Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (12/201)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

If she is emancipated while married to a free man, she has no option; rather, she has the option if she is married to a slave.

His statement: “If she is emancipated while married to a free man, she has no option; rather, [she does] if she is married to a slave,” means that a free man marries a female slave subject to the three aforementioned conditions, and then her master emancipates her. She has no option to annul the marriage, because although she has been emancipated, she has not risen above her husband: she is free, and her husband is free. The deficiency that had existed in her has been removed, but this has not elevated her to a rank higher than that of her husband. Therefore, she has no option. This is the well-known position of the madhhab, and it is the view held by most scholars.

But if she is emancipated while married to a slave, then she has the option, because she has become of higher status than he is. The evidence is the hadith of Barirah—may Allah be pleased with her—who, when she was emancipated, was given the choice by the Prophet—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—between remaining with her husband and annulling the marriage. She chose separation. Her husband would follow her through the marketplaces of Madinah, for he loved her intensely while she detested him intensely. He followed her, weeping, wishing that she would not leave him, while she paid him no heed. The Messenger—may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him—even interceded with her on his behalf. She said, “O Messenger of Allah, if you are commanding me, then I hear and obey; but if you are merely advising me, I have no need of him.” (1)

This proves that if she is emancipated while married to a slave, she has the option. The narrators differed concerning Mughith: was he a free man or a slave? (2) Most of the narrators held that he was a slave.

(1) Reported by al-Bukhari in Prayer, in the chapter “The Prophet’s Intercession for Barirah’s Husband” (5283), on the authority of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him. (2) Among the reports stating that he was a slave are those reported by al-Bukhari in Divorce, in the chapter “The Option of a Slave Woman Married to a Slave” (5281, 5282), on the authority of Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, as a mawquf report (one ending with a Companion); and by Muslim in Emancipation, in the chapter “Clarifying That the Wala (right of patronage) Belongs to the One Who Emancipates” (1504), on the authority of Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her. This is also al-Bukhari’s preferred view, as indicated in al-Sahih, in Inheritance, in the chapter “The Inheritance of the Sa'ibah” (a slave emancipated without a patronal tie), under hadith no. 6754. Reports stating that he was free include those related by Abu Dawud in Divorce, in the chapter “Those Who Said That He Was Free” (2235); al-Tirmidhi in Suckling, in the chapter “What Has Been Reported Regarding a Woman Who Is Emancipated While She Has a Husband” (1155); al-Nasa'i in Zakah, in the chapter “When Charity Is Transferred” (5:106); and Ibn Majah in Divorce, in the chapter “The Option of a Slave Woman upon Her Emancipation” (2074), on the authority of Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her. See also al-Talkhis, 3:178.

وَإِنْ عَتَقَتْ تَحْتَ حُرٍّ فَلَا خِيَارَ لَهَا، بَلْ تَحْتَ عَبْدٍ. قوله: «وإن عتقت تحت حر فلا خيار لها، بل تحت عبدٍ» أي: حرٌ تزوج أمة بالشروط السابقة وهي ثلاثة، ثم إن سيدها أعتقها فلا خيار لها؛ لأنها وإن عتقت لم ترتفع على زوجها؛ إذ إنها حرة وزوجها حر، فالنقص الذي كان فيها زال، لكنه لم يرتقِ بها لدرجة أكثر من درجة الزوج، فليس لها خيار، هذا هو المشهور من المذهب، وعليه أكثر العلماء. وإن عتقت تحت عبد فإن لها الخيار؛ لأنها صارت أعلى منه، والدليل حديث بريرة ﵂ حين عتقت فخيرها النبي ﷺ بين أن تبقى مع زوجها أو تفسخ النكاح، فاختارت الفراق، فكان زوجها يلاحقها في أسواق المدينة؛ لأنه كان يحبها حباً شديداً، وهي تبغضه بغضاً شديداً، فيلاحقها، يبكي، يريد أن لا تفارقه، وهي لا تعبأ به، حتى إن الرسول ﵊ شفع فيه إليها، فقالت: يا رسول الله إن كنت تأمرني فسمعاً وطاعة، وإن كنت تشير علي فلا حاجة لي فيه (١)، وهذا دليل على أنه إذا عتقت تحت عبد فلها الخيار، وقد اختلف الرواة في مغيث، هل هو حر، أو عبد (٢)؟ وأكثر الرواة على أنه عبد

(١) أخرجه البخاري في الصلاة/ باب شفاعة النبي ﷺ في زوج بريرة (٥٢٨٣) عن ابن عباس ﵄. (٢) من الروايات التي جاء فيها أنه عبد ما أخرجه البخاري في الطلاق/ باب خيار الأمة تحت العبد (٥٢٨١) و (٥٢٨٢) عن ابن عباس ﵄ موقوفاً؛ وأخرجه مسلم في العتق/ باب بيان أن الولاء لمن أعتق (١٥٠٤) عن عائشة ﵂ وهذا هو اختيار البخاري كما في الصحيح في الفرائض/ باب ميراث السائبة تحت الحديث رقم (٦٧٥٤). ومما جاء أنه حُرٌّ ما رواه أبو داود في الطلاق/ باب من قال كان حراً (٢٢٣٥)، والترمذي في الرضاع/ باب ما جاء في المرأة تعتق ولها زوج (١١٥٥)؛ والنسائي في الزكاة/ باب إذا تحولت الصدقة (٥/ ١٠٦)؛ وابن ماجه في الطلاق/ باب خيار الأمة إذا أعتقت (٢٠٧٤) عن عائشة ﵂ وانظر: التلخيص (٣/ ١٧٨).