Book 16: The Book Of Marriage
Overview
The Book of Marriage (Kitab Al-Nikah) in Sahih Muslim serves as a foundational text for Islamic marital jurisprudence and social ethics. The text begins by establishing marriage as a vital Sunnah (prophetic tradition) designed to curb sexual immorality, explicitly rejecting monasticism, celibacy, and castration, as seen in the rebuke of Uthman b. Maz'un. It outlines the parameters of lawful and unlawful marriages, strictly prohibiting the combination of a woman and her aunt in marriage, the practice of Shighar (exchanging daughters without a dower), and proposing to a woman who is already engaged to a fellow Muslim. A significant portion of the text is dedicated to the historical practice and subsequent abrogation of Mut'a (temporary marriage), revealing a progressive restriction of sexual ethics in early Islam. The text also provides detailed accounts of the Prophet Muhammad's own marriages, most notably to Aisha (establishing age precedents), Safiyya (establishing rules for marrying captives of war), and Zainab (which occasioned the Quranic revelation of the Hijab or seclusion). Furthermore, the text delves into the intimate dynamics of marriage, mandating female sexual availability under threat of angelic curses, refuting Jewish superstitions about sexual positions, and permitting 'Azl (coitus interruptus) while maintaining that Allah's sovereign decree over conception cannot be thwarted. Finally, it establishes the strict requirement that a thrice-divorced woman must consummate a new marriage with another man before she can lawfully return to her first husband.
Key Figures
- Muhammad: The Prophet of Islam whose actions, commands, and permissions establish the absolute legal and moral baseline for all marital and sexual ethics in the text.
- Aisha: Wife of Muhammad, whose marriage at age six and consummation at age nine establishes Islamic legal precedents for the marriage of minors; she also serves as a primary narrator for domestic rulings.
- Safiyya bint Huyayy: A Jewish captive from Khaibar whose emancipation served as her dower, establishing precedents for the treatment and marriage of female prisoners of war.
- Zainab bint Jahsh: Wife of Muhammad whose wedding feast led to guests overstaying, prompting the Quranic revelation of the Hijab (seclusion) for the Prophet's wives.
- Uthman b. Maz'un: A companion who desired to live in celibacy and castrate himself, whose rejection by Muhammad established the Islamic prohibition against monasticism.
- Jabir b. Abdullah: A prominent narrator who provides critical historical context on the practice of temporary marriage (Mut'a) and coitus interruptus ('Azl) during the Prophet's lifetime.
- Abu Huraira: A prolific narrator who transmits key prohibitions, including the angelic curse upon wives who refuse their husbands' beds and the prohibition of proposing over a brother.
Doctrines Analyzed
Key theological claims identified in this text:
The Sunnah of Marriage and Rejection of Celibacy
Assertion
Marriage is a mandatory prophetic tradition for those who can afford it, and voluntary celibacy or castration is strictly forbidden as a rejection of the Prophet's way.
Evidence from Text
He who turns away from my Sunnah, he has no relation with Me... The Messengger of Allah (ﷺ) rejected (the idea) of Uthman b. Muz'un living in celibacy
Evangelical Comparison
In this text, Muhammad explicitly condemns those who vow to avoid marriage, meat, or sleep for religious reasons, stating that anyone who turns away from his Sunnah (which includes marriage) has no relation to him. Marriage is viewed as the primary means to control sexual desire, with fasting as the only acceptable alternative for the poor. In stark contrast, Evangelical Christianity, based on the New Testament, holds voluntary singleness and celibacy in high regard. The Apostle Paul explicitly teaches in 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 that the unmarried person is anxious about the things of the Lord, whereas the married person is divided. Jesus Himself speaks of those who make themselves eunuchs (celibate) for the sake of the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:12). While Evangelicalism condemns forced celibacy (1 Timothy 4:3), it views voluntary celibacy as a spiritual gift, whereas Islam views it as a sinful deviation from the prophetic model.
Abrogation of Mut'a (Temporary Marriage)
Assertion
Temporary marriage for a stipulated period in exchange for a dower was initially permitted by Muhammad during military campaigns but was later permanently forbidden until the Day of Resurrection.
Evidence from Text
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) permitted temporary marriage for us... Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) prohibited the contracting of temporary marriage and said: Behold, it is forbidden from this very day of yours to the Day of Resurrection
Evangelical Comparison
The text reveals a progressive revelation or abrogation (Naskh) regarding Mut'a. Early in Muhammad's ministry, men on military expeditions were permitted to contract marriages for a few days in exchange for a garment or flour to relieve sexual frustration. Later, this was permanently outlawed. From an Evangelical perspective, this creates a severe theological friction point regarding the nature of God's moral law. In the Bible, marriage is instituted at creation as a lifelong, one-flesh covenant (Genesis 2:24, Matthew 19:4-6). The idea that God would temporarily sanction what amounts to transactional, short-term sexual contracts (prostitution by biblical definitions) to appease the sexual desires of soldiers contradicts the biblical revelation of God's unchanging holy character (Malachi 3:6) and the purpose of marriage as a reflection of Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:31-32).
Tahlil Marriage (Remarriage after Triple Divorce)
Assertion
If a man divorces his wife with three pronouncements (irrevocable divorce), he cannot remarry her unless she first marries another man and they consummate the marriage.
Evidence from Text
Perhaps you wish to return to Rifa'a, (but you) cannot (do it) until he has tasted your sweetness and you have tasted his sweetness.
Evangelical Comparison
The text describes a scenario where a woman is irrevocably divorced by her husband, marries another man who is sexually impotent, and wishes to return to her first husband. Muhammad rules with a smile that she cannot return to her first husband until she and the second husband have 'tasted each other's sweetness' (consummated the marriage). This doctrine is entirely antithetical to Evangelical biblical law. Deuteronomy 24:1-4 explicitly states that if a divorced woman marries another man, her first husband 'may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the Lord.' What Islam requires as the *only* legal pathway for reconciliation, the Bible condemns as an abomination that brings sin upon the land.
Concubinage and Captive Marriages
Assertion
It is lawful to take female captives of war as sexual partners or wives, and their emancipation can serve as their dower.
Evidence from Text
We went out with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) on the expedition to the Bi'l-Mustaliq and took captive some excellent Arab women; and we desired them... So we decided to have sexual intercourse with them but by observing 'azl
Evangelical Comparison
The text casually details the practice of taking female captives of war for sexual use. In the expedition of Bi'l-Mustaliq, the companions desire the captive women and ask Muhammad about using 'Azl (withdrawal) to prevent pregnancy so they can still sell the women for ransom. Muhammad permits the intercourse, only commenting on the theological nature of conception. Similarly, Safiyya is taken as a captive, traded among men, and then married by Muhammad. Evangelical Christianity views this as a profound violation of human dignity and biblical sexual ethics. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 commands believers to control their own bodies in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles. The biblical standard for sexual intimacy requires a consensual, covenantal marriage, strictly prohibiting the sexual exploitation of prisoners of war.
Divine Sovereignty over Conception ('Azl)
Assertion
While coitus interruptus ('Azl) is permitted, it cannot prevent a soul from being born if Allah has decreed its existence.
Evidence from Text
It does not matter if you do not do it, for every soul that is to be born up to the Day of Resurrection will be born.
Evangelical Comparison
When questioned about 'Azl (withdrawal before emission), Muhammad permits it but emphasizes that human action cannot thwart divine decree. If Allah intends to create a soul, it will be created regardless of the method used to prevent it. Evangelical Christianity shares the foundational belief in God's sovereignty over life and the womb (Psalm 139:13, Jeremiah 1:5). However, the context in which this doctrine is applied in the Hadith—specifically, men trying to avoid impregnating slave girls so they can be sold for ransom, or avoiding making them 'Umm Walad' (mothers of children who cannot be sold)—is morally rejected by Evangelicalism, which views children as a blessing within the covenant of marriage, not a financial liability in a slave economy.
Comparative Analysis
Theological Gap (Summary)
The text presents a transactional, legally rigid view of marriage that includes polygamy, concubinage, and complex divorce laws, fundamentally clashing with the biblical view of marriage as a monogamous, lifelong covenant reflecting Christ and the Church.
Theological Gap (Explained)
The theological gap between this Hadith and Evangelical Christianity regarding marriage is vast and irreconcilable. In Evangelical theology, marriage is a creation ordinance (Genesis 2) elevated to a sacrament-like mystery that typifies the unbreakable, monogamous, self-sacrificial love between Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5). It is a covenant, not merely a contract. In contrast, the Islamic view presented in Sahih Muslim is highly transactional and legally pragmatic. Marriage is validated by a financial transaction (the Mahr/dower). The text normalizes polygamy and the sexual use of female captives of war (concubinage), treating women's bodies as spoils of war or commodities that can be temporarily contracted (Mut'a, before its abrogation). Furthermore, the Islamic law of Tahlil—requiring a thrice-divorced woman to consummate a marriage with a second man before returning to her first husband—is explicitly condemned in the Bible (Deuteronomy 24:1-4) as a defilement and an abomination. Finally, the spiritual weight placed on women, where angels curse a wife who refuses her husband's sexual advances, contrasts sharply with the biblical mandate for mutual submission and the husband's command to love his wife as his own body (1 Corinthians 7:3-4, Ephesians 5:21, 28).
For All Ages
Imagine you make a promise to your best friend that you will be best friends forever, no matter what. That's how the Bible sees marriage—a forever promise between one man and one woman that shows how much Jesus loves His people. But in this book, marriage is more like a contract. A man can have multiple wives, he can have temporary marriages (though they stopped doing that later), and he can even take women captured in war. If a man divorces his wife three times, she has to go marry and sleep with a completely different man before she is allowed to come back to her first husband. For Christians, this breaks the beautiful picture of marriage that God created in the beginning.
Friction Points
Biblical Authority / Sufficiency of Scripture
The text elevates Muhammad's personal habits (Sunnah) to the level of divine mandate, stating that turning from his habits severs one's relationship with him.
Christian Ethics / Sanctification
The text permits (historically) temporary prostitution-like marriages and permanently permits the sexual use of captive women, violating biblical commands for sexual purity and monogamy.
Biblical Law
The Islamic requirement for a thrice-divorced woman to consummate a new marriage before returning to her first husband directly violates Deuteronomy 24:1-4.
Imago Dei (Image of God)
The treatment of women as captives, the requirement of silence as consent for virgins, and the threat of angelic curses for refusing sex diminishes the biblical equality and dignity of women.
Semantic Warnings
Terms that have different meanings between traditions:
"Marriage (Nikah)"
In This Text
A legal contract making sexual intercourse lawful, requiring a dower, which historically included temporary contracts and exists alongside the right to concubinage.
In Evangelicalism
A lifelong, one-flesh covenant between one man and one woman, instituted by God, reflecting the relationship between Christ and the Church.
"Divorce (Talaq)"
In This Text
A pronouncement by the husband that can be done three times irrevocably, requiring the woman to marry and sleep with another man to be lawful to her first husband again.
In Evangelicalism
A tragic severing of the one-flesh union, permitted only in cases of sexual immorality or abandonment, with strict prohibitions against the specific type of remarriage Islam requires.
Soteriology (Salvation)
Salvation Defined: Not explicitly defined in this specific text, but implied as maintaining a right relationship with Allah and His Messenger.
How Attained: By strictly following the Sunnah (traditions) of the Prophet and avoiding forbidden practices.
Basis of Assurance: Assurance is based on behavioral compliance; failure to comply results in divine displeasure or angelic curses.
Comparison to Sola Fide: The text operates entirely on a works-righteousness and legalistic framework. A person's standing before God (and the angels) fluctuates based on daily performance (e.g., a wife's sexual availability), contrasting sharply with the Evangelical doctrine of justification by faith alone, where the believer's standing is secured permanently by Christ's finished work (Romans 8:1).
Mandates & Requirements
Explicit Commands
- Young men who can afford to support a wife must marry.
- Those who cannot afford to marry must fast to control sexual desires.
- A man fascinated by a woman must immediately go to his wife to repel his desires.
- A man must not combine a woman and her father's sister, or a woman and her mother's sister, in marriage.
- A man must not propose marriage to a woman if his brother (fellow Muslim) has already proposed.
- A woman must not ask for her sister's (co-wife's) divorce to take her place.
- A Muhrim (pilgrim in Ihram) must not marry, arrange a marriage, or propose marriage.
- The practice of Shighar (exchanging daughters/sisters without dower) is prohibited.
- A virgin must be consulted before marriage, and her silence constitutes her consent.
- A previously married woman has more right to her person than her guardian.
- A man must look at his prospective bride before marrying her.
- A dower (Mahr) must be paid, even if it is as small as an iron ring or teaching Quranic verses.
- A wedding feast (Walima) must be held, even if only with a sheep.
- Muslims must accept invitations to wedding feasts.
- A thrice-divorced woman cannot return to her first husband until she consummates a marriage with a second husband.
- A specific supplication must be recited before sexual intercourse to protect the child from Satan.
Implicit Obligations
- Absolute obedience to the shifting decrees of the Prophet, even when they abrogate previous permissions (like Mut'a).
- Acceptance of the Prophet's authority to distribute, emancipate, and marry captives of war.
- Maintaining the privacy of the marital bed; divulging sexual secrets is considered a severe breach of trust.
Ritual Requirements
- Reciting 'Bismillah' and a specific prayer against Satan before sexual intercourse.
- Observing the state of Ihram, which temporarily suspends the right to contract marriages.
- The hosting of a Walima (wedding feast) to publicly validate the marriage.
Evangelism Toolkit
Practical tools for engagement and dialogue:
Discovery Questions
Open-ended questions to promote reflection:
- I noticed the text mentions that temporary marriage was once permitted but later forbidden. How do you understand God's moral law changing over time regarding something as fundamental as marriage?
- The Hadith describes the rule where a divorced woman must marry and sleep with another man before she can return to her first husband. How does this impact the emotional and spiritual well-being of the woman?
- When reading about the angels cursing a wife who refuses her husband, how does that shape your view of God's grace versus His demand for performance?
- I see there are differing accounts in the text about whether the Prophet was in Ihram when he married Maimuna. How do scholars reconcile these different memories from the companions?
Redemptive Analogies
Bridges from this text to the Gospel:
The Wedding Feast (Walima) and the Invitation
Jesus also used the imagery of a wedding feast to describe the Kingdom of God. In Luke 14:13-14, Jesus commands inviting the poor, the crippled, and the blind to feasts. Ultimately, the Gospel is an invitation to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9), where Christ invites all who are spiritually poor to be united with Him.
Emancipation as a Dower
This concept of purchasing freedom to bring someone into a covenant relationship mirrors the Gospel. Christ paid the ultimate 'dower'—His own blood—to emancipate us from the slavery of sin so that we could become His Bride, the Church.
Spiritual Weight
Burdens this text places on adherents:
The text places a heavy burden on believers to perfectly emulate the Prophet's specific actions. The threat that 'he who turns away from my Sunnah has no relation with Me' creates a spiritual environment where acceptance by God is constantly contingent on behavioral conformity to 7th-century Arabian cultural norms.
The transactional nature of marriage (dower for sexual access), the historical use of temporary marriages, and the taking of captive women places a severe emotional burden on women, reducing their dignity to their sexual utility and reproductive capacity.
The explicit teaching that angels curse a woman all night if she refuses her husband's bed weaponizes the spiritual realm against women, using the fear of divine wrath to enforce sexual compliance.