996 – Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “The upper hand is better than the lower hand, and each of you should begin with those whom he supports; a woman will say, ‘Provide for me, or divorce me.’” Al-Daraqutni related it, and its chain of transmission is sound. (1)

997 – Saʿid ibn al-Musayyib—regarding a man who finds nothing with which to maintain his family—said, “They are to be separated.” Saʿid ibn Mansur recorded it from Sufyan, from Abu al-Zinad, who said: “I asked Saʿid ibn al-Musayyib, ‘Is this Sunna?’ He replied, ‘It is Sunna.’” This is a strong mursal report. (2)

Status of the two narrations
• The ḥadith of Abu Hurayrah was transmitted by al-Daraqutni through Ḥammad ibn Salamah, from ʿAsim, from Abu Ṣalih, from Abu Hurayrah. Al-Hafiz said: “Its chain is sound, but the words, ‘A woman says: Provide for me, or divorce me,’ are halted at Abu Hurayrah; raising them to the Prophet is a mistake, as shown by the version in al-Bukhari (5355).”
• As for the report of Saʿid ibn al-Musayyib, it is an authentic mursal.

The author adds: “This is a strong mursal, for the mursal reports of Saʿid ibn al-Musayyib are relied upon; it is known that he transmits only from trustworthy narrators.” Al-Shafiʿi said: “What most likely underlies Saʿid’s remark, ‘It is Sunna,’ is that it is the Sunna of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”