and perform your prayer.” He said: “His grandfather was Abu al-Harith ‘Ubayd ibn Abi ‘Ubayd—that is, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Harith ibn Abi al-Harith ibn Abi ‘Ubayd. It was also narrated by ‘Asim ibn ‘Abd Allah, from ‘Ubayd, the freedman of Abu Ruhm.”
I say: Abu Dawud (4174) and Ibn Majah (4002) transmitted it through the route of Sufyan, from ‘Asim, with this chain.
Al-‘Ijli and Ibn Hibban declared ‘Ubayd ibn Abi ‘Ubayd trustworthy, and a number of trustworthy narrators reported from him. It is possible that he was the trustworthy man left unnamed in al-Nasa’i’s route, and it is also possible that he was someone else. In any case, the hadith is authentic, for Abu Zur‘ah said of ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Harith ibn Abi ‘Ubayd—as Ibn Abi Hatim relates (2/2/224): “There is no harm in him.” He was also corroborated by ‘Asim ibn ‘Ubayd Allah. Although he was weak, he is acceptable in corroborative reports. And Allah knows best. This hadith also has a supporting narration with similar wording, which will come under no. 1093.
- “Whatever has been decreed in the womb will come to pass.”
Al-Nasa’i (2/85) and Ahmad (3/450) transmitted it through the route of Shu‘bah, from Abu al-Fayd, who said: I heard ‘Abd Allah ibn Murrah al-Zuraqi, from Abu Sa‘id al-Zuraqi, “that a man asked the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, about coitus interruptus, saying: ‘My wife is nursing, and I dislike that she should become pregnant.’ The Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, said …” Then he mentioned it.
I say: Its narrators are trustworthy, apart from ‘Abd Allah ibn Murrah al-Zuraqi, whom al-Hafiz described as “unknown.”
I say: However, it is supported by the hadith of Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri, who said: “Coitus interruptus was mentioned in the presence of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, and he said: ‘Why do you do that?’ They replied: ‘A man may have a wife who is nursing, and he has intercourse with her but dislikes that she should become pregnant by him; or a man may have a slave woman, and he has intercourse with her but dislikes that she should become pregnant by him.’ He said: ‘There is no blame on you if you do not do that, for it is only the divine decree.’”
Muslim (4/159), al-Nasa’i (2/84–85), and Ahmad (3/11) transmitted it through the route of ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Bishr al-Ansari, from him. Muslim, Abu Dawud (2170–2171), and Ahmad (3/22, 49, 53, 68, and 78) also transmit it through other routes from Abu Sa‘id, with similar wording.