Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (6/402)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

If someone were to ask: What is the evidence that intercourse requires expiation?

The answer is the hadith of Abu Hurayrah, recorded in al-Bukhari and Muslim: “A man came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and said, ‘I am ruined!’ He said, ‘What has ruined you?’ He replied, ‘I had intercourse with my wife in Ramadan while I was fasting.’ The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, asked him, ‘Can you find a slave to emancipate?’ He said, ‘No.’ He asked, ‘Are you able to fast for two consecutive months?’ He said, ‘No.’ He asked, ‘Are you able to feed sixty poor people?’ He said, ‘No.’ Then the man sat down, and some dates were brought to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. He said, ‘Take these and give them in charity.’ The man said, ‘To someone poorer than me, O Messenger of Allah? By Allah, there is no household between its two lava plains poorer than mine.’ The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, laughed, then said, ‘Feed them to your family.’” (1) So he returned to his family with dates.

If someone were to ask: What is the evidence that expiation is also obligatory upon the woman, when the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, did not mention in this hadith that she must offer expiation? Delaying clarification beyond the time when it is needed is not possible; that is, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, could not defer explaining a ruling when there was a need for it.

The answer is that this man sought a legal verdict concerning his own action, while the woman did not seek a verdict. Her situation could have been that she had an excuse, such as ignorance or coercion, or that she had no excuse. Since she did not come and ask for a ruling, the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said nothing regarding her and did not state that expiation was required of her. A legal verdict does not require investigating the circumstances of the other person. Thus, when the wife of Abu Sufyan came to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, complaining that he did not provide for her maintenance, he did not summon Abu Sufyan to question him,

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari in al-Sawm (Fasting), chapter: “If one has intercourse in Ramadan and possesses nothing, then charity is given to him so that he may offer expiation” (1936); and by Muslim in al-Siyam (Fasting), chapter: “The prohibition of intercourse during the month of Ramadan” (1111).

فإن قال قائل: ما الدليل على وجوب الكفارة بالجماع؟ فالجواب: حديث أبي هريرة الثابت في الصحيحين «أن رجلاً أتى رسول الله ﷺ فقال: هلكت، قال: ما أهلكك؟ قال: وقعت على امرأتي في رمضان وأنا صائم، فسأله النبي ﷺ هل تجد رقبة؟ فقال: لا، قال: هل تستطيع أن تصوم شهرين متتابعين؟ قال: لا، قال: هل تستطيع أن تطعم ستين مسكيناً؟ قال: لا، ثم جلس الرجل، فجيئ إلى النبي ﷺ بتمر فقال: خذ هذا تصدق به، قال: أعلى أفقر مني يا رسول الله، والله ما بين لابتيها أهل بيت أفقر مني، فضحك النبي ﷺ ثم قال: «أطعمه أهلك» (١) فرجع إلى أهله بتمر. فإن قال قائل: ما الدليل على وجوب الكفارة على المرأة، والنبي ﷺ لم يذكر في هذا الحديث أن على المرأة كفارة، مع أن تأخير البيان عن وقت الحاجة لا يمكن، أي لا يمكن أن يؤخر النبي ﷺ بيان الحكم مع دعاء الحاجة إليه؟ فالجواب: أن هذا الرجل استفتى عن فعل نفسه، والمرأة لم تستفت، وحالها تحتمل أن تكون معذورة بجهل أو إكراه، وتحتمل أن تكون غير معذورة، فلما لم تأت وتستفت سكت عنها النبي ﷺ ولم يذكر أن عليها كفارة، والفتوى لا يشترطُ فيها البحث عن حال الشخص الآخر، ولهذا لما جاءت امرأة أبي سفيان للنبي ﷺ تشتكيه بأنه لا ينفق لم يطلب أبا سفيان ليسأله،

(١) أخرجه البخاري في الصوم/ باب إذا جامع في رمضان ولم يكن له شيء فتصدق عليه فليكفر (١٩٣٦)؛ ومسلم في الصيام/ باب تحريم الجماع في شهر رمضان … (١١١١).