Mukhtasar Muslim

Sahl bin Sa’d Sa’idi (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that a woman came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allah! I have come to offer myself to you (as a wife).” (This refers to the verse: “If a believing woman offers herself to the Prophet, and the Prophet wishes to marry her, this is only for you and not for the (rest of) believers.” And from this, the permissibility of such a gift is established only for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). (Al-Ahzab: 50)) Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) looked at her from top to bottom and then lowered his blessed head. When the woman saw that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had not made any decision regarding her, she sat down. Then a companion stood up and said, “O Messenger of Allah! If you have no need of her, then marry her to me.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Do you have anything (to give as a dowry)?” He replied, “O Messenger of Allah! By Allah, I have nothing.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Go to your family and see if you can find something.” He went and returned and said, “By Allah, I found nothing.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said again, “Go and look, even if it is an iron ring.” He went and returned and said, “By Allah, O Messenger of Allah! Not even an iron ring, but this is my lower garment, I will give half of it to her.” The narrator, Sahl (may Allah be pleased with him), said that the poor man did not even have an upper garment. So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “What will she do with your lower garment? If you wear it, she will have nothing of it, and if she wears it, you will have nothing of it.” Then that man (disappointed) sat down, and after sitting for a long time, he stood up. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saw him turning away, he ordered him to be called. When he came, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Do you know any part of the Qur’an?” He said, “I know such and such surahs,” and he counted them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked, “Can you recite them by heart?” He replied, “Yes.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Go, I have married her to you in exchange for the Qur’an you know (i.e., teach her these surahs, this will be your dowry).”