Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 7830

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: In the Days of Ignorance, zihar was that a man would make a woman unlawful (for himself). The first zihar in Islam was done by Sayyiduna Aws bin al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him). His wife was Khuwaylah bint Khuwaylid. He was a weak man, and she was a woman of strong build. When he uttered the words of zihar, he said, "I think you have now become unlawful for me. Go to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); perhaps you will find some way by which the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returns you to me." She went, and he sat by the two edges of the well, waiting for her return. She came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) while a woman was combing the hair of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). She said, "O Messenger of Allah! Because of the weakness of judgement and the helplessness of Sayyiduna Aws bin al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him), which you know about, O Messenger of Allah, he has declared zihar on me. He is the one most deserving of being treated with kindness, but, O Messenger of Allah, he has declared zihar on me, so now I want some way by which I can go back to him, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "O Khuwaylah! We have not been given any command concerning your matter. If we are given a command, I will tell you." The woman had just finished combing one side of the head of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and had begun combing the other side when Allah Almighty began sending down revelation to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When revelation came down to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the colour of his blessed face would change because of it, until he would feel its coolness. When this state ended, his blessed face would become white like a silver bracelet, and then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would speak what he had been commanded in the revelation. The woman who was combing said, "O Khuwaylah! I think revelation is now coming down to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) concerning you." Khuwaylah became anxious and was seized with trembling. Then she said, "O Allah! I seek refuge in You from Your sending down anything but good concerning me, for I sought nothing but good from Your Messenger." When this state of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ended, he said, "O Khuwaylah! Allah Almighty has sent down a ruling concerning you and your husband." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited this verse: "Allah has indeed heard the statement of the woman who was disputing with you concerning her husband and complaining to Allah, and Allah hears the conversation of you both." The verse continues up to: "Then they wish to go back on what they said, then (the expiation is) freeing a slave before the two of them touch one another." She said, "O Messenger of Allah! He has no servant other than me, and I have no servant other than him." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited this verse: "Whoever does not find (the means), then fasting two consecutive months." She said, "By Allah, O Messenger of Allah! If he does not eat twice a day, his eyesight becomes weak." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited this part: "Whoever is not able to do that, then feeding sixty poor people." She said, "By Allah! Today we do not have the means for that." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "Tell him to go to so-and-so and take half a wasq of dates from him, give it in charity to sixty poor people, and then take you back." She says: I came back. When he saw me, he asked, "What happened?" I said, "Good, though you are an unattractive man. You have been commanded to go to so-and-so, take half a wasq from him, give it in charity to sixty poor people, and then take me back." So he went off hurrying and brought the dates back. She says: Yet before this his condition was such that, because of weakness, he could not carry even five sa' of dates on his back. (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: Another hadith about zihar, other than this one, is also reported from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both); Tirmidhi recorded it.
Tabarani recorded it, and al-Bazzar recorded something similar in abridged form. Its chain contains a narrator, Abu Hamzah al-Thumali, and he is da'if (weak).