Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (12/412)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

“If he travels for more than half a year, and she asks him to return and he is able to do so, he must return. If either of them refuses, they are separated at her request, ……”

His statement, “If he travels for more than half a year, and she asks him to return and he is able to do so, he must return,” means: if he travels away from his wife for more than half a year, and she asks him to return and he is able, then he must go back and be present with his wife. In al-Rawḍ (1), he added: “provided that it is not for an obligatory pilgrimage, obligatory military campaign, or pursuit of a livelihood that he needs.” These are therefore four conditions:

First: the journey must exceed half a year. If it is half a year or less, she has no right to demand his return. Thus, if he travels for four or five months, she has no right to make such a demand, even though it was mentioned earlier that one who swears abstinence from his wife is given four months. Yet one who travels without need is in fact in a worse position than one who has sworn abstinence, because the latter remains with her, keeping her company and providing companionship, whereas this man has travelled and left her alone in the town, for example, or with her family—and they say that it is restricted to half a year!

Second: she must ask him to return. If she does not ask him to return, then he is not required to do so, even if he remains away for two, three, or four years. However, it is stipulated that she be safe. If he does not feel his wife will be safe from temptation involving her or coming from her, then it is not permissible for him to travel in the first place.

Third: he must be able to return. If he is unable, then he is not required to do so—for example, if he cannot find a mount that will take him to his wife, travel routes have been cut off, danger has arisen, or the like.

Fourth: what was mentioned in al-Rawḍ: that his journey not be in pursuit of a livelihood he needs, nor for an obligatory matter, such as pilgrimage or military campaign.

Does the pilgrimage take half a year?

(1) Al-Rawd al-Murbi' with the Hashiyah (marginal commentary) of Ibn Qasim, 6:438.

وَإِنْ سَافَرَ فَوْقَ نِصْفِهَا وَطَلَبَتْ قُدُومَهُ وَقَدِرَ لَزِمَهُ، فَإِنْ أَبَى أَحَدَهُمَا فُرِّقَ بَيْنَهُمَا بِطَلَبِهَا، ........ قوله: «وإن سافر فوق نصفها وطلبت قدومه وقدر لزمه» أي: إن سافر عن زوجته فوق نصف السنة، وطلبت قدومه وقدر، لزمه الرجوع والحضور إلى زوجته، وزاد في الروض (١): «في غير حج أو غزو واجبين أو طلب رزق يحتاجه»، فهذه أربعة شروط: الأول: أن يزيد السفر عن نصف سنة، فإن كان نصف سنةٍ فأقل فليس لها حق المطالبة، فلو سافر لمدة أربعة شهور أو خمسة شهور، فليس لها حق المطالبة، مع أنه تقدم أن المولي يضرب له أربعة أشهر، وهذا الذي سافر بدون حاجة هو في الحقيقة أشد من المولي؛ لأن المولي عندها ويؤنِّسها وتستأنس به، وأما هذا فقد سافر وتركها وحدها في البلد مثلاً، أو عند أهلها، ويقولون: يقيد بنصف سنة!! الثاني: أن تطلب قدومه، فإن لم تطلب قدومه فلا يلزمه، حتى لو بقي سنتين أو ثلاثاً أو أربعاً، لكنه يشترط أن يكون آمناً عليها، فلو كان لا يأمن على زوجته من الفتنة بها أو منها، فإنه لا يجوز أن يسافر أصلاً. الثالث: أن يقدر، فإن عجز فلا يلزمه، مثل أن لا يجد راحلة توصله إلى زوجته، أو انقطعت الأسفار، أو حصل خوف، أو ما أشبه ذلك. الرابع: ما ذكره في الروض: أن لا يكون لطلب رزقٍ يحتاجه، أو في أمرٍ واجب، كحج وغزو. وهل الحج يستغرق نصف سنة؟

(١) الروض المربع مع حاشية ابن قاسم (٦/ ٤٣٨).