ضِعْفَيْنِ ۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ يَسِيرًۭا
O wives of the Prophet, whoever of you should commit a clear immorality - for her the punishment would be doubled two fold, and ever is that, for Allah, easy.
سُورَةُ التَّحۡرِيمِ
At-Tahrim (The Prohibition)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
وَإِذْ أَسَرَّ ٱلنَّبِىُّ إِلَىٰ بَعْضِ أَزْوَٰجِهِۦ حَدِيثًۭا فَلَمَّا نَبَّأَتْ بِهِۦ وَأَظْهَرَهُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ عَرَّفَ بَعْضَهُۥ وَأَعْرَضَ عَنۢ بَعْضٍۢ ۖ فَلَمَّا نَبَّأَهَا بِهِۦ قَالَتْ مَنْ أَنۢبَأَكَ هَٰذَا ۖ قَالَ نَبَّأَنِىَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْخَبِيرُ
And [remember] when the Prophet confided to one of his wives a statement; and when she informed [another] of it and Allah showed it to him, he made known part of it and ignored a part. And when he informed her about it, she said, "Who told you this?" He said, "I was informed by the Knowing, the Acquainted."
Common Words
103 total91 unique10 repeated
من3x
ٱلله3x
وٱلذين2x
يرمون2x
لهم2x
شهداء2x
ٱلنبى2x
بعض2x
فلما2x
به2x
أزوجهم1x
ولم1x
يكن1x
إلا1x
أنفسهم1x
فشهدة1x
أحدهم1x
أربع1x
شهدت1x
بٱلله1x
Related Hadiths
About Sunan Abu Dawud
This hadith is #2255 from Sunan Abu Dawud, in the Book of Divorce (Kitab Al-Talaq). It is graded Sahih.