2- It is permissible for a man to free his female slave, count that manumission as her dowry, and thereby marry her.
3- For such a marriage, her prior consent, the presence of witnesses, or a guardian is not required; nor must one restrict oneself to the explicit formulas “I give in marriage” (inkāḥ) or “I marry you” (tazwīj).
4- The report further establishes that the bridal gift may consist of any religious or worldly benefit.
5- This episode from the Prophet’s ﷺ own marriage highlights the perfection of his kindness and compassion. Here was a widow who had lost her father among the prisoners from Banū Qurayẓah who were executed, and lost her husband in the Battle of Khaybar—both men being leaders of their people. She then fell captive, tasting the humiliation of bondage. Had she remained under one of his followers, whether as a wife or as a bondwoman, her dignity would have been further diminished and her pride broken. Only by moving her from one master to another could her standing be restored and her heart healed—and the Prophet ﷺ was the one most entitled to do so. May Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him.
From this you learn that the Prophet’s ﷺ multiple marriages were never driven by a lustful urge, as the enemies of this religion maliciously claim. Had that been his goal, he would have sought virgins and young girls; instead, every woman he married was either previously married and bereft of her husband, or a captive who had fallen into Muslim hands.
Reviewing the stories of his marriages one by one, we find that each of them serves these lofty, compassionate purposes. How far removed he is from what the aggressive slanderers allege! A number of modern authors have treated this subject in detail.
Disagreement among the scholars
Scholars have differed on whether manumission may lawfully serve as a dowry. Imam Aḥmad and Isḥāq deemed it permissible, basing their view on the story of Safiyyah’s marriage and on sound analogy: a master owns his bondwoman’s person, her services, and the benefit of conjugal relations with her. If he frees her yet retains some of the benefits that had been under his control, what prohibition or objection could there be?
The three other imams, however, considered it impermissible and interpreted the hadith otherwise