Al-Sharḥ al-Mumtiʿ - Ibn al-'Uthaymin - (13/486)

Al-Sharḥ al-MumtiʿIbn al-'Uthaymin

Section

If a man takes his wife into his care, or she makes herself available to him, and she is of an age at which intercourse is possible, her maintenance becomes obligatory upon him—even if the husband is young, ill, emasculated, or impotent. She has the right to withhold herself until she receives her immediate bridal due. But if she willingly makes herself available to him, then later wishes to withhold herself, she no longer has that right.

His statement: “If a man takes his wife into his care, or she makes herself available to him, and she is of an age at which intercourse is possible, her maintenance becomes obligatory upon him.” In this section, the author, may Allah have mercy on him, intended to explain when maintenance becomes obligatory: is it by engagement, by the marriage contract, by consummation, or by the wife being placed at her husband’s disposal?

As for engagement, maintenance is not obligatory through it, because the marriage contract has not yet been concluded and she is not his wife. As for the marriage contract, she becomes his wife through it, but maintenance does not become obligatory by it, because he has not enjoyed marital relations with her; maintenance is due in return for marital enjoyment of the wife.

As for consummation, it too is not the determining factor. For when consummation takes place after the wife has been placed at her husband’s disposal and has made herself available to him, what counts is her availability to him. Thus, if he takes her into his care, or she makes herself available and says, “We are ready whenever you wish,” her maintenance becomes obligatory. However, the author stipulated one condition: that she be of an age at which intercourse is possible. The scholars said that this means a girl who has completed nine years of age. What is the evidence for this?

In truth, there is no evidence for it; rather, customary practice calls for it. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, married Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, when she was six years old, and consummated the marriage with her when she was nine years old (1). Yet this does not require setting the age at nine. Rather, since a nine-year-old girl will generally be able to bear intercourse, they tied the ruling to the age of nine.

Some scholars said: the one with whom intercourse is possible is one who can bear

(1) Narrated by al-Bukhari in The Book of Marriage, chapter: “A Man Giving His Young Children in Marriage” (5133), and by Muslim in The Book of Marriage, chapter: “A Father Marrying Off His Young Virgin Daughter” (1422), on the authority of Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her.

فَصْلٌ وَمَنْ تَسَلَّمَ زَوْجَتَهُ، أَوْ بَذَلَتْ نَفْسَهَا، وَمِثْلُهَا يُوطأُ وَجَبَتْ نَفَقَتُهَا، وَلَوْ مَعَ صِغَرِ زَوْجٍ، وَمَرَضِهِ، وَجَبِّهِ، وَعُنَّتِهِ، وَلَهَا مَنْعُ نَفْسِهَا حَتَّى تَقْبِضَ صَدَاقَهَا الْحَالَّ، فَإِنْ سَلَّمَتْ نَفْسَهَا طَوْعاً، ثُمَّ أَرَادَتِ الْمَنْعَ لَمْ تَمْلِكْهُ، .......................................... قوله: «ومن تسلم زوجته أو بذلت نفسها ومثلها يوطأ وجبت نفقتها» هذا الفصل أراد به المؤلف ﵀ بيان متى تجب النفقة، هل هو بالخطبة أو بالعقد، أو بالدخول، أو بالتسليم؟ أما الخطبة فلا تجب بها النفقة؛ لأنه لم يتم العقد ولا تكون بها زوجته، وأما العقد فتكون به زوجته، ولكن لا تجب به النفقة؛ لأنه لم يستمتع بها، والنفقة تكون في مقابل الاستمتاع بالزوجة. وأما الدخول فإنه لا عبرة به أيضاً؛ لأنه إذا حصل الدخول المسبوق بالتسليم والتمكين فإن العبرة تكون بالتمكين، فإذا تسلمها، أو بذلت نفسها، وقالت: نحن مستعدون متى شئت، فإنه تجب نفقتها، إلاّ أن المؤلف اشترط شرطاً، وهو أن يكون مثلها يوطأ، والتي مثلها يوطأ، قال العلماء: هي التي تم لها تسع سنوات، فما الدليل؟ الحقيقة أنه لا دليل على هذا، لكن العادة تقتضيه، والنبي ﷺ تزوج عائشة ﵂ وهي بنت ست سنين وبنى بها وهي بنت تسع سنين (١)، لكن هذا لا يقتضي تحديد المدة بالتسع، إلاّ أن الغالب أن بنت التسع تتحمل الجماع فلهذا علقوها بالتسع. وقال بعض أهل العلم: التي يوطأ مثلها هي من تتحمل

(١) أخرجه البخاري في النكاح/ باب إنكاح الرجل ولده الصغار … (٥١٣٣)، ومسلم في النكاح/ باب تزويج الأب البكر الصغيرة (١٤٢٢) عن عائشة ﵂.