Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (12/306)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

As for inheritance, she inherits from this husband by the consensus of the scholars, because she is his wife. Allah, Exalted is He, says: “They shall have one quarter of what you leave if you have no child.” [al-Nisa 4:12]

As for the waiting period, it is likewise obligatory upon her, due to the generality of Allah’s saying: “Those among you who die and leave wives behind: they shall wait by themselves for four months and ten days.” [al-Baqarah 2:234]

As for the dowry, the majority of the scholars hold that it is obligatory for the wife. She takes it first from the estate, then receives her share of inheritance, because he died while married to her and the rulings applicable to wives—namely, the waiting period and inheritance—are established for her. It follows that the dowry must also be established for her, and she is therefore entitled to the customary dowry of women like her. It is established in the case of Barwaʿ (1) bint Washiq, may Allah be pleased with her, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, ruled that she must observe the waiting period and that she was entitled to the customary dowry and inheritance. (2)

Imam al-Shafiʿi said, “If the hadith is established, I would hold this view.” The hadith has indeed been established; therefore, it is also al-Shafiʿi’s position, since he made adopting this view conditional upon the hadith being established. When the condition is fulfilled, that which is conditional upon it is established. Analogy also entails this, for the woman must observe a waiting period for him and is thus restrained on his account, and she inherits by consensus.

If he divorces her before consummation, she is entitled to a mutʿah (compensatory gift) according to her husband’s means or lack thereof, and the customary dowry becomes binding upon consummation, ..........

His statement, “If he divorces her”: the pronoun refers to the woman whose dowry was left unspecified. The same ruling applies to a woman whose stipulated dowry is invalid, since it has preceded that, if the specified dowry is void, she is entitled to the customary dowry.

His statement, “before consummation”: in reality, this wording is somewhat deficient;

(1) Al-Qamus states: “Barwa' is pronounced with a fathah, like Jadwal; however, hadith scholars pronounce it with a kasrah.” (2) Its hadith authentication and source documentation have been cited previously on p. 266.

أما الميراث فإنها ترث من هذا الزوج بإجماع أهل العلم؛ لأنها زوجة، وقد قال الله تعالى: ﴿وَلَهُنَّ الرُّبُعُ مِمَّا تَرَكْتُمْ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَكُمْ وَلَدٌ﴾ [النساء: ١٢]. وأما العدة فكذلك تجب عليها لعموم قوله تعالى: ﴿وَالَّذِينَ يُتَوَفَّوْنَ مِنْكُمْ وَيَذَرُونَ أَزْوَاجًا يَتَرَبَّصْنَ بِأَنْفُسِهِنَّ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا﴾ [البقرة: ٢٣٤]. وأما المهر فجمهور أهل العلم على وجوبه للزوجة، فتأخذه أولاً من التركة ثم تدلي بميراثها؛ لأنه مات عنها وثبتت لها أحكام الزوجات من العدة والميراث، فيجب أن يثبت لها المهر، فيجب له مهر نسائها؛ وقد ثبت في قصة بروع (١) بنت واشق ﵂ أن الرسول ﷺ قضى فيها بأن عليها العدة ولها مهر مثلها والميراث (٢)، وقال الإمام الشافعي: لو ثبت الحديث لقلت به، والحديث قد ثبت، وإذا كان ثابتاً فيكون هو مذهب الشافعي أيضاً؛ لأنه علق القول به على ثبوته، فإذا وجد الشرط ثبت المشروط، والقياس يقتضي ذلك؛ لأن المرأة ستعتد له فتكون محبوسة له، وترث بالإجماع. وَإِنْ طَلَّقَهَا قَبْلَ الدُّخُولِ فَلَهَا المُتْعَةُ بِقَدْرِ يُسْرِ زَوْجِهَا وَعُسْرِهِ، وَيَسْتَقِرُّ مَهْرُ المِثْلِ بِالدُّخُولِ، ......... قوله: «وإن طلقها» الضمير يعود على المفوّضة، ويلحق بها مَنْ مهرها فاسد؛ لأنه سبق أنه إن بطل المسمى وجب لها مهر المثل. قوله: «قبل الدخول» هذا فيه شيء من القصور في الواقع؛

(١) قال في القاموس: بَرْوَع بالفتح كجَدْوَل، وهو عند المحدثين بالكسر. (٢) سبق تخريجه ص (٢٦٦).