a woman fears ill-treatment or aversion from her husband”—the verse. He said: “Whatever they mutually agree upon is permissible.”

It was recorded by Abu Dawud al-Tayalisi (no. 1944 in the arranged edition), and through his route by al-Tirmidhi (3/94–95), as well as by al-Tabarani in al-Muʿjam al-Kabīr (3/134/1) and al-Bayhaqi (7/297). Al-Tirmidhi said: “A good, authentic, singular hadith.”

I say: Its chain is good, as al-Hafiz stated in al-Iṣābah. The reason why Sawdah feared that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would divorce her is also related in the report recorded by Ibn Saʿd in al-Ṭabaqāt (8/53), through Ibn Abi al-Zinad with the previously mentioned chain from Aishah, who said:

“Sawdah bint Zamʿah had grown old, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) did not seek much intimacy with her. She knew my standing with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and that he sought much intimacy with me. So she feared that he would part from her, yet she valued her place with him too dearly to relinquish it. She said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, the day due to me belongs to Aishah, and you are free of any obligation concerning it.’ The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) accepted it. Concerning this, the verse was revealed: ‘And if a woman fears ill-treatment or aversion from her husband’—the verse.”

However, its shaykh, Muhammad ibn ʿUmar—al-Waqidi—is a liar. Then it was narrated through the route of al-Qasim ibn Abi Bazzah that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent word to Sawdah that he was divorcing her ... the hadith. A similar report was narrated by al-Waqidi from al-Taymi as a mursal narration, in which she said: “O Messenger of Allah, it is not love of men that I desire; rather, I wish to be resurrected among your wives, so take me back ...” A similar report was related from Maʿmar with a double break.

This is either mursal or has a double break, for this al-Qasim was a minor Successor who narrated from Abu al-Tufayl, Saʿid ibn Jubayr, ʿIkrimah, and others. Moreover, despite its being mursal, it is rejected, since the previous narrations explicitly state that he (peace and blessings be upon him) did not divorce her, whereas this one says: “He sent word to Sawdah that he was divorcing her.” If it is asked why Sawdah feared that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would divorce her, I say: She must have felt that she had fallen short in fulfilling some of the Prophet’s rights, and so feared