to whom He wills.” She told him what had happened, and he was pleased with her (1). She had given her (2) only that particular day and turn (3). This must be the case; otherwise, turns would (4) have been allotted to only seven of them, contrary to the unquestionably authentic hadith (5) stating that turns were allotted to eight. And Allah knows best.
If (6) a similar situation arose for a man with more than two wives, and one of them gave her day to another (7), could the husband make the gifted night and the recipient’s regular night consecutive, even if the donor’s night did not immediately follow the recipient’s? Or must he assign her the very night to which the donor had been entitled? There are two opinions on this in the school of Ahmad (8) and elsewhere.
He, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, would have intercourse with his wives both late and early in the night. When (9) he had intercourse early in the night, he would sometimes take a ritual bath and sleep, and sometimes
(1) Reported by Ishāq ibn Rāhawayh (1409), Ahmad (24640), al-Nasā’ī in al-Kubrā (8884), and Ibn Mājah (1973), from ‘Ā’ishah, with a chain acceptable for corroboration. It is supported by the report from Anas ibn Mālik recorded by al-Nasā’ī in al-Kubrā (9117), which gives their story in full. This also includes the incident involving Zaynab and the Prophet ﷺ concerning lending her camel to Safiyyah. Its chain is authentic, and al-Diyā’ al-Maqdisī selected it (5/105). See al-Sahīhah (3205).
(2) Mīm-Bā’, Nūn: “wahabathā (gave it).”
(3) Kāf, ‘Ayn: “al-laylah (the night).”
(4) “Kāna (was)” is omitted from Qāf.
(5) “Fīhi (in it)” is supplied from Mīm-Bā’, Nūn, and the margins of Jīm and ‘Ayn.
(6) All witnesses except Qāf, Mīm-Bā’, and Nūn read “fa-law (then if)”; in ‘Ayn, this was changed to “wa-law (and if).”
(7) Qāf, Kāf, ‘Ayn: “lil-ukhrā (to the other woman).”
(8) Kāf, ‘Ayn: “Imam Ahmad.” See al-Mughnī (10/251).
(9) Kāf and ‘Ayn read “idhā (when)” without the conjunction wāw (and); someone subsequently added it in ‘Ayn.