Khawlah bint Malik bin Tha'labah (may Allah be pleased with her), wife of Aws bin al-Samit, from whom zihar was declared

Sayyidah Khawlah bint Tha'labah (may Allah be pleased with her), who was married to Sayyiduna Aws bin al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him), the brother of Sayyiduna Ubadah bin al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with him), related: One day he came in to me and spoke to me about something while he was in a somewhat irritable state. I answered him back, so he said: You are to me like the back of my mother. Then he went out and sat down, then called out to his people, then came back to me and wanted to satisfy his desire with me. I refused him; he struggled with me and I struggled with him, and I overpowered him the way a woman overpowers a weak man. I said: No, by the One in whose hand is the soul of Khuwaylah! You will not reach her until Allah judges concerning me and you. Then I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to complain to him of what I had suffered from him. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "He is your husband and your cousin, so fear Allah." Then Allah Almighty revealed this verse: "Allah has indeed heard the statement of the woman who disputes with you concerning her husband and complains to Allah" [Surah al-Mujadalah: 1], until the expiation was mentioned. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Tell him to free a slave." I said: O Messenger of Allah, by Allah, he has no slave to free. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then let him fast two consecutive months." I said: O Messenger of Allah, he is a very old man; by Allah, he has no strength to fast. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then let him feed sixty poor people." I said: By Allah, O Messenger of Allah, he has nothing with which to feed them. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Rather, we will help him with a basket ('araq) of dates." And the 'araq is a large basket that holds thirty sa'. I said: And I will help him with another basket. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You have done well; tell him to give it in charity."

It is narrated from Sayyidah Khawlah bint al-Samit (may Allah be pleased with her) that her husband was ill. He called her, and she was slow in coming to him, so her husband said to her: If I approach you or have relations with you, you are to me like the back of my mother. So she came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and complained to him (peace and blessings be upon him) about it, but he (peace and blessings be upon him) gave her no answer, because nothing had yet reached him (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding it. Then she came to him again, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came and said (to her husband): "Free a slave." He said: I do not have one. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Fast two consecutive months." He said: I am not able to. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Then feed sixty poor people thirty sa' of food." He said: That is not within my means, unless you help me. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) helped him with fifteen sa', and the people also helped him until it was complete. He said: By Allah, no one is more in need of it than I and my household. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Take it yourself, for yourself and your household."
Imam al-Tabarani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: This is how it was said, Khawlah bint al-Samit, and she is Khawlah bint Tha'labah, the wife of Aws bin al-Samit.