Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (12/435)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

and strike her, as Allah the Exalted says: “As for those women whose defiance you fear, admonish them, forsake them in bed, and strike them.” [al-Nisa 4:34]

Thus, if a woman withholds her husband’s right, her maintenance lapses. But if he withholds her maintenance, does his right lapse? Yes: “If you retaliate, then let your retaliation be proportionate to the wrong done to you.” [al-Nahl 16:126] Therefore, if a husband withholds maintenance from his wife, she may withhold herself from him, and she may take from his wealth without his knowledge. If he mistreats her, she may mistreat him in like manner, as Allah the Exalted says: “So whoever has assaulted you, then assault him in the same way that he has assaulted you.” [al-Baqarah 2:194]

“Whoever gives her allotted turn to her co-wife, with his permission, or gives it to him and he assigns it to another, this is permissible. If she retracts it, he must allot her a turn thereafter, ……….”

His statement, “Whoever gives her allotted turn to her co-wife, with his permission, or gives it to him and he assigns it to another, this is permissible,” means that if she gives her allotted turn to her co-wife with his permission, there is no problem. For instance, she may say, “Will you permit me to give my allotted turn to so-and-so?” If he says yes and agrees, there is nothing wrong with it. If he refuses, he is entitled to do so. Or she may say, “I give my day to you,” meaning: dispose of it as you wish. If he then assigns it to one of his wives, that is permissible.

The difference between the two cases is that, in the first case, she herself designates the woman. She says, “I give my allotted turn to so-and-so,” as Sawdah, may Allah be pleased with her, did when she feared that the Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, would divorce her because of her advanced age: she gave her allotted turn to Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her (1). Sawdah chose Aishah, may Allah be pleased with her, because she was the most beloved of his wives to him. She wished to give it to the one whom he loved, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. This was part of her sound understanding and her compassion for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him. It was part of her sound understanding because, had the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, divorced her, she would not have

(1) Al-Bukhari narrated it in the Book of Gifts, chapter: “A Woman’s Gift to Someone Other Than Her Husband,” no. 2593, on the authority of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her.

ويضربها لقوله تعالى: ﴿وَاللاَّتِي تَخَافُونَ نُشُوزَهُنَّ فَعِظُوهُنَّ وَاهْجُرُوهُنَّ فِي الْمَضَاجِعِ وَاضْرِبُوهُنَّ﴾ [النساء: ٣٤]. إذاً المرأة إذا منعت حق الزوج سقطت نفقتها، فإذا منع نفقتها، فهل يسقط حقه؟ نعم ﴿وَإِنْ عَاقَبْتُمْ فَعَاقِبُوا بِمِثْلِ مَا عُوقِبْتُمْ بِهِ﴾ [النحل: ١٢٦]، فإذا كان الزوج يمنع زوجته من النفقة فلها أن تمنع نفسها منه، ولها أن تأخذ من ماله بدون علمه، وإذا كان يسيء معاملتها فلها أن تسيء معاملته لقوله تعالى: ﴿فَمَنِ اعْتَدَى عَلَيْكُمْ فَاعْتَدُوا عَلَيْهِ بِمِثْلِ مَا اعْتَدَى عَلَيْكُمْ﴾ [البقرة: ١٩٤]. وَمَنْ وَهَبَتْ قَسْمَهَا لِضَرَّتِهَا بِإِذْنِهِ أَوْ لَهُ فَجَعَلَهُ لأُخْرَى جَازَ، فَإِنْ رَجَعَتْ قَسَمَ لَهَا مُسْتَقْبَلاً، .......... قوله: «ومن وهبت قسمها لضرتها بإذنه أو له فجعله لأخرى جاز»، أي: إذا وهبت قسمها لضرتها بإذنه فلا حرج، بأن قالت: هل تأذن لي أن أجعل قسمي لفلانة؟ فإذا قال: نعم، ووافق فلا مانع، وإن أبى فله ذلك، أو قالت: وهبت يومي لك، يعني تتصرف فيه كما شئت، فجعله هو لإحدى زوجاته جاز. والفرق بين الصورتين: أنه في الصورة الأولى هي التي عينت المرأة، قالت: وهبت قسمي لفلانة، كما فعلت سودة ﵂ لما خافت أن يطلقها النبي ﷺ لكبر سنها وهبت قسمها لعائشة ﵂ (١)، واختارت سودةُ عائشةَ ﵂؛ لأنها أحب نسائه إليه، فأرادت أن تهبه لمن يحب ﵊، وهذا من فقهها وشفقتها على الرسول ﷺ، أما كونه من فقهها فلأن الرسول ﷺ لو طلقها لم

(١) أخرجه البخاري في الهبة/ باب هبة المرأة لغير زوجها … (٢٥٩٣) عن عائشة ﵂.