ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb’s Ruling on the Duration of a Mujāhid Husband’s Absence
Source: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah (Tawḍīḥ al-Aḥkām), Vol. 2, p. 210
A well-known incident from the time of ʿUmar رضي الله عنه is narrated: He once passed by a house and heard a woman reciting poetry expressing longing for her absent husband who had gone for jihād. She said that if it were not for the fear of Allah, another man would have been in her bed. Hearing this, ʿUmar رضي الله عنه went to his daughter Ḥafṣah رضي الله عنها and asked: “How long can a woman remain without her husband?” She replied: “Two months, or at most four.” ʿUmar رضي الله عنه then issued a ruling that no mujāhid should remain away from home for more than four months without leave to fulfill his marital obligations.
Is this incident authentic? And in today’s time, when some mujāhids or members of Tablīghī Jamāʿat travel for a year or more, are they neglecting these rights? Also, please provide references.
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
However, each individual chain is weak.
Based on al-Bayhaqī’s ḥasan narration, the meaning derived is:
Those who travel for long durations in daʿwah or other religious work should not neglect the rights of their wives and must ensure their marital responsibilities are fulfilled.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
Source: Fatāwā ʿIlmiyyah (Tawḍīḥ al-Aḥkām), Vol. 2, p. 210
Question:
A well-known incident from the time of ʿUmar رضي الله عنه is narrated: He once passed by a house and heard a woman reciting poetry expressing longing for her absent husband who had gone for jihād. She said that if it were not for the fear of Allah, another man would have been in her bed. Hearing this, ʿUmar رضي الله عنه went to his daughter Ḥafṣah رضي الله عنها and asked: “How long can a woman remain without her husband?” She replied: “Two months, or at most four.” ʿUmar رضي الله عنه then issued a ruling that no mujāhid should remain away from home for more than four months without leave to fulfill his marital obligations.
Is this incident authentic? And in today’s time, when some mujāhids or members of Tablīghī Jamāʿat travel for a year or more, are they neglecting these rights? Also, please provide references.
Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
Narration Details and Authenticity Check:
- Ibn Kathīr narrated this athar from Muwaṭṭaʾ Imām Mālik via ʿAmr ibn Dīnār → ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه:
(Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr, 1/541, Sūrah al-Baqarah: 227)
However, it is not found in the Muwaṭṭaʾ, and ʿAmr ibn Dīnār did not meet ʿUmar رضي الله عنه (Tuhfat al-Ashrāf, 8/94, Ḥadīth 10613).
Narration in al-Bayhaqī:
- Al-Bayhaqī narrated in al-Sunan al-Kubrā through Ismāʿīl ibn Abī Uways → Mālik → ʿAbdullāh ibn Dīnār → Ibn ʿUmar:
ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه went out one night and heard a woman saying words of longing for her absent husband. He asked Ḥafṣah رضي الله عنها how long a woman could endure without her husband. She said: “Four to six months.” ʿUmar رضي الله عنه then said: “I will not keep my soldiers away from home for longer than this.”
(al-Sunan al-Kubrā, 9/29)
Presence in Other Works:
- Also mentioned in Tafsīr Ibn Kathīr (1/541)
- Muṣannaf ʿAbd al-Razzāq (1/150–151, Ḥadīth 12593, 12594)
- al-Muḥallā by Ibn Ḥazm (10/40, Masʾalah 886)
However, each individual chain is weak.
Preferred Research:
- Since all individual isnāds are weak, the stronger conclusion is that the specific incident is not firmly established.
- But due to the general reliability of Ismāʿīl ibn Abī Uways (as authenticated by the majority), al-Bayhaqī’s narration is ḥasan in meaning.
Conclusion:
Based on al-Bayhaqī’s ḥasan narration, the meaning derived is:
- ʿUmar ibn al-Khaṭṭāb رضي الله عنه, upon hearing the woman’s poetry, recognized her emotional and marital needs.
- After consulting Ḥafṣah رضي الله عنها, he set the guideline that a mujāhid husband should not remain away for more than four to six months.
Practical Lesson for Today:
Those who travel for long durations in daʿwah or other religious work should not neglect the rights of their wives and must ensure their marital responsibilities are fulfilled.
ھذا ما عندي والله أعلم بالصواب
