Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (1/371)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

to marry her—this is for you alone, to the exclusion of the other believers.” [al-Ahzab 33:50] The point of evidence in this verse is that Allah, Exalted is He, made this exclusive to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. Were it not for this, the apparent meaning of the text would indicate that a person may marry a woman who offers herself in marriage.

Another proof is that Allah, Exalted is He, said regarding the story of Zaynab bint Jahsh, may Allah be pleased with her: “Then, when Zayd had no longer any need for her, We gave her to you in marriage.” [al-Ahzab 33:37] Zaynab had been married to Zayd ibn Harithah, whom the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, had adopted. When Allah made Zaynab lawful for him, He said: “So that there may be no hardship for the believers concerning the wives of their adopted sons once they no longer have need of them.” [al-Ahzab 33:37] Thus, this ruling was specific, while its effective cause was general. Accordingly, a ruling established for the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, is also established for the Ummah; otherwise, His saying, “So that there may be no hardship for the believers concerning the wives of their adopted sons,” would serve no purpose.

The hadith of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her—“He would sleep while in a state of major ritual impurity without touching water”—was challenged on two grounds:

First: it is disconnected. This was answered by saying that it is connected, and that Abu Ishaq heard it from al-Aswad, who narrated it from Aisha. When a connected chain conflicts with a claim of disconnection, the connected chain is given precedence.

Second: her statement, “without touching water,” means water for ritual bathing. This was answered by saying that such an interpretation is far-fetched, because “water” is an indefinite noun occurring in a negative context and thus includes any water. Therefore, the argument based on disconnection is unsound, as is this interpretation.

What appears correct to me is that a person in a state of major ritual impurity should not sleep without performing wudu, as a recommendation, on account of the hadith of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her. The same applies to eating and drinking.

أَنْ يَسْتَنْكِحَهَا خَالِصَةً لَكَ مِنْ دُونِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ﴾ [الأحزاب: ٥٠]، ووجْه الدَّلالة من الآية: أنَّ الله تعالى بيَّن أنها خالصة للنَّبيِّ ﷺ، ولولا ذلك لكان مقتضَى النَّص أنه يجوز للإِنسان التزوُّج بالهِبَة. ودليل آخر: أن الله تعالى قال في قصَّة زينب بنت جحش ﵂: ﴿فَلَمَّا قَضَى زَيْدٌ مِنْهَا وَطَرًا زَوَّجْنَاكَهَا﴾ [الأحزاب: ٣٧]، وكانت زينب تحت زيدِ بن حارثة، وكان النَّبيُّ ﷺ قد تَبَنَّاهُ، فلما أحلَّ الله له زينب قال: ﴿لِكَي لَا يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ إِذَا قَضَوْا مِنْهُنَّ وَطَرًا﴾ [الأحزاب: ٣٧]. فهذا الحُكْمُ خاصٌّ، وعِلَّته عامّة، وعلى هذا فالحكم الذي يَثْبُت للرَّسول ﷺ يَثْبت للأمَّة؛ وإِلا لم يكُنْ لقوله: ﴿لِكَي لَا يَكُونَ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ حَرَجٌ فِي أَزْوَاجِ أَدْعِيَائِهِمْ﴾ فَائدةٌ. وعُورض حديث عائشة: «كان ينام وهو جُنُب من غير أن يمسَّ ماءً» بأمرين: الأول: أنَّه منقطع. ورُدَّ بأنه متَّصل، وأن أبا إسحاق سَمِع من الأسود الذي رواه عن عائشة، وإِذا تعارض الوَصْل والقَطْع، فالمعتَبَر الوصل. الثاني: أنَّ قولها: «من غير أن يمسَّ ماءً»، أي: ماء للغُسْل. ورُدَّ بأن هذا بعيد؛ لأن «ماء» نكرة في سِيَاق النَّفْي فتعُمُّ أيَّ ماءٍ، وعليه فالتَّعليل بالانقطاع غيرُ صَحيح، وكذلك التَّأويل. والذي يظهر لي: أن الجُنُبَ لا ينام إِلا بِوُضُوء على سبيل الاستحباب، لحديث عائشة ﵂، وكذا بالنِّسبة للأكْلِ والشُّرْب.