Hazrat ʿAlī رضي الله عنه, Hazrat Fāṭimah رضي الله عنها, and the Issue of a Second Marriage – Sharʿī Clarification
Source: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil – Nikāḥ ke Masāʾil, Volume 1, Page 313
A narration in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī mentions that Hazrat ʿAlī رضي الله عنه intended to marry Hazrat Juwayriyyah رضي الله عنها (the daughter of Abū Jahl) during the lifetime of Hazrat Fāṭimah رضي الله عنها. When Hazrat Fāṭimah came to know of this, she complained to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ forbade Hazrat ʿAlī رضي الله عنه from this marriage and said that a second marriage was not possible while Fāṭimah رضي الله عنها was alive.
Some object to this, saying: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself had eleven or twelve wives, yet he could not tolerate a co-wife for his daughter. The Qurʾān allows every Muslim up to four wives. According to these critics, either the ḥadīth is fabricated or (God forbid) the Prophet ﷺ was not just. Since the Prophet ﷺ’s truthfulness and honesty were acknowledged even by his enemies, they argue that the narration itself must be false. Is this objection valid?
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Baʿd!
This narration is authentic and agreed upon. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the epitome of justice and fairness. The objections raised are based solely on misunderstanding and lack of knowledge. For clarity, consider the following example:
Suppose a man has four wives. His son-in-law, who has only one wife, intends to marry the man’s sister (his wife’s paternal aunt). The father-in-law says to his son-in-law: If you wish to marry my sister, then first divorce my daughter.
The son-in-law and his companions object:
✿ You yourself have four wives.
✿ The Qurʾān has permitted up to four marriages.
✿ You cannot tolerate a co-wife for your daughter?
Though this objection seems valid at first glance, in reality it is baseless and unreasonable, because the true reason for the father-in-law’s refusal is:
According to Sharīʿah, it is unlawful to combine an aunt and her niece in one marriage.
On this principle, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade Hazrat ʿAlī رضي الله عنه from marrying Hazrat Juwayriyyah bint Abī Jahl رضي الله عنها. The reason was not that the Prophet ﷺ could not tolerate a co-wife for his daughter, but rather:
✿ Hazrat Fāṭimah رضي الله عنها was the daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
✿ Hazrat Juwayriyyah رضي الله عنها was the daughter of the enemy of Allah (Abū Jahl).
It was impermissible in Sharīʿah to unite the daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the daughter of the enemy of Allah in the same marriage.
This explanation is found in the very same narration of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, where the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«اِنِّیْ لَسْتُ اُحَرِّمُ حَلاَلاً ، وَلاَ اُحِلُّ حَرَامًا ، وَلٰکِنْ وَاﷲِ لاَ تَجْتَمِعُ بِنْتُ رَسُوْلِ اﷲِ وَبِنْتُ عَدُوِّ اﷲِ اَبَدًا»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Vol. 1, Kitāb al-Jihād, Bāb: Dhikr Min Darʿ al-Nabī ﷺ wa ʿAṣāh wa Sayfih, p. 438)
Translation:
“I do not make the lawful unlawful, nor the unlawful lawful. But by Allah! The daughter of the Messenger of Allah and the daughter of the enemy of Allah will never be joined together.”
Hence, there is nothing false or unjust in this narration. The ruling of the Prophet ﷺ was fully in accordance with Sharīʿah. The objections of critics are invalid, stemming only from ignorance of Sharīʿah principles.
ھذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
Source: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil – Nikāḥ ke Masāʾil, Volume 1, Page 313
Question:
A narration in Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī mentions that Hazrat ʿAlī رضي الله عنه intended to marry Hazrat Juwayriyyah رضي الله عنها (the daughter of Abū Jahl) during the lifetime of Hazrat Fāṭimah رضي الله عنها. When Hazrat Fāṭimah came to know of this, she complained to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ forbade Hazrat ʿAlī رضي الله عنه from this marriage and said that a second marriage was not possible while Fāṭimah رضي الله عنها was alive.
Some object to this, saying: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself had eleven or twelve wives, yet he could not tolerate a co-wife for his daughter. The Qurʾān allows every Muslim up to four wives. According to these critics, either the ḥadīth is fabricated or (God forbid) the Prophet ﷺ was not just. Since the Prophet ﷺ’s truthfulness and honesty were acknowledged even by his enemies, they argue that the narration itself must be false. Is this objection valid?
Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, Ammā Baʿd!
This narration is authentic and agreed upon. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was the epitome of justice and fairness. The objections raised are based solely on misunderstanding and lack of knowledge. For clarity, consider the following example:
A Simple Example:
Suppose a man has four wives. His son-in-law, who has only one wife, intends to marry the man’s sister (his wife’s paternal aunt). The father-in-law says to his son-in-law: If you wish to marry my sister, then first divorce my daughter.
The son-in-law and his companions object:
✿ You yourself have four wives.
✿ The Qurʾān has permitted up to four marriages.
✿ You cannot tolerate a co-wife for your daughter?
Though this objection seems valid at first glance, in reality it is baseless and unreasonable, because the true reason for the father-in-law’s refusal is:
According to Sharīʿah, it is unlawful to combine an aunt and her niece in one marriage. The Real Matter:
On this principle, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade Hazrat ʿAlī رضي الله عنه from marrying Hazrat Juwayriyyah bint Abī Jahl رضي الله عنها. The reason was not that the Prophet ﷺ could not tolerate a co-wife for his daughter, but rather:
✿ Hazrat Fāṭimah رضي الله عنها was the daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
✿ Hazrat Juwayriyyah رضي الله عنها was the daughter of the enemy of Allah (Abū Jahl).
It was impermissible in Sharīʿah to unite the daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and the daughter of the enemy of Allah in the same marriage.
Clear Text of the Ḥadīth:
This explanation is found in the very same narration of Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, where the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«اِنِّیْ لَسْتُ اُحَرِّمُ حَلاَلاً ، وَلاَ اُحِلُّ حَرَامًا ، وَلٰکِنْ وَاﷲِ لاَ تَجْتَمِعُ بِنْتُ رَسُوْلِ اﷲِ وَبِنْتُ عَدُوِّ اﷲِ اَبَدًا»
(Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Vol. 1, Kitāb al-Jihād, Bāb: Dhikr Min Darʿ al-Nabī ﷺ wa ʿAṣāh wa Sayfih, p. 438)
Translation:
“I do not make the lawful unlawful, nor the unlawful lawful. But by Allah! The daughter of the Messenger of Allah and the daughter of the enemy of Allah will never be joined together.”
Conclusion:
Hence, there is nothing false or unjust in this narration. The ruling of the Prophet ﷺ was fully in accordance with Sharīʿah. The objections of critics are invalid, stemming only from ignorance of Sharīʿah principles.
ھذا ما عندي، والله أعلم بالصواب
