Among the Neglected Rights Owed to the Wife

3976—“When one of you arrives at night, let him not come upon his family unexpectedly, until the wife whose husband has been away has removed her pubic hair and the dishevelled woman has combed her hair.”

Muslim (6/55), al-Nasa’i in al-Sunan al-Kubra (5/362/9145), and Ahmad (3/298 and 355) all reported it through Shu‘bah, from Sayyar, from ‘Amir, from Jabir, who said: The Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—said: ... and he mentioned it.

Al-Bukhari (5243) also reported it in abbreviated form through this route, but he said: Shu‘bah narrated to us; Muharib ibn Dithar said: I heard Jabir ibn Abdullah say:

“The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—disliked a man coming upon his family unexpectedly at night.”

Hushaym also corroborated him: Sayyar informed us of it, from Jabir, who said:

“We were travelling with the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him. When we returned, we were about to enter, when he said: ‘Wait until we enter at night—that is, at the time of the ‘isha’ prayer—so that the dishevelled woman may comb her hair and the wife whose husband has been away may remove her pubic hair.’”

It was reported by Ahmad (3/303), al-Bukhari (5079, 5245, and 5247), Muslim as well, Abu ‘Awanah (5/114), al-Nasa’i likewise (9144), and Abu Dawud (2778), through Imam Ahmad. Abu Dawud said:

“Al-Zuhri said: ‘Coming at night means after the ‘isha’ prayer.’” Abu Dawud said:

“There is no harm in doing so after the maghrib prayer.”

The hadith has other chains and closely similar wordings, reported by Ahmad (229, 308, and 310