CHAPTER 31 – PERFORMING A MARRIAGE CEREMONY BY MAKING A TASK THE DOWRY
Sa'hl bin Sa'd al-Sā’idī (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated:
A woman came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) and said, "O Messenger of Allah, I gift myself to you." She stood for a long time. Then a man rose and said, “O Messenger of Allah, if you do not need her, marry her to me.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said to him: “Do you have something to give her as dowry?” The man said, "I have nothing except this shirt on my back." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said, “If you give it to her, you will be left without a shirt, so seek something else.” The man said, “I cannot find anything.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said, "Seek even an iron ring."
The man searched and found nothing. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) then said to him, “Do you know anything from the Qur’an?” The man said, “Yes, I know this chapter and that chapter.” He mentioned the names of many chapters. Upon that, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him) said, "I have married her to you in return for the chapters of the Qur'an that you memorize."
COMMENTARY
This hadith is also narrated by Bukhari, Muslim, Tirmidhi, Nasa’i, and Ibn Majah. This noble hadith serves as evidence that it is permissible for a woman to offer herself to a man for marriage in a lawful manner.
Based on the apparent meaning of this noble hadith, it can be understood that the offering of Qur'an (as dowry) is permissible. The woman’s gifting of herself to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him), and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings upon him)’s marriage of her based on the man’s memorization, indicates that his knowledge was the basis for the union.
Abū Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated: "A narration similar to this was related. However, it did not mention 'a shirt and a ring'."
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “What do you have memorized from the Qur’an?” The man said, “I have Surat al-Baqarah or that which follows it (Surat Al-i Imran).”
Thereupon the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, ordered the man, "Get up and teach her twenty verses. She is your wife."
Mekhul, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated: In this narration, Mekhul said: To marry someone in exchange for teaching twenty verses is restricted to the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam; it is not permissible for anyone after him.