30 – Dāʾūd ibn Muḥammad ibn Yazīd related to me, from Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Nājī, who said: Ibn Abī Laylā once called on Abū Jaʿfar while the latter was serving as judge. Abū Jaʿfar said to him, “A judge is constantly confronted with people’s curiosities and odd cases. If something unusual has come before you, recount it to me—this day of mine is dragging on.”

He answered, “By Allah, three days ago a case reached me the like of which I have never seen. An old woman appeared—so bent over that her face almost touched the ground and she seemed about to fall from weakness. She said, ‘For Allah’s sake—then for the judge’s—take my right for me and give me the upper hand over my opponent.’ I asked, ‘Who is your opponent?’ She replied, ‘A daughter of my brother.’ I summoned the woman, and in came a large, well-built woman who sat down with great self-assurance.

The old woman said, ‘May Allah set the judge aright. This is my brother’s daughter. Her father entrusted her to me, so I raised her and taught her proper conduct. I then married her to a son of my brother, but afterwards she ruined my husband for me.’ ⦗82⦘

I turned to the young woman and said, ‘What do you have to say?’ She asked, ‘Will the judge permit me to unveil so that I may state my evidence?’ The aunt exclaimed, ‘Enemy of Allah! Do you wish to unveil and tempt the judge with your beauty?’

I lowered my gaze, alarmed by her outburst, and said, ‘Speak!’

She said, ‘She has spoken the truth—may Allah rectify the judge. She is my paternal aunt. My father commended me to her; she brought me up and married me to my cousin though I was unwilling. I persevered until Allah placed affection between us, and we were both content. Then she bore a little girl. When the child grew up, my aunt grew jealous of me over my husband and began to spoil the relationship between us. Her daughter became pleasing in his eyes until he fell for her and asked my aunt to marry her to him. She said, “No, by Allah, I will not give you my daughter until you place your wife’s affair in my hand.” He agreed.

‘She then sent to me: “My dear girl, your husband has asked for my daughter’s hand, and I have refused unless he puts your matter in my hand; he has done so, and I hereby pronounce you divorced three times.” I replied, “I resign myself to Allah’s decree.” Barely had my waiting-period ended when her husband sent word: “I know how your aunt wronged you, and Allah has replaced her husband for you. Would you consider him?” I asked, “Who is he?” He said, “It is I,” and came forward to propose. ⦗83⦘

‘I said, “No, by Allah, not until you place my aunt’s affair in my hand.” He did so. I sent word to her: “Your husband has proposed to me, and I have rejected him unless he puts your matter in my hand.” He complied, and I have now pronounced you three times divorced.

‘We remained like that until he—may Allah have mercy on him—died. Not long thereafter Allah inclined the heart of my first husband toward me again; he remembered how well we had once agreed. He wrote asking, “Would you return to me?” I answered, “Now you can.” He proposed, but I refused unless he placed the affair of her daughter in my hand. He did, so I divorced her three times.’

At this the old woman leapt up and cried, ‘May Allah set the judge aright! I did it once—and she keeps doing it again and again!’

I said, ‘Allah, exalted is He, has set no limit on this.’ Then I recited: “And whoever has been wronged—surely Allah will aid him” (Qur’an 22:60).