Saheeh Hadeeth Regarding Forced Marriage

The Prophet said:

اسْتَأْمِرُوا النِّسَاءَ فِي أَبْضَاعِهِنَّ

Seek the permission of women with regard to marriage. [1]

There are many instances where the Prophet revoked forced marriages. The following will detail the Saheeh narrations in regard to this.

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، وَمُجَمِّعٍ، ابْنَىْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ جَارِيَةَ عَنْ خَنْسَاءَ بِنْتِ خِذَامٍ الأَنْصَارِيَّةِ، أَنَّ أَبَاهَا، زَوَّجَهَا وَهْىَ ثَيِّبٌ، فَكَرِهَتْ ذَلِكَ فَأَتَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَرَدَّ نِكَاحَهُ‏.‏

Narrated Khansa bint Khidam Al-Ansariya: that her father gave her in marriage when she was a matron and she disliked that marriage. So she went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and he declared that marriage invalid. [2]

أَخْبَرَنَا هَارُونُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَعْنٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ، وَأَنْبَأَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، وَمُجَمِّعِ، ابْنَىْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ جَارِيَةَ الأَنْصَارِيِّ عَنْ خَنْسَاءَ بِنْتِ خِذَامٍ، أَنَّ أَبَاهَا، زَوَّجَهَا وَهِيَ ثَيِّبٌ فَكَرِهَتْ ذَلِكَ فَأَتَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَرَدَّ نِكَاحَهُ ‏.

It was narrated from Khansa' bint Khidham that her father married her off when she had been previously married, and she was unwilling. She went to the Messenger of Allah and he annulled the marriage. [3]

أَخْبَرَنَا زِيَادُ بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ غُرَابٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا كَهْمَسُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ فَتَاةً، دَخَلَتْ عَلَيْهَا فَقَالَتْ إِنَّ أَبِي زَوَّجَنِي ابْنَ أَخِيهِ لِيَرْفَعَ بِي خَسِيسَتَهُ وَأَنَا كَارِهَةٌ ‏.‏ قَالَتِ اجْلِسِي حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَجَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَخْبَرَتْهُ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى أَبِيهَا فَدَعَاهُ فَجَعَلَ الأَمْرَ إِلَيْهَا فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَدْ أَجَزْتُ مَا صَنَعَ أَبِي وَلَكِنْ أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَعْلَمَ أَلِلنِّسَاءِ مِنَ الأَمْرِ شَىْءٌ

It was narrated from 'Aishah: "A girl came to her and said: 'My father married me to his brother's son so that he might raise his own status thereby, and I was unwilling.' She said: 'Sit here until the Prophet comes.' Then the Messenger of Allah came, and I told him (what she had said). He sent word to her father, calling him, and he left the matter up to her. She said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I accept what my father did, but I wanted to know whether women have any say in the matter.'" [4]

حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا حُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرُ بْنُ حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّ جَارِيَةً، بِكْرًا أَتَتِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذَكَرَتْ أَنَّ أَبَاهَا زَوَّجَهَا وَهِيَ كَارِهَةٌ فَخَيَّرَهَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏.‏

Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas: A virgin came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and mentioned that her father had married her against her will, so the Prophet (ﷺ) allowed her to exercise her choice. [5]

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ لَمْ يَذْكُرِ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ وَكَذَلِكَ رَوَاهُ النَّاسُ مُرْسَلاً مَعْرُوفٌ ‏.‏

The above tradition has been transmitted by ‘Ikrimah from the Prophet (ﷺ). Abu Dawud said “He (Muhammad bin ‘Ubaid) did not mention the name of Ibn ‘Abbas in the chain of this tradition. The people have also narrated it mursal (without the mention of the name of Ibn ‘Abbas) in a similar way. Its transmission in the mursal form is well known. [6]

حَدَّثَنَا الْقَعْنَبِيُّ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، وَمُجَمِّعٍ، ابْنَىْ يَزِيدَ الأَنْصَارِيَّيْنِ عَنْ خَنْسَاءَ بِنْتِ خِدَامٍ الأَنْصَارِيَّةِ، أَنَّ أَبَاهَا، زَوَّجَهَا وَهِيَ ثَيِّبٌ فَكَرِهَتْ ذَلِكَ فَجَاءَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذَكَرَتْ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَرَدَّ نِكَاحَهَا ‏.‏

Khansa’ daughter of Khidham al-Ansariyyah reports that when her father married her when she had previously been married and she disapproved of that she went to the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) and mentioned it to him. He (the Prophet) revoked her marriage. [7]

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، أَنَّ الْقَاسِمَ بْنَ مُحَمَّدٍ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَبْدَ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنَ يَزِيدَ وَمُجَمِّعَ بْنَ يَزِيدَ الأَنْصَارِيَّيْنِ أَخْبَرَاهُ أَنَّ رَجُلاً مِنْهُمْ يُدْعَى خِذَامًا أَنْكَحَ ابْنَةً لَهُ فَكَرِهَتْ نِكَاحَ أَبِيهَا فَأَتَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَذَكَرَتْ لَهُ فَرَدَّ عَلَيْهَا نِكَاحَ أَبِيهَا فَنَكَحَتْ أَبَا لُبَابَةَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الْمُنْذِرِ ‏.‏ وَذَكَرَ يَحْيَى أَنَّهَا كَانَتْ ثَيِّبًا ‏.‏

Abdur Rahman bin Yazid Al-Ansari and Mujamma bin Yazid Al-Ansari said: that a man among them who was called Khidam arranged a marriage for his daughter, and she did not like the marriage arranged by her father. She went to the Messenger of Allah and told him about that, and he annulled the marriage arranged by her father. Then she married Abu Lubabah bin Abdul-Mundhir. [8]

حَدَّثَنَا هَنَّادُ بْنُ السَّرِيِّ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ كَهْمَسِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ، عَنِ ابْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ جَاءَتْ فَتَاةٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّ أَبِي زَوَّجَنِي ابْنَ أَخِيهِ لِيَرْفَعَ بِي خَسِيسَتَهُ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَجَعَلَ الأَمْرَ إِلَيْهَا ‏.‏ فَقَالَتْ قَدْ أَجَزْتُ مَا صَنَعَ أَبِي وَلَكِنْ أَرَدْتُ أَنْ تَعْلَمَ النِّسَاءُ أَنْ لَيْسَ إِلَى الآبَاءِ مِنَ الأَمْرِ شَىْءٌ ‏.‏

It was narrated from Ibn Buraidah that: his father said: “A girl came to the Prophet and said: 'My father married married me to his brother's son so that he might raise his status thereby.' The Prophet gave her the choice, and she said: 'I approve of what my father did, but I wanted to know that their fathers have no right to do that.' ” [9]

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو السَّقْرِ، يَحْيَى بْنُ يَزْدَادَ الْعَسْكَرِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْمَرُّوذِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي جَرِيرُ بْنُ حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، ‏.‏ أَنَّ جَارِيَةً، بِكْرًا أَتَتِ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَذَكَرَتْ لَهُ أَنَّ أَبَاهَا زَوَّجَهَا وَهِيَ كَارِهَةٌ ‏.‏ فَخَيَّرَهَا النَّبِيُّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ ‏.

It was narrated from Ibn Abbas that: a virgin girl came to the Prophet and told him that her father arranged a marriage that she did not like, and the Prophet gave her the choice. [10]

وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْقَاسِمِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، وَمُجَمِّعٍ، ابْنَىْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ جَارِيَةَ الأَنْصَارِيِّ عَنْ خَنْسَاءَ بِنْتِ خِدَامٍ الأَنْصَارِيَّةِ، أَنَّ أَبَاهَا، زَوَّجَهَا وَهِيَ ثَيِّبٌ فَكَرِهَتْ ذَلِكَ فَأَتَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَرَدَّ نِكَاحَهُ ‏.‏

Yahya related to me from Malik from Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasim from his father from Abd ar-Rahman and Mujamma the sons of Yazid ibn Jariya al-Ansari from Khansa bint Khidam al-Ansariya that her father gave her in marriage and she had been previously married. She disapproved of that, and went to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he revoked the marriage. [11]

References:

[1] Sunan an-Nasa'i 3266. Sheikh Al-Albani said Saheeh in Saheeh Abi Dawud #1826 & Irwaa' al-Ghaleel #1837.

[2] Sahih al-Bukhari 5138

[3] Sunan an-Nasa'i 3268. Sheikh Al-Albani said Saheeh in Irwaa' al-Ghaleel #1830. 

[4] Sunan an-Nasa'i 3269. Darussalam detailed that this Narration is Saheeh.

[5] Sunan Abi Dawud 2096. Sheikh Al-Albani said Saheeh.

[6] Sunan Abi Dawud 2097. Sheikh Al-Albani said Saheeh.

[7] Sunan Abi Dawud 2101. Sheikh Al-Albani said Saheeh.

[8] Sunan Ibn Majah 1873. Sheikh Al-Albani said Saheeh in Irwaa' al-Ghaleel #1380 & Al-Rawd #423.

[9] Sunan Ibn Maajah, 1874. It was classed as saheeh by al-Buwaysiri in Masaabeeh az-Zujaajah, 2/102. Similarly Shaykh Muqbil al-Waadi‘i stated: (It is) saheeh according to the conditions of Muslim.

[10] Sunan Ibn Majah 1875. Sheikh Al-Albani said Saheeh in Al-Rawd #422.

[11] Maliks Muwatta Book 28, Hadith 25. Saheeh - Also found in Bukhari 5138.