Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (12/52)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

to be refrained from. For negation indicates that something is to be refrained from, whereas a prohibition is a directive addressed to the legally accountable person, who may or may not comply. Thus, regarding His saying, “Divorced women shall wait by themselves” [al-Baqarah 2:228], we say that it is more emphatic than if He had said, “Let divorced women wait,” because the words, “Divorced women shall wait,” make it as though this were an established reality that does not change.

“Except for the mature feeble-minded person, the insane woman, the minor, and the virgin, even if legally accountable, ...”

His statement, “Except for the mature feeble-minded person, the insane woman, and the minor”: these are three whose consent is not stipulated.

First: the mature feeble-minded person. His consent is not stipulated, because he has no valid authorization and does not know what benefits or harms him.

A mature person is one who has reached fifteen years of age, grown coarse hair around the private parts, or discharged semen, whether through a wet dream or otherwise.

The feeble-minded person is what we colloquially call a simpleton. He is not insane. His father may marry him off. But how do we know that he wants marriage? We know by his inclination toward women, his speaking about marriage, and the signs of desire becoming apparent in him. Such a person may be married off, and there is no need to seek his permission.

Second: the insane woman. Her father may likewise marry her off, and her case is more severe than that of the feeble-minded person. The author did not restrict this to one who has reached maturity or to a minor, because the father may compel his daughter—whether she is of sound mind or insane—provided that she has not previously been married. But may he marry off an insane woman without qualification? The apparent meaning of the author’s words is that he may do so without qualification. However, it should be restricted to the case where we know that she desires marriage. If we do not know that she desires marriage, then marrying her off becomes futile, and perhaps disputes and harm may arise from her husband. She may, for example, be in a state of severe insanity and kill her children, as can sometimes occur. But if

الامتناع؛ لأن النفي دليل على الامتناع، والنهي توجيه الطلب إلى المكلف، فقد يفعل وقد لا يفعل، ولهذا قلنا في قوله تعالى: ﴿وَالْمُطَلَّقَاتُ يَتَرَبَّصْنَ بِأَنْفُسِهِنَّ﴾ [البقرة: ٢٢٨] إنه أبلغ مما لو قال: وليتربَّص المطلقات؛ لأن قوله: ﴿وَالْمُطَلَّقَاتُ يَتَرَبَّصْنَ﴾ كأن هذا أمر واقع لا يتغير. إِلاَّ البَالِغَ المَعْتُوهَ، وَالمَجْنُونَةَ، وَالصَّغِيرَ، وَالبِكْرَ وَلَوْ مُكَلَّفَةً، ....... قوله: «إلا البالغ المعتوه، والمجنونة، والصغير»، هؤلاء ثلاثة لا يشترط رضاهم: الأول: البالغ المعتوه لا يشترط رضاه؛ لأنه لا إذن له، ولا يعرف ما ينفعه وما يضره. والبالغ من بلغ خمس عشرة سنة، أو أنبت الشعر الخشن حول القبُل، أو أنزل باحتلام، أو غيره. والمعتوه هو الذي نسميه باللغة العامية الخِبْل، وليس مجنوناً، فهذا يزوجه أبوه، ولكن بماذا نعلم أنه يريد النكاح؟ نعرف ذلك بميله إلى النساء، وتحدثه في النكاح، وظهور علامات الرغبة عليه، فهذا نزوجه ولا يحتاج أن نستأذن منه. الثاني: المجنونة، أيضاً يزوجها أبوها، وهي أبعد من المعتوه، ولم يقيدها المؤلف بالبلوغ ولا بالصغر؛ لأن الأب يجبر ابنته عاقلة كانت أو مجنونة إذا لم تكن ثيباً، وهل يزوج المجنونة مطلقاً؟ ظاهر كلام المؤلف الإطلاق، ولكن ينبغي أن يقيد بما إذا علمنا رغبتها في النكاح، فإذا لم نعلم رغبتها في النكاح صار تزويجها عبثاً، وربما يحصل نزاع من زوجها ومفسدة، فربما تكون في حالة جنون شديد وتقتل أولادها كما قد يقع، لكن إذا