Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (13/326)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

because something void is tantamount to nonexistence. For example, a man may marry a woman and then discover—before consummating the marriage—that she is his foster-sister. The marriage is void, because the scholars are unanimously agreed that it is invalid; thus, she separates from him without any waiting period, bridal due, or anything else. That is because this void contract is as though it never existed and has no legal effect. Likewise, if he dies while married to her and it is then established that she is his foster-sister, she is not required to observe a waiting period, because this marriage is void by consensus. This is why he said, “She does not observe a waiting period on account of death.”

Issue: Is marriage to a fifth wife void or invalid? There is a difference of opinion. The Rafidah say that a man may marry up to nine wives, but the scholars do not regard their disagreement as consequential. Some Sufis say that he may marry up to fifty if he is among the great shaykhs, but their disagreement is likewise not regarded as consequential. In any case, marriage to a fifth wife is void, because it contradicts the consensus of the Muslims. Marriage to a woman observing a waiting period is also void, for Allah, Most High, says:

“Do not resolve upon a marriage contract until the prescribed term has been completed.” [al-Baqarah 2:235]

This is an explicit prohibition in the Quran.

The author—may Allah have mercy on him—then began discussing what is implied by the preceding conditions, saying: “And whoever separates from her while alive,” as opposed to separating from her through death.

His statement, “before intercourse and seclusion,” means that if he separates from her during his lifetime before intercourse and seclusion, she does not have to observe a waiting period. We have already mentioned that one of the conditions is that intercourse or seclusion must have occurred. Thus, if he marries her and then divorces her before being alone with her, she has no waiting period, for Allah, Most High, says:

“O you who believe! If you marry believing women and then divorce them before you have touched them, then there is no waiting period for you to count concerning them.” [al-Ahzab 33:49]

If someone were to ask: Allah says in the verse, “before you have touched them”; so how can you say that seclusion is included?

لأن وجود الباطل كعدمه، مثل أن يتزوج امرأة ثم يتبين ـ قبل أن يدخل عليها ـ أنها أخته من الرضاع، فالنكاح باطل لإجماع العلماء على فساده، فتفارقه بدون عدة، وبدون مهر، وبدون أي شيء؛ لأن هذا العقد الباطل وجوده كعدمه لا أثر له، وكذلك لو مات عنها ثم ثبت أنها أخته من الرضاع فإنها ليس عليها عدة؛ لأن هذا النكاح باطل بالإجماع، ولهذا قال: «لم تعتد للوفاة». مسألة: نكاح الخامسة باطل أو فاسد؟ فيه خلاف، الرافضة يقولون: له أن يتزوج إلى تسع! ولكن لا يعتد بخلافهم عند أهل العلم، وبعض الصوفية يقول: له أن يتزوج إلى خمسين إذا كان من المشايخ الكبار، ولكن ما يعتد بخلافهم أيضاً، المهم أن نكاح الخامسة باطل؛ لأنه خلاف ما أجمع عليه المسلمون، ونكاح المعتدة باطل لقوله تعالى: ﴿وَلَا تَعْزِمُوا عُقْدَةَ النِّكَاحِ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ الْكِتَابُ أَجَلَهُ﴾ [البقرة: ٢٣٥] وهذا نهي صريح في القرآن. ثم شرع المؤلف ﵀ في مفهوم الشروط الماضية فقال: «ومن فارقها حياً» احترازاً مما إذا فارقها بالموت. قوله: «قبل وطء وخلوة» أي: إذا فارقها حياً قبل وطء وخلوة فلا عدة عليها؛ لأنا ذكرنا أن من الشروط أن يحصل وطء أو خلوة، فإذا تزوجها ثم طلقها قبل أن يخلو بها، فليس عليها عدة لقوله تعالى: ﴿يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا نَكَحْتُمُ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ ثُمَّ طَلَّقْتُمُوهُنَّ مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَمَسُّوهُنَّ فَمَا لَكُمْ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِنْ عِدَّةٍ تَعْتَدُّونَهَا﴾ [الأحزاب: ٤٩]. فإذا قال قائل: الآية يقول الله فيها: ﴿مِنْ قَبْلِ أَنْ تَمَسُّوهُنَّ﴾ فكيف تقولون: الخلوة؟