A Shi'ite Encyclopedia

A Shi'ite Encyclopedia4%

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Publisher: www.al-islam.org
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A Shi'ite Encyclopedia

A Shi'ite Encyclopedia

Author:
Publisher: www.al-islam.org
English

This book is corrected and edited by Al-Hassanain (p) Institue for Islamic Heritage and Thought


1

Table of Contents

Introduction 21

Preliminary Notes 23

Qur’an and Ahlul-Bayt 24

Sunni References: 26

Sunni References: 27

Sunni References: 27

Sunni References: 28

Sunni References: 28

Why School of Ahlul-Bayt? 31

Sunni References: 34

Sunni References: 34

Sunni References: 34

Who Are Ahlul-Bayt? Part 1 36

Introduction 36

Evidence From Qur’an 37

Authentic Traditions 38

The verse 39

Sunni References: 41

Who Are Ahlul-Bayt? Part 2 43

The Long-Term Custom Of The Prophet After The Revelation Of The Purification Verse 43

Sunni References: 43

Sunni References: 43

Sunni References: 44

Those Who Protested Based On The Purification Verse To Prove The Virtues Of The Holy Family 44

1. Imam al-Hasan Ibn ‘Ali (as) 44

Sunni References: 45

Sunni References: 45

2. Ummul Mu’minin, Umm Salama (ra) 45

Sunni References: 45

3. Ibn Abbas (ra) 46

Sunni References: 46

Sunni References: 46

Sunni References: 47

Sunni References: 47

Sunni References: 47

Sunni References: 48

Who Are Ahlul-Bayt? Part 3 50

The Incident Of Mubahala 50

Sunni References: 51

Here is the Arabic text of the above tradition given by both 51

Sunni References: 52

Sunni References: 52

Sunni References: 53

Who Are Ahlul-Bayt? Part 4 55

Matrimonial Relationship 55

Sunni References: 61

Who Are Ahlul-Bayt? Part 5 62

The Mother Of Believers 62

The Best Wife Of The Prophet Vs. The Most Envious 62

Sunni References: 63

Sunni references: Ibn Asakir, as quoted in Tafsir al-Durr al-Manthoor 63

Sahih Bukhari Hadith: 5.168.b 63

Sunni References: 64

Sunni References: 65

Sunni References: 65

Sunni References: 66

Sunni References: 67

Sunni References: 68

Sunni References: 69

Sunni References: 69

Who Are Ahlul-Bayt? Part 6 70

Sunni References: 72

Sunni References: 72

Sunni References: 75

Who Are Ahlul-Bayt? Part 7 80

Aisha After The Prophet’s Demise 80

Agitation Against Uthman 80

Sunni References: 80

The Battle Of Camel 81

Sunni References: 82

Sunni References: 84

Sunni References: 85

Who Are Ahlul-Bayt? Part 8 88

Background Of Enmity Of Aisha Against Imam ‘Ali (as) 88

Sunni References: 88

Sunni References: 88

Sunni References: 91

Sunni References: 91

Sunni References: 91

Aisha Was A Test 91

Examples Of Women Mentioned In Qur’an 94

Conclusion 94

The Word House (Ahlul-Bayt) in Qur’an 96

House Of Abraham (as) 96

House of Imran (as) 96

House Of Noah (as) 97

Sunni Feedback on the Issues of Infallibility and Ahlul-Bayt 99

Sunni References: 102

Sunni References: 102

Sunni References: 103

Sunni References: 103

Sunni References: 104

Sunni References: 104

Sunni References: 107

(3) al-Jami’ al-Kabir, by al-Tabarani 107

(4) al-Isabah, by Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani 107

Who Offended the Blind? 108

Chapter 80 (Abas) 108

Shi’i References: 112

Side Comments 112

Infallibility of the Prophets Part 1 114

Introduction 114

Disclaimer 114

Infallibility According to the Sunnis 114

Infallibility According to the Shi’a 115

The Concept of Infallibility 115

The Qur’an Speaks About the Prophets 116

(End of quote from A. Yusuf ‘Ali) 119

Infallibility of the Prophets Part 2 121

Reason And Logic 121

Reference To Infallibility In Sahih Al-Bukhari 124

Reference To Infallibility In Sahih Al-Tirmidhi 125

Infallibility of the Prophets Part 3 127

Side Comments 127

Conclusion 135

Leadership and Infallibility Part 1 137

Imamat Is Of Allah’s Grace 137

Superiority Of The Imam 138

Infallibility Of The Imam 138

The Real Meaning Of Ulul-Amr 141

Leadership and Infallibility Part 2 143

Believe In Ulul-Amr 146

The Twelve Imams Part 1 148

Sunni References: 148

Sunni References: 148

Sunni References: 149

Sunni References: 149

Sunni References: 149

Few Facts About The Twelve Imams Of Ahlul-Bait 151

The Twelve Imams Part 2 153

Sunni References: 154

Sunni References: 155

Side Comments 156

The Holy Qur’an and the Pure Imams 160

The Reward of Loving Ahlul-Bayt 162

Sunni References: 163

Sunni References: 163

Sunni References: 164

Sunni References: 164

Sunni References: 164

Sunni References: 165

Sunni References: 165

Sunni References: 166

Sunni References: 168

How to Send Greetings to Prophet Muhammad? 169

Sunni References: 171

Sunni References: 171

Side Comment 171

Is Being a Member of a Party Forbidden in Islam? 173

The Term Shi’a in Qur’an and Hadith 175

Sunni References: 176

Sunni References: 176

Sunni References: 177

Sunni References: 177

Sunni References: 178

Sunni References: 179

Sunni References: 179

Sunni References: 180

Sunni References: 180

Side Comments 180

Al-Azhar Verdict on the Shi’a 183

English and Arabic text Images 184

The Last Luminary 187

Jamaica, NY 11435-4123 USA 190

Sunni Documentation on Imam al-Mahdi (as) 191

Sunni References: 191

Sunni References: 192

Sunni References: 192

Sunni References: 193

Sunni References: 193

Sunni References: 194

Sunni References: 194

Sunni References: 194

Sunni References: 194

Sunni References: 195

Special specifications of Imam al-Mahdi (as) 201

Imam Al-Mahdi’s Identification 201

Sunni References: 208

Surely, it is a great a pleasure 212

Necessity of the Existence of Imam al-Mahdi (as) 214

Sunni References: 216

Sunni References: 218

Sunni References: 218

Sunni References: 218

More on Imam al-Mahdi (as) 221

The Knowledge of The Unseen & The Knowledge of The Book 224

The Knowledge Of The Unseen 224

The Knowledge Of The Book 227

Sunni References: 229

Sunni References: 231

Sunni References: 231

Sunni References: 232

Sunni Reference: al-Awsat, by al-Tabarani 232

Sunni References: 232

Sunni References: 232

Sunni References: 232

Sunni References: 233

Sunni References: 233

Concluding Remarks 233

Side Comments 234

Some Traditions on the Virtues of Imam ‘Ali (as) 236

Sunni References: 236

Sunni References: 236

The First Muslim 237

It is also narrated that 237

The Major Difference Between the Shi’a and the Sunni 238

Ghadir Khum Part 1 240

The Farewell Pilgrimage 240

The Speech 241

Some of the Sunni References: 241

Oath Of Allegiance 243

Sunni References: 243

The Number Of People In Ghadir Khum 243

Sunni reference: Manaqib, by Ibn al-Jawzi 243

Sunni References: 244

The Events That Imam ‘Ali (as) Reminded The Tradition 244

Sunni References: 245

Sunni References: 246

A More Detailed Speech Of Prophet At The Pond Of Khum 246

References: 247

Ghadir Khum Part 2 248

The Meaning Wali, Mawla, And Wilayah 248

Arabic References: 248

Sunni References: 249

Sunni reference: Zain al-Fata, by al-Hafiz al-’Asimi 250

Sunni References: 250

Sunni References: 254

Sunni References: 254

Sunni References: 255

Sunni References: 255

Ghadir Khum Part 3 257

The Chains (Asnad) Of Narrations Of Ghadir Khum 257

Sunni Traditionists Who Mentioned The Tradition Of Ghadir Khum 257

Sunni Commentators Of Qur’an Who Mentioned Ghadir Khum 258

Sunni Historians Who Mentioned The Tradition Of Ghadir Khum 258

The Companions Who Narrated The Tradition Of Ghadir Khum 260

More Available 267

Poetry 268

On The Occasion of Eid Al-Ghadir 268

Certainly your Master is 270

A Few Comments By The Other Commentators 271

Who is the successor of the Prophet (S)? 273

Sunni References: 274

The Prophet Announcing His Successor in His First Preach 275

Sunni References: 276

Side Comments 277

Sunni reference: Tarikh, by al-Khateeb al-Baghdadi 278

The Opinion of Imam ‘Ali (as) on Caliphate 280

Sermon 7 of Nahjul Balagha: Survey of the Period After The Demise Of The Holy Prophet (S) 282

Sunni References: 284

Respecting the Righteous Companions 285

Abu Dharr Al-Ghifari 285

Sunni References: 285

Ammar Ibn Yasir 285

Sunni References: 285

Al-Miqdad Ibn Al-Aswad 285

Sunni References: 286

Salman Al-Farsi 286

Ibn Abbas 286

A Shi’ite View of the Companions 287

Introduction 287

Sunni References: 287

Sunni References: 288

Sunni References: 288

The Holy Qur’an 288

The Authentic Traditions 290

The Tragedy of Thursday 298

Side Comments 302

Conspiracy Against Imam Ali (as) 305

Sunni References: 305

Side Comments 308

Sunni References: 312

Sunnah Of The Prophet (S) 314

About Saqifah 316

More On Companions 318

Shedding the Blood of Innocents 319

Collecting Gold And Silver 320

The Companions Among One Another 320

Side Comments: Responses To Sunni Brothers 325

The Enemies of Islam as Depicted in Nahjul Balagha 329

Attacking the House of Fatimah (sa) 331

Sunni References: 332

Sunni References: 332

Sunni References: 333

Sunni References: 334

Sunni References: 335

The Opinion of the Prophet About Who Hurts Fatimah 336

Sunni References: 336

Where Is Her Grave? 336

Sunni References: 338

Appendix 339

Usurping the Land of Fadak 342

Sunni References: 346

Sunni References: 347

Sunni References: 347

Sunni References: 348

Sunni References: 348

Sunni References: 349

Sunni References: 349

Sunni References: 350

Sunni References: 350

Sunni References: 351

Sunni References: 352

Sunni References: 352

Sunni References: 353

Sunni References: 353

Lady Fatimah (sa) protests against Abu Bakr’s Actions 357

Sunni References: 363

More Facts on Fadak 364

Comments from Futuhul Buldan by Baladhuri’s 364

A Short History of Fadak after the Martyrdom of Fatimah (sa) 368

Sunni References: 369

Sunni References: 369

Sunni References: 369

To Make Angry The Progeny Of The Holy Prophet 369

Sunni reference: 369

Shi’a References: 371

Shi’a References: 372

Muawiyah and Abusing Imam Ali (as) 373

What The Prophet Said About Those Who Fight, Hate, Or Abuse His Ahlul-Bayt 373

Sunni References: 373

Sunni References: 373

Sunni References: 373

Sunni References: 374

Muawiyah Instituting The Curse Of Imam ‘Ali (as) 374

Sunni References: 375

Sunni References: 376

Sunni References: 376

3. al-Suddi 376

4. al-Sha’bi 377

5. Abu Nu’aym 377

More Sunni References On The Mischief Of Muawiyah 377

Sunni References: 377

Sunni References: 378

Wassalam 379

More On Muawiyah 380

On His Character 380

Sunni References: 380

Sunni References: 381

Reviving The Customs Of The Jahiliyyah 381

Sunni References: 381

Sunni References: 382

Sunni References: 382

Sunni References: 382

On Some Of His Accounts 382

Raising Qur’an On Spear 383

Sunni References: 383

Sunni References: 383

The Scribe Of Revelation 384

A Side Comment 386

Development of History and Hadith Collections 388

Shi’a-Sunni And Scrutinizing Hadith 390

Islam of Abu Talib Part 1 392

Sunni References: 392

Sunni Reference: 392

Sunni Reference: 393

Sunni References: 393

Islam of Abu Talib Part 2 394

A few points on this Chapter 394

Sunni References: 395

Death of Khadija and of Abu Talib (10th Year Of Revelation) 395

Then Shibli Numani further writes 396

Sunni Reference 397

Islam of Abu Talib Part 3 399

Qur’an And The Unbelievers 399

Sunni References: 399

Sunni References: 400

Islam of Abu Talib Part 4 401

Sunni References: 401

Sunni References: 402

Sunni References: 403

Sunni References: 403

Sunni References: 403

Sunni References: 404

The Marriage Ceremony Of The Prophet (S) 404

Abu Talib’s (May Allah Bless His Soul) Last Breath 404

Sunni References: 405

Sunni References: 405

Sunni References: 405

Some Shi’ite references on Abu Talib 405

Some Side Comments On Abu Talib 406

Was Azar the Father of Prophet Abraham? 408

Sunni References: 408

On the Companions Who Murdered Uthman 409

Amirul Mu’mineen Mu’awiya ibn Abu Sufyan Radiya Allahu ‘anhu Siffin 409

A) Talha 410

Sunni References: 411

B) Al-Zubair 411

Sunni reference: 412

C) Aisha 412

Sunni References: 413

D) Amr Ibn Al-Aas 413

The Innovations of the Early Caliphs 415

Subject: The Personality Of Uthman (Part 1: Was There No Better Man?) 415

Begin (the algorithm) 415

Subject: Re: Uthman 416

An Important Note 421

Subject: The Personality Of Uthman Part 2.3 424

Subject: The Personality Of Umar (Part 1: Creation Of New Islamic Law) 424

Subject: The personality of Umar (Part 2: Prohibition of Islamic law on temporary marriage) 425

Subject: The personality of Umar (Part 3: More on prayrs) 425

Sunni References: 425

Are Munafiqeen counted among Sahabah? 429

The Pillars Of Islam 430

Shi’a vs. Iran 431

Imam Husayn (as): A brief Description and Analysis 434

Some Traditions on Imam al-Husayn (as) 438

Sunni References: 438

(4) al-Kubra, by al-Nisa’i 438

Sunni References: 438

Sunni References: 439

Sunni References: 439

Sunni References: 440

Sunni References: 440

Sunni References: 442

Umayad Sanctifying Ashura 442

Sunni References: 443

Reasons Behind the Commemoration of Imam al-Husayn (as) 445

Subject: Martyrdom of Hussein Bin ‘Ali (The Master of the Youth in Jannah) 445

Sunni References: 448

Sunni References: 449

Sunni References: 450

Sunni References: 451

Did Imam al-Husayn (as) Know He Would Be killed? 453

More On Commemoration 454

The Martyred Ones 455

Those Martyred In Karbala 456

Subject: A Poem For The Fortieth Day Of Martyrdom (Arbaeen) 463

Tragedy of Karbala as reported by the Sunnis Part 1 465

The Martrydom Foretold 465

Yazid’s Efforts For Allegiance 466

Muslim B. Aqil Is Sent To Kufa 468

Imam Hussain’s (as) reply was as follows 468

Tragedy of Karbala as reported by the Sunnis Part 2 470

The Events That Transpired With Muslim B. Aqil 470

Tragedy of Karbala as reported by the Sunnis Part 3 482

Martyrdom Of Muslim Ibn Aqil 482

Tragedy of Karbala as reported by the Sunnis Part 4 488

The Journey, The Martrydom And Other Events 488

From al-Husayn b. ‘Ali 490

Tragedy of Karbala as reported by the Sunnis Part 5 494

Tragedy of Karbala as reported by the Sunnis Part 6 501

Al-Husayn, peace be on him, got up and bathed her face with water 505

Tragedy of Karbala as reported by the Sunnis Part 7 507

Tragedy of Karbala as reported by the Sunnis Part 8 513

Tragedy of Karbala as reported by the Sunnis Part 9 519

O men who ignorantly killed al Husayn; hear the news of punishment and chastisement 525

End of this Series 525

References: 525

The History of al Tabari 525

Volume XIX The Caliphate of Yazid b. Muawiyah 525

Translated by I.K.A Howard 525

Kitab al Irshad 525

Shaykh al Mufid 525

Translated by I.K.A Howard 525

Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an 525

Temporary Marriage in Islam Part 1 526

Introduction 526

Evidences From Qur’an And The Sunni Commentaries 526

Sunni References: 527

Sunni References: 528

Sunni References: 528

Sunni References: 528

Sunni References: 532

Sunni References: 533

Temporary Marriage in Islam Part 2: Evidences From the Sunni Hadith Collections 534

Sunni References: 534

Sunni References: 534

Sunni References: 534

Sunni References: 535

Sunni References: 535

Sunni References: 535

Sunni References: 536

Sunni References: 536

Sunni References: 537

Sunni References: 537

Sunni References: 537

Sunni References: 538

Sunni References: 539

Sunni reference: Sahih al-Tirmidhi 539

Temporary Marriage in Islam Part 3: Evidences From the Sunni History-Fiqh-Miscellanea Books 541

Sunni References: 541

Sunni References: 543

Sunni reference: Kanz al-Ummal, by al-Muttaqi al-Hindi, v8, p294, via al-Tabari 543

Temporary Marriage in Islam Part 4: Some Contradicting Reports 547

Sunni References: 547

Sunni References: 548

Sunni References: 548

Sunni References: 548

Sunni References: 548

Temporary Marriage in Islam Part 5 553

Purpose Of The Marriage 553

Some Sunnis claim that based on the following verse of Qur’an 553

1- Having pleasure and enjoying the other partner 553

2- Tranquillity 553

3- Providing an alternative way to avoid the sin of fornication 554

4- Protecting one’s religion 554

Mut’a versus Alcohol 554

Prohibition of Illegal Sex 555

More Side Comments On Mut’a 557

Temporary Marriage in Islam Part 6: Similarities and Differences of Mut’a and Regular Marriage 559

1) Temporary Marriage is NOT Necessarily A Sex Relationship 562

2) Mut’a With Sex Is Strongly Discouraged For A Virgin Girl 562

3) Inheritance 562

4) Financial Support 563

5) The Length Of The Waiting Period (Iddah) 563

6) The Time-Period Of Marriage 565

7) The Due Dowry Vs. Consummation 566

Temporary Marriage in Islam Part 7: The Necessities and the Advantages of Mut’a 568

Temporary Marriage in Islam Part 8: Some Frequently Asked Questions on Mut’a 573

Text of the Verdict (Fatwa) Issued by His Excellency 578

Debate on the Legitimacy of Mut’a 579

Introduction 579

The Shi’a View 579

The Sunni View 581

Debate On The Qur’anic Verse Of Mut’a 581

Debate Over The Sermon Of Umar 583

References: 583

Debate On The Controversial Reports 585

More Arguments On The Hadith 587

The Opinion Of The Four Sunni Schools Of Law 589

The Opinion Of The Shi’a School Of Law 590

References: 592

Al-Taqiyya, Dissimulation Part 1 593

Introduction 593

Al-Taqiyya According To The Sunnis 594

Sunni Sources In Support Of Al-Taqiyya 594

Please refer to Sahih Muslim Volume IV 597

English only - Abdul Hamid Siddiqui 597

Al-Taqiyya, Dissimulation Part 2 598

Al-Taqiyya According To The Shi’a 598

Please refer to Shi’ite Islam 600

Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabatai 600

Translated by Seyyed Hossein Nasr 600

Al-Taqiyya, Dissimulation Part 3 602

Qur’an Speaks: Al-Taqiyya Vs. Hypocrisy 602

Reason And Logic 603

Comments 605

Side Comments on al-Taqiyya 608

Khums (one Fifth) 612

The History Of Khums 613

The Islamic Laws 614

Some Sunni References: 614

Please refer to 614

More On Khums 615

Tawassul (Resorting to Intermediary) 618

Sunni References: 620

Tawassul - Supplicating Allah Through And Intermediary 622

The Hadith Of The Blind Man 622

The Hadith Of The Man In Need 623

Did Muhammad Receive Revelation by Mistake?! 625

Sunni References: 626

Side Comments 627

Imamat versus Prophethood Part 1 629

Evidence From Qur’an 629

Evidence From Sunni Collections Of Traditions 630

Sunni References: 631

Sunni References: 631

Sunni References: 631

Sunni References: 632

Sunni References: 632

Sunni References: 632

Sunni References: 632

Are The Imams Inspired 634

Do Imams Meet Angels 635

Sunni References: 635

Imamat versus Prophethood Part 2 639

Difference Between Nabi And Rasool 639

Imam/Muhaddath 640

Sunni references: Ibn Asakir, as quoted in Tafsir al-Durr al-Manthoor 641

Some Side Comments 642

Finality of the Prophethood 645

Introduction 645

Conclusion 650

Side Comments To A Bahai 650

Shia Scholars 654

The Rules of Modesty According to Five Islamic Schools of Law 658

Fasting According to Five Islamic Schools of Law 662

Disappearance Of The Excuse 663

Muftirat 664

The Various Kinds Of Fasts 666

Obligatory Fasts 666

Qada’ Of The Ramadan Fasts 666

Fasts Of Atonement (Kaffarah) 667

Prohibited Fasts 668

The Doubtful Days 668

Supererogatory Fasts 669

Reprehensible (Makruh) Fasts 669

Evidence Of The New Moon 669

Call for Prayer According to Five Islamic Schools of Law 672

Call For Prayer (Adhan) 672

Adhan Is A Sunnah Of Prophet(S) 672

The Conditions For Adhan 672

The Form Of Adhan 673

Iqamah (A call immediately before prayer) 673

Call For Prayer & Ablution 674

Wudhu’ Or Ablution 674

Joining Prayers and Other related Issues 676

Prayer (Salat): According to Five Islamic Schools of Law Part 1 681

The Daily Supererogatory Prayers (Rawatib) 681

The Time Of Zuhr And ‘Asr Prayers 681

The Time Of Maghrib And ‘Isha’ Prayers 682

The Time Of Subh Prayer 683

Ignorance Of The Qiblah (Direction) 683

A Subsidiary Issue 683

Wajib Covering During Salat 684

The Material Used For Covering During Salat 684

The Place Of Salat 687

Prostrating On Mud 688

Prayer (Salat): According to Five Islamic Schools of Law Part 2 691

The Essentials (Arkan) Of Salat 691

1. Intention (Niyyah) 691

2. Takbirat al-’Ihram 692

3. Qiyam (standing) 692

4. Qira’ah (reciting) 693

5. Ruku’(bowing) 696

6. Sujud (prostration) 696

7. Tashahhud 697

The Hanafis 697

The Malikis 697

The Shafi’is 697

The Hanbalis 697

The Imamis 697

8. Tasleem (farewell) 697

9. Sequence (tartib) 698

10. Continuity 698

Error And Doubt During Salat 698

Doubt in the Number of Prayer Units (Rak’ahs) 700

The Festival (‘Id) Prayers 701

The Friday Prayer 702

Its necessity (Wujub) 703

Conditions 703

The Friday Sermons 703

Its Mode of Performance 704

Prayer For Rain 704

The Prayer Of The Eclipses 705

Belief of Shi’a in the Completeness of Qur’an 707

Different Arrangements of Qur’an 708

Sunni References: 708

Some Sunni Reports on the Incompleteness of Qur’an 714

The Qur’an Compiled by Imam ‘Ali (as) 724

Sunni References: 724

Sunni References: 725

Sunni References: 725

Sunni References: 725

Sunni References: 726

Shi’i References: 727

Tabarsi and Incompleteness of Qur’an 728

The Book of Fatimah (sa) 731

Outline of Differences Between Shi’ite and Sunni Schools of Thought 749

Introduction 749

Person Of God 749

Attributes Of Allah 751

Shi’i reference: Shi’ite Creed (al-Itqadat al-Imamiyyah), by Shaykh Saduq 751

Shi’i reference: Shi’ite Creed (al-Itqadat al-Imamiyyah), by Shaykh Saduq 751

Place Of Reason In Religion 752

Grace (Lutf Or Tafaddul) 752

Sunni reference: Creed of an-Nasafi 753

God’s Promises 753

Shi’i reference: Shi’ite Creed (al-Itqadat al-Imamiyyah), by Shaykh Saduq 753

Why Believe In God 753

Limit Of Law 753

Our Actions: Taqdir 753

Shi’i reference: Shi’ite Creed (al-Itqadat al-Imamiyyah), by Shaykh Saduq 753

Prophethood 754

Sinlessness 755

Imam (Leader) 755

Seeing Allah 757

Ala Soorateh 766

The Way That The God Fills The Hell 767

Abu Hurairah or Paul? 769

Subject: Abu Huraira (Part 3: His mental and physical conditions) 776

Subject: Re: Abu Huraira (Part 3: His mental and physical conditions) 779

Subject: Jews/Christians/Muslims (Part 2: Hiding the Truth) 782

Subject: Jews/Christians/Muslims (Part 3: Religious text books) 784

The Ahl al-Sunnah View of Ibn Taymiya and his Works 789

A Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law (Fiqh) 790

Ibn Taymiyyah 793

1) The Vision Of Allah In The Hereafter 795

2) The Speech Of Allah 795

3) Allah’s Hands 796

4) Allah’s Establishment On The Throne 796

Wahhabis 799

Abdullah Ibn Saba Part 1 801

Introduction 801

The Origin Of The Tale 802

The Stories About Abdullah Ibn Saba Which Do NOT Have Any Source Or Any Chain Of Transmitters 804

Reports About Abdullah Ibn Saba Which Were NOT Transmitted Through Sayf Ibn Umar 806

Al-Saba’iya And The Multiple Personality Of Ibn Saba 809

Ibn Saba And Shi’a 811

Sayf’s Achievements: An Overview 812

Abdullah Ibn Saba Part 2 815

The Return of Prophet Muhammad (S) 815

1) Qur’an Speaks: Return in the Past 815

2) Qur’an Speaks: Return in the Future 816

3) Qur’an Speaks: Return of the Prophet (S) 820

The Sunnis And The Idea Of Al-Raj’a 822

The Doctrine Of ‘Ali’s Executorship 823

Sunni References: 823

Sunni References: 824

Some of Sunni References: 825

Sunni References: 826

Attacking Two of Most Beloved Companions of the Prophet (S) and Their Disciples 826

Sunni References: 828

Sunni References: 828

Sunni References: 829

Sunni References: 829

Abdullah Ibn Saba Part 3 831

Agitation Against Uthman 831

a) Talha 831

b) Aisha 833

Sunni References: 834

c) Amr Ibn al-Aas 835

Few Reasons Behind The Revolt Against Uthman 836

Abdullah Ibn Saba Part 4 842

Sunni References: 843

Sunni References: 844

Sunni References: 844

Short Summary Of Comparing Reports On The Character Of Abdullah Ibn Saba 845

Abdullah Ibn Saba Part 5 846

The Opinion Of The Historians 846

Reference: History of al-Tabari, v15, pp xv-xvii 848

The Companions and the Jewish Influence Part 1 855

Introduction 855

Kaab Al-Ahbar 855

Ka’b Al-Ahbar Counts The Days Of The Caliph Umar 856

Imam ‘Ali’s (as) Attitude Towards Kaab 857

Ibn Abbas’s Attitude Towards Kaab 857

The Companions and the Jewish Influence Part 2 859

Kaab Interfered In The Caliphate 859

The Companions and the Jewish Influence Part 3 863

Kaab During The Reign Of Uthman 863

Sunni References: 863

On Other Incidents 863

Kumayl’s Invocation and other Supplications 865

Kumayl’s Invocation 865

Kumayl’s Life 876

The Invocation’s Merit 876

The Original Text 876

The Supplications for the Days of the Week 880

The Supplication for Sunday 881

The Supplication for Monday 883

The Supplication for Tuesday 886

The Supplication for Wednesday 888

The Supplication for Thursday 890

The Supplication for Friday 892

The Supplication for Saturday 894

Lessons From the Prophet and the Imams of Ahlul-Bayt: Excerpts from Usul al-Kafi 897

Place Of Reason In The Religion (Part 1) 897

Shi’ite Reference: Usul Al-Kafi, Arabic-English Version, Part 1, Pp 30-31, Tradition #11 (Part 2) 897

Shi’ite Reference: Usul Al-Kafi, Chapter Of "Reason And Ignorance", First Part Of The Tradition #12 (Part 3) 898

Shi’ite Reference: Usul Al-Kafi, Chapter Of "Reason And Ignorance", A Part Of Tradition #12 (Part 4) 898

Shi’ite Reference: Usul Al-Kafi, Chapter Of "Reason And Ignorance", A Part Of Tradition #12 (Part 5) 899

Shi’ite Reference: Usul Al-Kafi, Chapter Of "Reason And Ignorance", A Part Of Tradition #12 (Part 6) 900

Shi’ite Reference: Usul Al-Kafi, Chapter Of "Reason And Ignorance", A Part Of Tradition #12 - Majority Vs. Minority (Part 7) 901

Shi’ite Reference: Usul Al-Kafi, Arabic-English Version, Part 1, Pp 31-49, Tradition #12 - Love of a Friend (Part 8) 902

On Imam ‘Ali (as) 903

Islamic Scientists 905

1. Physics 905

(a). Abu ‘Ali al-Hasan ibn al-Haitham (965 - 1039) 905

(b). Abu Raihan al-Biruni (973 - 1051) 905

(c). Abu’l Fath’ Abd al-Rahman al-Khazini 905

2. Mathematics 905

(a). Muhammad Ibn Musa al-Khwarazmi 905

(b). Abul Fath Umar Ibn Ibrahim al-Khayyam 905

3. Medicine 905

(a). Abu ‘Ali al-Hussain ibn Sina 905

(b). Hunain ibn Ishaq 905

(c). Muhammad ibn Zakariyya ar Razi 905

4. Chemistry 906

(a). Jabir Ibn Hayyan 906

(b). Muhammad ibn Zakruyya ar RAzi 906

(c). Abul Qasim al-Iraqi 906

5. Astronomy 906

(a). al-Farghani (Alfraganus) 906

(b). Thabit ibn Qurrah 906

(c). al-Battani (Albategnius) 906

(d). al-Biruni 907

(e). al-Hazen 907

(f). ibn Yunus 907

(g). al-Zarqali 907

(h). ibn Tufail 907

(i). Ummar Khayyam 907

6. Art And Culture 907

(a). Qutab al-Din Shirazi 907

(b). Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khawarizmi 907

7. Philosophy 907

(a). Abu Yusuf Yaqub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi 907

(b). followed by Abu Nasr al-Farabi 907

8. Social Sciences 907

(a). Abd al-Rahman Abu Zaid ibn Khaldun 908

Subject: “References - Scientists “ 908

Some English Books on Shi’a Beliefs 909

Books For Children 909

Books For Adults 910

1) Qur’an & Qur’anic Studies 910

2) Tradition And Prayers 910

3) Islamic Studies 910

4) Practical Laws And Fiqah 911

5) History 911

6) Ethics 911

7) New Arrivals 912

Book List - Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an 912

Holy Qur’an In Arabic With Translation In English 912

Holy Qur’an In Arabic With Translation & Commentary In English 913

Holy Qur’an In Arabic With Translation In Roman Script 913

Holy Qur’an In English Translation Only 913

Holy Qur’an In Various Other Languages 913

Titles On Qur’anic Subjects 913

Titles On Traditions (Hadiths) 914

First Encylopedia of Islam (Brills) Vols I - IX 914

Titles On Islamic History 914

On Imam Mahdi (as) 914

On The Twelve Imams (as) And The Ahl Al-Bayt 915

General Topics 915

Letters And Sermons Of Imam ‘Ali (as) 915

On Shi’a’ism 915

Titles On The Creator (God) 916

Titles On Mankind And Death 916

Our Philosophy 916

Titles On Supplications 917

Titles On Marriages 917

Titles For Women 917

Titles On Al- Islam 917

Titles On Politics 918

Titles On Economics 918

Iqtisaduna (Translated as Our Economics 918

Titles On Dietary Law 918

Audio Cassettes 918

Permanent Marriage

In Islam the word most commonly employed for marriage is nikah, which means literally 'sexual intercourse'. As a legal term it denotes the situation resulting from a particular contract, entered into by a man and a woman, by which sexual intercourse between them becomes legitimate in the eyes of God and society. The only other mode of legitimizing this sexual relationship is by a man's purchasing a female slave, but this is a complicated discussion that cannot concern us here.

Marriage as a legal institution is defined and described in terms of a number of 'pillars' (arkan) and 'statutes' (ahkam), which are discussed in what follows. The pillars are those elements of the marriage contract whose absence nullifies the contract. The statutes are the rules and regulations that govern the contract. A brief account will also be given of certain other legal points relating to marriage, namely divorce, the waiting period, forswearing, sworn allegation, zihar, and inheritance.

I. The Pillars of the Marriage Contract

Marriage has a set number of pillars, two according to the Shi’a , three according to the Malikis and Hanafis, and four according to the Hanbalis and Shafi'is. All schools agree on the first two pillars, 'formula' and 'persons'.

A. The Formula (sigha)

Marriage is legalized by a contract ('aqd), which, like all other contracts in Islam, consists of a declaration (ijab) and an acceptance (qabul). The woman declares that she is entering into a relationship of marriage with the man, and he accepts her as his wife.

The schools differ as to the exact words that may be employed in the woman's declaration. The Shafi'is and Hanbalis hold that a formula derived from the words 'I have married you' (ankahtu-ka) or 'I have espoused you' (zawwajtu-ka) are valid. The Malikis maintain that if the amount of the dower to be paid to the wife (see II A below) has been specified, the woman may also say 'I give myself to you' (wahabtu-ka)1 .

The Shi’a do not include the verb 'to give', but they add the formula, 'I surrender myself to your pleasure' (matta'tu-ka).2 The Hanafi School is the freest in respect of the formula, allowing any number of expressions to be employed, and even certain indirect formulas.

All schools agree that the man may show his acceptance by employing any word which denotes his satisfaction with the contract.

The Hanbali, Maliki, and Shi'i schools hold that the verbs for both declaration and acceptance must be in the perfect tense. According to the Hanafis, the present tense may be employed as long as what is meant is directed toward the future, i.e., does not denote the seeking of a promise of marriage;3 according to the Shafi'is, the present tense may be used if it excludes the possibility of being interpreted as a promise of marriage, e.g., by adding the word 'right now' (al-an).4

All agree that both declaration and acceptance must be uttered at a single session. It is not necessary for the declaration to precede the acceptance, except according to the Hanbalis.5 A person who knows Arabic must pronounce the formula in that language, but those who do not know Arabic may employ equivalent terms in their own language. A mute may employ sign language.

B. The Persons (mahall)

The man and woman must be free of all shar'i hindrances to their marriage, as explained below. The identity of the spouses must be clearly specified. Thus, for example, if the guardian (below, C) should say: 'I give one of my two daughters to you in marriage', and the man should accept, the contract is invalid.

A woman may not marry a husband who is not 'equal' (kafa) to her. According to the Shi’a , this means only that the woman's husband must be a Muslim.6 The Sunni schools add equality in terms of various social considerations. Not only must the man be a Muslim, he must also have a social standing at least equal to the woman's.

In other words, she may not marry anyone below her rank in society, though a man may do so. 'Equality' here is defined in terms of a number of factors which differ slightly among the four schools. The Hanafis mention Islam, lineage, profession, liberty (as opposed to slavery), piety, and property. The Shafi'is list lineage, religion, and profession, differing only slightly in the words employed from the Hanbalis. The Malikis mention piety and freedom from physical defects detrimental to marriage.7

A man and woman may be forbidden from marrying for several reasons:

1. Blood relationship (qaraba). A man may not marry the following women: (a) His mother or any of his grandmothers; (b) His daughter or granddaughters, no matter how far removed; (c) His sister; (d) His nieces, his aunts, or his great aunts.

2. Relationship by marriage (musahara). A man may not marry: (a) The mother or grandmothers of his wife; (b) The daughter, granddaughter, etc., of a wife with whom his marriage has been consummated; (c) The ex-wife of his son, grandson, etc.; (d) The ex-wife of his father, grandfather, etc.

3. There are certain women whom a man may marry singly, but not at the same time. These are (a) two sisters, and (b) a woman and the sister of her mother or father. In the second case, the Shi’a take exception to the four Sunni schools by saying that if the aunt agrees to share her husband with her niece, the contract is valid.8

Except for the daughter of his wife, in the three other instances of relationship by marriage, the women become forbidden to the man as soon as the marriage contract is concluded; consummation of the marriage is not necessary. But if a man wants to marry the daughter of a wife with whom he has not consummated his marriage, he can do so if he first divorces the wife.

Once the marriage has been consummated, the wife's daughter is forbidden to him forever, whether or not the marriage contract is valid. If a man should marry both a woman and her daughter or two sisters in a single contract, both marriages are invalid. In both cases, should he first marry one and then the other, the first contract is valid and the second void.

The schools of law differ as to what exactly establishes the unmarriageability of a woman as the result of a relationship by marriage. For the Hanafis, unmarriageability is established by a valid marriage contract, sexual intercourse in whatever context (i.e. whether as the result of a valid contract, an invalid one, or fornication), love play, or looking at the private parts of a person of the opposite sex.9

The Shafi'is hold that unmarriageability is established only by a valid marriage contract or by the consummation of an invalid marriage contract. They do not consider any other factors, such as fornication or love play, as sufficient to establish unmarriageability.10

The Maliki position is the same as the Hanafi, except in the case of fornication; like the Shafi'is, the Malikis hold that no honor or respect can be paid to fornication.11 In the Hanbali view an invalid contract, like a valid one, results in unmarriageability, as does sexual intercourse.12 The Shi’a hold the same position as the Shafi'is except that the opinion of the 'ulama's split on fornication; one group says that it results in unmarriageability, another group says it does not.13

4. Foster relationships because of suckling (rida'). In establishing unmarriageability, a foster mother who suckles an infant is considered exactly as the infant's real mother, provided that all the shar'i conditions for this relationship are fulfilled, as detailed below. In other words, the children of the foster mother are considered as the child's siblings and all of her other relatives are considered exactly as if they were truly the child's relatives by blood or marriage.

The Shi’a and Hanbalis hold that the mother's milk must have been the result of pregnancy from marriage.14 The Shafi'is hold that the mere physical possibility of pregnancy is sufficient. Thus, for example, if a married nine year old girl should have begun menstruation and her breasts produce milk, and if she should provide milk for a foster child, the shar'i foster relationship is established.15

The Malikis and the Hanafis maintain that it is only necessary for the woman to have given milk for the relationship to be established; it makes no difference if she should also be an unmarried virgin, or if she is too young to marry or too old to bear children.16

According to the Hanbali and Shafi'i schools, if the foster mother should have become pregnant through fornication, the relationship of unmarriageability is established only with the mother's blood relatives, not with the father's, since he has no legitimate relationship with the mother. The Hanafi and Maliki schools say that unmarriageability is established also with the father's relatives.17 The Shi’a hold that in the case of fornication no relationship of unmarriageability is established whatsoever, since fornication deserves no respect.18

According to four of the schools, the foster child must have been suckled before it reaches two years of age for unmarriageability to be established. The Malikis set the age at two years and two months.19

According to all the schools, the milk must have entered the infant's stomach.

The Shi’a hold that the infant must have suckled at the breast of the foster mother. Hence, if the milk is placed in a container and fed to the child, the foster relationship is not established.20 The Sunni schools hold that the means of drinking the milk is irrelevant.

The schools differ as to how many times milk must be drunk. The Shafi'i and Hanbali schools hold that the infant must suckle at least five times.21 The Shi’a hold that it must suckle over a period of twenty-four hours or at least fifteen times, and each time it must drink a quantity of milk that would customarily be called a 'feeding'.22 According to the Hanafis and Malikis, a single act of suckling, even if the infant drinks only one drop of milk, is sufficient to establish the relationship.23

The Shafi'is and the Shi’a add that the foster mother must be alive when the milk is drunk.24 The other schools hold that even if for some reason an infant should suckle at the breast of a corpse, the foster relationship will be established.25

5. Religious difference. A woman may not marry a non-Muslim. In Sunnism, a man may marry a woman who is one of the 'People of the Book' (ahl al-kitab, i.e., Christians, Jews, and other religions with revealed scriptures). But in Shi’a m a man may not contract a permanent marriage with a non-Muslim, though he may marry one of the People of the Book temporarily.26 If either of the spouses should become an apostate, the marriage is automatically annulled.

6. Maximum number of wives. A man may not have more than four wives at one time. If a man should divorce one of his wives, he cannot remarry until her waiting period (below, IV) is completed, unless the divorce should be of the irrevocable type (ba'in, see below under III).

7. Divorce. If a man should have divorced his wife irrevocably, she is forbidden to him forever, unless she should marry another man and obtain a divorce from him. Once the woman's waiting period has expired, she may remarry her first husband. The woman's husband is known as the muhallill, 'he who makes [marriage to her first husband] lawful'. The marriage with the muJ:tallil must be consummated.27

8. Sworn allegation. Having annulled his marriage through 'sworn allegation' (li'an, below, VII), a man may never remarry the woman.

C. Guardianship (wilaya)

The legal guardian in the marriage contract may be the father, the father's father (Hanafi, Shafi'i, Shi'i), the executor of the father's will concerning the marriage (wasi), the governor of the town (hakim) in case of the nonexistence of the others (Hanbali), and the owner of a slave (Maliki). The mother has no guardianship except in the Hanafi School, which holds that if there is no close male relative, close female relatives may assume the guardianship and conclude the marriage contract.28

In the Maliki and Shafi'i schools, the participation of the legal guardian is one of the pillars of the marriage; in the Hanbali School it is a condition (shart) of the contract, which means that if the contract is concluded without the guardian, it will be valid only on condition that the guardian gives permission afterwards.29 Hence in these three schools the woman does not have the right to conclude a marriage contract without the participation of her guardian.30

In the Shi'i and Hanafi schools the presence of the guardian is required only at the marriage contract of a girl not of age, that is, one who has not yet reached puberty (saghira), or of an incompetent or insane girl or woman of age.

In both these schools a girl who is physically mature may marry whomsoever she wishes, and the validity of the contract is not conditional upon the presence of the guardian.31 However, the Hanafis add that since social equality (kafa') is a condition for a valid contract, a guardian may annul a contract concluded by a woman on her own behalf with an unequal man.32

In the Maliki, Hanbali, and Shafi'i schools, the guardian may give a virgin in marriage without her consent, whether or not she is of age. But a woman or girl who has been married before may not be given in marriage without her permission.33 The Hanafis and Shi’a hold that only a girl not of age may be given in marriage without her consent.34 The Shafi'is add here that if an underage girl has already been married, she may not be given in marriage again until she comes of age.35

The regulations of guardianship also apply to boys not of age (saghir) and mentally incompetent men.36

D. Witnesses (Shahid)

The Shafi'i, Hanbali, and Hanafi schools hold that the presence of two witnesses is a pillar of marriage and that without their presence, the contract is invalid.37 The Malikis hold that the presence of two witnesses is necessary at the time of the marriage's consummation (dukhul), but not during the contract, when their presence is merely recommended.38 The Shi’a maintain that the presence of one or more witnesses is not a pillar of the contract, so a man and woman may conclude a contract secretly if they so wish.39

II. The Statutes Of Marriage

A. The Dower (mahr)

Whenever a man marries a woman, he must give her a dower in return for the sexual gratification he is to receive. The dower must consist of a specified amount of property, cash, or profit. It must be ritually pure and owned by the husband. All schools agree that the dower does not have to be mentioned in the contract. If it is mentioned and does not fulfill the conditions required for dowers, the contract is valid but the dower must be corrected.

There are two kinds of dower. The 'specified dower' (al-mahr al-musamma) is one upon which the man and the woman agree. The 'normal dower' (a!-mahr a!-mathal) is what the woman receives if she cannot come to an agreement with her husband over the specified dower, or if for some reason the specified dower should be invalid. The normal dower is the amount of property, in cash or kind, which other women of the same social status, age, beauty, etc., are receiving in the society of the time.

According to four of the schools, as soon as the marriage contract is concluded, the woman becomes the owner of the whole dower; the Malikis maintain that only one-half of the dower belongs to her at this point.40 Should the wife demand the dower from her husband immediately, he must pay it to her; but if he should divorce her before consummation and she has not yet taken the dower, he only has to pay her one-half.

In all schools, consummation of the marriage or the death of one of the spouses necessitates payment of the full dower. The Malikis add that if the wife should live with her husband at least one year, there being no hindrance to consummation of the marriage, he must pay the full dower.41 The Hanafis maintain that it is sufficient for the man to be alone with his wife on one occasion when there is no hindrance to consummation.42 According to the Hanbalis, being alone with the wife, love play, and seeing her private parts are all sufficient cause for the payment of the whole dower.43

Before consummation of the marriage, payment of all or part of the dower may be nullified for the following reasons:

1. One-half is nullified through divorce.

2. If the woman should become an apostate, she loses the whole dower.

3. If the man should become an apostate, the marriage is void, but he still must pay one-half the dower.

4. If the man or woman should annul the marriage because of physical disability or deception by the partner, she forfeits the whole dower; however, the Shi’a hold that if the woman should annul the marriage by reason of the man's impotence, she will be entitled to one-half the dower.44

5. If a man and woman should suddenly become forbidden to each other through the establishment of some relationship, e.g. a foster relationship, where the woman is not at fault, she receives one-half the dower; if she is at fault she loses all of it.

According to the Maliki, Hanbali, and Shi'i schools, if the marriage contract should be invalid but copulation takes place, the woman is entitled to the specified dower.45 The Shafi'is hold that in such a case, she receives the normal dower.46 The Hanafis rule that she will receive whichever of the two dowers is less.47 In a case of 'mistaken intercourse' (waty a!-shubha), where copulation takes place because the man and woman mistakenly believe themselves to be husband and wife, the woman is entitled to the normal dower.

The woman may refrain from sexual intercourse as long as she has not received the dower. In such a case the man may not claim conjugal rights unless it was explicitly stated in the marriage contract that the dower would be paid at some later date.

But if the woman should accept intercourse before receiving the dower, from then on she may not refuse her husband, unless it is proven that he has no ability to pay the dower; here the Shi’a take exception, holding that once the marriage is consummated, the wife may not refuse intercourse because of the husband's inability to pay the dower.48

The Hanbalis, Shafi'is, and Malikis say that if the husband's inability to pay is proven before consummation, the woman may annul the marriage; with the exception of the Hanbalis, they hold that she may not do so after consummation, since her willingness to engage in sexual intercourse proves that she accepted the marriage's validity; the Hanbalis say the woman may annul the marriage even after consummation.49 The Hanafis and Shi’a hold that the woman may not annul the marriage, but she may refuse to engage in intercourse.50

If the woman should decide to return part or all of her dower to her husband, he is then free from the obligation to pay it to her.

B. Support (nafaqa)

Once the woman has taken up residence with her husband, he must support her in a mode corresponding to the support received by her equals. Support includes such things as food, clothing, shelter, and other necessities. Payment of the dower becomes incumbent on the husband as a result of the marriage contract, but payment of support only becomes incumbent as a result of the contract and the wife's obedience to her husband. If the wife does not obey her husband, he is not obliged to support her.

Here it should be kept in mind that in Islamic society a wife must 'obey' her husband only within the shar'i limits, which is to say that the woman obeys the man on condition that he is obeying God. Should he tell her to do something not sanctioned by the sharia her duty is to follow God, not her husband.

A woman who is in the 'waiting period' (below, IV) after having been divorced, but not irrevocably, by her husband, is entitled to support, since she is still his wife. A woman who is in the waiting period of irrevocable divorce must be supported only if she is pregnant.

According to the Hanbalis, Malikis, and Shafi'is, if it is proven that the man does not have the ability to support his wife with the necessities of life, she has the right to seek to annul the marriage through a qadi (shar'i judge). The Hanafis and Shi’a maintain that a woman not adequately supported by her husband may complain to a qadi, who must then take whatever action he thinks necessary to rectify the situation, e.g., pursuading the husband to take employment.51

C. Annulment (faskh)

Any time a spouse has certain specified physical or mental disabilities which make continuation of the marriage difficult, the other spouse may annul the marriage. These disabilities vary according to the different schools.

All schools except the Hanafi list insanity, emasculation, and impotence for the men, and insanity, leprosy, and a blocked vagina for the wife; each of them except the Hanafi then adds various other disabilities of the same sort. In the Hanafi school the wife has the right to annul the marriage only for the three grounds listed, while the husband has no grounds for annulment on the basis of disabilities.52

The spouse who discovers a disability in the other spouse must exercise the right of annulment immediately or lose the right. Similarly, if there was knowledge of the disability before the marriage, the marriage is in effect an expression of satisfaction with the disability, so there is no grounds for annulment; however, the Shafi'is and Malikis hold that a woman's knowledge of the man's impotence before marriage does not effect her right to annul the marriage.53 If the annulment takes place before consummation, the wife receives no dower; if the marriage has been consummated, she receives the full dower.

All schools agree that disabilities which existed before the marriage are grounds for annulment, but there is a difference of opinion about disabilities which appear after the marriage. The Malikis hold that in the case of such later disabilities, the wife-but not the husband-has the right to annulment before consummation, so long as the husband was healthy before the marriage; however, in the case of insanity and leprosy, the husband has one year in which to undergo treatment, If he is not cured in one year, the annulment takes place,54

All schools agree that a full year is needed before the man can be judged impotent; after a year, the annulment takes place, The Shafi'is and Hanbalis maintain that both spouses retain the right to annulment, whether before or after consummation, The Sunni schools agree that the annulment should be declared by a qadi.

The Shi’a say that disabilities occurring after marriage do not establish grounds for annulment, with the exception of the husband's insanity, which is grounds for annulment even after consummation; as for impotence, the wife should seek the qadis pronouncement of the one year period, but then she herself annuls the marriage.55

III. Divorce (Talaq)

The pillars of divorce differ according to the schools. The Hanafis and Hanbalis hold that there is only one pillar, i,e., the formula through which it takes place. In the view of the Shafi'is and Malikis, the pillars are (I) the existence of the husband and the wife, (2) the formula of divorce, and (3) the intention.56

The Shi’a maintain that the pillars are (1) the husband and wife, (2) the formula, and (3) two witnesses,57 The husband may divorce the wife, but not the reverse. In contrast to marriage, the wife's consent is not necessary.

The man must be in possession of his rational faculties, have reached physical maturity (except in the Hanbali view), and be acting of his own free will (except according to the Hanafis). The Hanbalis maintain that a youth who has not reached puberty but who understands the meaning of divorce and its consequences may divorce his wife of his own accord; the Hanafis say that even if the formula is pronounced under duress, it is still valid.58 To the views shared with the other schools, the Shi’a add that the husband must pronounce the formula with the intent of divorcing his wife, although unlike the Shafi'is and Malikis, they do not make this a pillar of divorce.59

The wife must be a free woman, a permanent wife, and faithful, since there is no divorce in the case of a slave woman, a temporary wife (in Shi’a m), or an adulteress.

The man must employ words in the formula that denote divorce directly or indirectly, though the Shi’a hold that the word 'divorce' itself must be employed. A dumb man may divorce his wife through gestures. The Malikis and Hanafis hold that a man may divorce his wife in writing.

The formula must be pronounced three times in the manner described below.

Divorce has two general categories depending on the time the man chooses to pronounce the formula: 'traditional' (sunni) divorce, which is permitted, and 'non-traditional' (bid'i) divorce, which is prohibited.

Whether divorce is traditional or non-traditional depends upon the woman's state of ritual purity when the man pronounces the formula and his manner of reciting the formula. During menstruation and confinement after childbirth a woman is ritually impure, and she does not become pure again until her situation changes and she performs the major ablution (ghusl).

For the traditional divorce to take place, she must be in a state of ritual purity and her husband must not have had sexual intercourse with her during her last menstrual period (this condition is added for reasons of precision, even though sexual intercourse during that time is forbidden) or from the time she performed the major ablution after her period or confinement.

According to the Shi’a , if the woman is in the state known as mustaraba (i,e., she is approaching menopause, her menstrual period is delayed, and she mayor may not be pregnant), the husband must wait three months in order to determine her condition, and only then can he divorce her.60 The man must pronounce the formula on three separate occasions separated by a specific period of time, as explained below.

Although non-traditional divorce is forbidden with certain exceptions in the view of some schools, it may still take place. It is divided into several kinds: A divorce given while the woman is in (I) her menstrual period or (2) confinement, (3) A divorce given by pronouncing the formula three times on a single occasion; here the Shafi'is maintain that this form of divorce is permissible.61 (4) Divorce when the woman is ritually pure after menstruation, but sexual intercourse has taken place; the Malikis hold that this form of divorce is not forbidden, only reprehensible (makruh ).

In spite of the fact that non-traditional divorce is forbidden, the Sunnis hold that the formula pronounced under any of the above conditions is still valid. However, the Hanafis and Malikis say that the man must return to his wife and consider himself as her husband; if he still desires to divorce her; he must wait until she has purified herself after her second menstrual period from the time he originally pronounced the formula and then pronounce it once more. If the man does not return to his wife, the divorce is valid, but the man has then definitely sinned against the shari'a; however, no punishment is to be inflicted in this world before the Day of Judgment,62

The Shi’a maintain that non-traditional divorce is invalid, with the exception of the form in which a man pronounces the formula three times at once; such a divorce is then irrevocable.63

In certain cases, the temporal categories delineated by 'traditional' and 'non-traditional' do not apply. Thus a man may divorce at any time a woman with whom he has not consummated the marriage, a girl who has not reached puberty, a woman who has reached menopause, and a pregnant wife. In three of the schools, these types of divorce are considered traditional, while the Shafi'is and Hanbalis hold that they are outside the classification.64

According to three of the schools, divorce initiated by the wife (khul' and mubarat, discussed below), divorce as a result of 'forswearing' (I'la, below V), and divorce ordered by a qadi have no temporal conditions. The Malikis and Shi’a hold that these are types of traditional divorce with the same temporal conditions.65

For a divorce to become final, in most cases the man must pronounce the formula on three different occasions, as described below. Technically, his first and second pronouncements are also divorces, but they are 'revocable' (rij'i). Hence, divorce may be divided into the revocable and irrevocable (ba'in) forms. In the following cases, divorce is irrevocable:

I. The divorce of a wife with whom marriage has not been consummated.

2. The divorce of a wife who has not yet reached puberty.

3. The divorce of a wife who has reached menopause.

4. Divorce initiated by the wife (khul' and mubarat ).

5. The third divorce after two revocable divorces.

Once an irrevocable divorce has taken place, a man may not remarry his wife unless she first marries another man and consummates the marriage; having been divorced irrevocably from her second husband, she may then remarry her first.

The second husband is known as the muhallil, as mentioned above. In such a situation, it would be normal practice for some sort of agreement to be made between the wife and her second husband. However, it is not permissible for a condition of subsequent divorce to be entered into the marriage contract. Outwardly the contract must be the same as for any permanent marriage.66

A woman who has been revocably divorced keeps the status of wife, and the husband may return to her and have sexual intercourse with her if he so wishes. But according to the Malikis, he must make the mental intention of returning to her before doing so; and according to the Shafi'is, he must express the intention verbally to his wife.67

It is permissible to include a condition of divorce in the marriage contract in certain cases. Hence, for example, a wife may stipulate that if her husband should marry a second wife, she will have the right to be divorced.

Although only the man has the right to pronounce the formula of divorce, the woman may take the initiative in khul' and mubarat. These two terms are almost synonymous, but in the case of khul', the wife must have an aversion to her husband; in muharat, there should be mutual aversion. In each case the wife agrees to pay her husband a certain amount of property in cash or kind if he divorces her.

According to the Shi’a , the amount in muharat must not exceed the amount of the dower, while in khul' there are no conditions on the amount, These divorces are irrevocable, except according to the Shi’a , who hold that during her waiting period the woman may take back her property from her husband, in which case he has the right to conjugal relations.68 The Hanbalis maintain that khul' is a form of annulment, not divorce.69

Since these types of divorces are in reality a kind of contract, they require a declaration (ijab) and an acceptance (qabul). The woman must say something like: 'Divorce me in exchange for such and such', while the man must answer something like: 'I accept' or 'I divorce you'. The Sunnis hold that the husband may employ any number of words in the formula, such as 'divorce' or words derived from the same roots as khul' and muharat. The Shi’a say that the word 'divorce' itself must be employed.70

According to the Sunni schools, a third party may initiate a khul' divorce. In other words, he may offer the husband a sum in exchange for which the husband will divorce his wife. The Shi’a maintain that this is forbidden.71

The schools discuss in detail the nature of the property which may be exchanged in khul' and mubarat, differing on many minor points. In general it must be lawful and intrinsically valuable, like the property which constitutes the dower. If not, the divorce will be valid, but there is then a difference of opinion as to whether it is revocable or irrevocable.

IV. The Waiting Period ('Idda)

When a woman is divorced or her husband dies, she must wait for a prescribed period of time before she can remarry.

If the woman's husband has died, the waiting period differs according to whether or not she is pregnant; if she is not, she must wait four months and ten days. Such things as her physical maturity, whether or not she has reached menopause, and whether or not the marriage has been consummated are irrelevant.

If the woman is pregnant, according to the Sunnis her waiting period terminates when she gives birth to the child; according to the Shi’a , she must wait either four months and ten days or the term of her pregnancy, whichever is longer.72

If a woman's husband should be away on a journey when she hears of his death, according to the Sunni schools her waiting period begins on the date of his death; the Shi’a hold that it begins on the day she receives the news.73

The waiting period for divorce differs according to circumstances and the views of the different schools. A woman with whom the marriage has not been consummated has no waiting period. A girl less than nine years old has no waiting period according to the Hanbalis and the Shi’a; but the Malikis and Shafi'is hold that if she was mature enough to participate in sexual relations, she must wait three months; the Hanafis hold that in any case her waiting period is three months.

A woman who has gone through menopause must wait three months in the view of the Sunni schools, but the Shi’a say that she has no waiting period. A woman who menstruates and who is not pregnant must wait either three tuhrs (periods of purification after menstruation) according to the Shi’a , Malikis, and Shafi'is, or three menstrual periods according to the Hanafis and Hanbalis. A woman who is old enough to menstruate but who does not or who is in the state of mustaraha must wait three months. A woman who is pregnant must wait until she has delivered her child.74

V. Forswearing (Ila')

'Forswearing' means to swear an oath in God's name not to have sexual relations with one's wife, either absolutely, or for a period of more than four months. Since the sharia forbids a husband from refraining from sexual intercourse with his wife for more than four months, once the four months have passed, the wife has a valid reason to have recourse to a qadhi.

If the husband should break the oath, he must pay the expiation (kaffara) set by the law for the breaking of an oath. If he holds to his oath and the four months pass, the wife may go before a qadi and request that he clarify her marital situation. According to the wife's wishes, the qadi will either order the husband to return to his wife or to divorce her.

If the husband is ordered to return to her but refuses, the qadi will then order him to divorce her. If he also refuses that, the qadil will grant her a revocable divorce.

The Shi’a differ here by holding that the qadi does not have the right to grant divorce in the husband's stead; however, he can force the husband-by imprisonment or other means at his disposal-to take one of the two courses open to him, i.e., to return to her or divorce her.75 The Hanafis say that once the period of the husband's oath comes to an end, the woman is divorced irrevocably, without any need for the husband's pronouncement of the formula.76 The Shi’a hold that forswearing may not take place in the case of a virgin.77 The Sunni schools disagree and add that if her husband divorces her, the divorce is irrevocable.

VI. Zihar

In pre-Islamic times the Arabs practiced a form of divorce which amounted to the husband's reciting the formula, 'You are to me as my mother's back (zahr)', a practice referred to as zihar. Although Islam forbids zihar (cf. Qur'an 33:4, 58:2), if a man should recite this formula to his wife--or an equivalent formula, by substituting a reference to any other female forbidden to him-sexual intercourse with his wife is forbidden to him. Zihar's conditions are the same as those of divorce; hence in Shi’a m two witnesses must hear the formula recited.

VII. Sworn Allegation (Li'an)

'Sworn allegation' is a procedure whereby a man may take his wife before a qadi and either accuse her of infidelity or deny his fathering her child. The man then pronounces this formula four times: 'I testify before God that I speak the truth concerning what I say about this woman.' The qadi will then counsel the man concerning the gravity of his accusation. If he should repent of his words, he will receive the punishment for false accusation (eighty lashes). If he maintains the truth of his accusation, he must repeat a second formula four times: 'God's curse be upon me if I am a liar'.

The judge then turns to the wife. She may either face the penalty for adultery (stoning to death) or repeat this formula four times: 'I testify before God that he is a liar'. The judge will counsel her concerning the gravity of falsely swearing before God. If she continues to maintain her innocence, she must pronounce a second formula four times: 'God's wrath be upon me if he is telling the truth '. If she refuses to pronounce the formula, she will suffer the penalty for adultery.

After sworn allegation, the man and woman are forbidden to each other forever, without divorce. If the husband denies the parentage of a child, the child is illegitimate. If the man should ever repent of his allegation, he must suffer the penalty for false accusation. In case a child is involved, its legitimacy will then be restored; according to the Sunnis, in such a case the father and the child inherit from each other, but according to the Shi’a , the father may not inherit from the child.78 The woman continues to be forbidden to the man.

VIII. Inheritance (Mirath)

Husband and wife inherit from each other according to set rules. The only condition for inheritance is a valid marriage contract, not consummation of the marriage.

If the wife should die childless, the husband inherits one-half of her property; if she had a child or children, he inherits one-fourth. If the husband should die childless, the wife inherits one-fourth of her property; if he had children, she inherits one-eighth.

If the deceased wife should have no other relatives, all property goes to the husband. If the deceased husband should have no other relatives, the wife will inherit one-half the property and the rest will go to the bayt al-mal (the community treasury), except according to one of two Shi'i opinions, which holds that she inherits all the property.79 If the deceased husband had more than one wife, the wife's share is divided among them equally.

The husband inherits from everything left by the wife. According to the Sunni schools, the wife also inherits from everything left by the husband; in general the Shi’a hold that if she does not have any children from the husband, she inherits from all property except land, though she does inherit from the value of property situated upon the land, such as buildings, trees, implements, etc.80

If a woman should be in a period of revocable divorce when she or her husband dies, her situation is the same as that of an ordinary wife. But when irrevocable divorce has taken place, there is no inheritance, with the exception of divorce during illness.

If the husband should be ill and divorce his wife irrevocably, and if she should then die, he does not inherit from her; but if the husband should die as a result of the illness, the schools differ as to the situation.

The Hanbalis hold that the wife inherits as long as she has not remarried. The Hanafis say that she inherits as long as she is still in her waiting period. The Malikis hold that she inherits in any case. The Shafi'is have two opinions, one that there is no inheritance, the other that the situation is as the Hanafis say. The Shi’a maintain that she may inherit within one year of the divorce provided she has not remarried.81

Notes

1. 'Abd al-Rahman al-Jaziri, al-Fiqh 'ala al-madhahib al-arba'a (hereafter cited as Fiqh), Cairo, 1969, IV, 24.

2. Al-Shahid al Thani (Zayn al-Din Muhammad ibn 'Ali al-Jab'i al-'Amili [d. 965/1558]), al-Rawdat al-bahiyya fi sharh al-lum'at al-Dimashqiyya (hereafter cited as Sharh al-luma), Beirut, 1967, v, 108.

3. Fiqh, IV, 13.

4. Ibid., 18.

5. Ibid., 25.

6. Sharh al-lum'a. v. 234.

7. Fiqh, IV, 54-60.

8. Sharh al-lum'a, V, 181; Muhammad 'Ali al-Tabataba'i (d. 1231/1816), Riyad al-masail (also known as al-Sharh al-Kabir), Tabriz, 1308/1890-9 1,II, 94.

9. Fiqh, IV, 63.

10. Ibid.,65.

11. Ibid.,66.

12. Ibid.,67-68.

13. Sharh al-lum'a, v, 176-82; Riyad, II,96-97.

14. Fiqh, IV, 268; Riyad, II, 86.

15. Fiqh, IV, 256.

16. Ibid.,253-55.

17. Ibid.,268-69.

18. Riyad, II, 86.

19. Fiqh, IV, 253.

20. Riyad, II, 86.

21. Fiqh,lv,257.

22. Riyad, II, 87.

23. Fiqh,IV, 257.

24. Ibid., 256; Sharh al-lum'a, II, 63.

25. Fiqh, IV, 254,255, and 261.

26. Sharh al-lum'a, v, 156; Riyad, II, 105-06.

27. Fiqh, IV, 77-84; Riyad, II, 181; Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 46.

28. Fiqh,IV, 27.

29. Ibid., 46--47.

30. The major sources for this ruling are two hadith: 'If any of your women marry without the permission ofher guardian, the marriage is invalid (batil)' (Abu Dawud, Nikah 19; al-Darimi, Nikah 11). 'A woman may not be given in marriage by a woman, nor may a woman give herself in marriage' (Ibn Maja, Nikah 15 Malik, Nikah 5).

31. Fiqh, IV, 46--47; Sharh al-lum'a, V, 112; Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Hurr al-'Amili (d. 1104-1693), Wasa'il al-shi'a, Tehran, 1385/1965-66, XIV, 220-221, hadith 1-3.

32. Fiqh, IV, 46.

33. Ibid.,51-52.

34. Ibid., Sharh al-lum'a, v, 116.

35. Fiqh, IV, 51-52.

36. Ibid.,51.

37. Ibid.,25.

38. Ibid.

39. Sharh al-lum'a, V, 112; Riyad, II, 70.

40. Fiqh, IV, 108.

41. Ibid.,109.

42. Ibid., III.

43. Ibid.,115.

44. Sharh al-lum'a, II, 101; Riyad, II, 135.

45. Fiqh, IV, 120-21; Sharh al-lum'a, II,101; Riyad, II, 135.

46. Fiqh, IV,118.

47. Ibid.,116.

48. Sharh al-lum'a, v, 371-72; Riyad, II, 149

49. Fiqh, IV, 165.

50. Ibid., 163; Riyad, II, 109-10.

51. Fiqh, IV, 581; Sharh al-lum'a, v, 237-38; Riyad, II, 109-10.

52. Fiqh, IV, 189-92.

53. Ibid.,197.

54. Ibid.,181-98.

55. Sharh al-lum'a, v, 387; Riyad, II, 132-35.

56. Fiqh,IV, 280.

57. Sharh al-lum'a,vi, 11; Riyad,II, 168-75.

58. Fiqh, IV, 284

59. Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 14-21; Riyad, II, 172.

60. Riyad, II,171.

61. Fiqh,IV,297.

62. Ibid.,310.

63. Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 31-32; Riyad, II, 176.

64. Fiqh, IV, 305, and 307.

65. Ibid., 302; Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 36-37; Riyad, II. 176.

66. The necessity for the muhallil is established by Qur'an 2:230. And if he divorces her finally, she shall not be lawful to him after that, until she marries another husband. If he divorces her, then it is no fault in them to return to each other.'

67. Fiqh, IV, 435-41.

68. Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 104-07; Riyad, II, 196.

69. Fiqh, IV, 424.

70. Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 87-89, and 111-13; Riyad, II, 107.

71. Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 90-95.

72. Ibid., 62-63; Riyad, II, 187.

73. Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 65-66; Riyad, II, 188.

74. Fiqh, IV, 540-52; Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 57-65; Riyad, II,183-86.

75. Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 160; Riyad, II, 123.

76. Fiqh, IV, 485.

77. Riyad, II,122.

78. Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 210-12; Riyad, II, 217-18.

79. Sharh al-lum'a, VIII, 65-66; Riyad, II, 366.

80. Sharh al-lum'a, VIII, 172 74; Riyad, II, 367.

81. Sharh al-lum'a, VIII, 172; Riyad, II, 367, 369.

Permanent Marriage

In Islam the word most commonly employed for marriage is nikah, which means literally 'sexual intercourse'. As a legal term it denotes the situation resulting from a particular contract, entered into by a man and a woman, by which sexual intercourse between them becomes legitimate in the eyes of God and society. The only other mode of legitimizing this sexual relationship is by a man's purchasing a female slave, but this is a complicated discussion that cannot concern us here.

Marriage as a legal institution is defined and described in terms of a number of 'pillars' (arkan) and 'statutes' (ahkam), which are discussed in what follows. The pillars are those elements of the marriage contract whose absence nullifies the contract. The statutes are the rules and regulations that govern the contract. A brief account will also be given of certain other legal points relating to marriage, namely divorce, the waiting period, forswearing, sworn allegation, zihar, and inheritance.

I. The Pillars of the Marriage Contract

Marriage has a set number of pillars, two according to the Shi’a , three according to the Malikis and Hanafis, and four according to the Hanbalis and Shafi'is. All schools agree on the first two pillars, 'formula' and 'persons'.

A. The Formula (sigha)

Marriage is legalized by a contract ('aqd), which, like all other contracts in Islam, consists of a declaration (ijab) and an acceptance (qabul). The woman declares that she is entering into a relationship of marriage with the man, and he accepts her as his wife.

The schools differ as to the exact words that may be employed in the woman's declaration. The Shafi'is and Hanbalis hold that a formula derived from the words 'I have married you' (ankahtu-ka) or 'I have espoused you' (zawwajtu-ka) are valid. The Malikis maintain that if the amount of the dower to be paid to the wife (see II A below) has been specified, the woman may also say 'I give myself to you' (wahabtu-ka)1 .

The Shi’a do not include the verb 'to give', but they add the formula, 'I surrender myself to your pleasure' (matta'tu-ka).2 The Hanafi School is the freest in respect of the formula, allowing any number of expressions to be employed, and even certain indirect formulas.

All schools agree that the man may show his acceptance by employing any word which denotes his satisfaction with the contract.

The Hanbali, Maliki, and Shi'i schools hold that the verbs for both declaration and acceptance must be in the perfect tense. According to the Hanafis, the present tense may be employed as long as what is meant is directed toward the future, i.e., does not denote the seeking of a promise of marriage;3 according to the Shafi'is, the present tense may be used if it excludes the possibility of being interpreted as a promise of marriage, e.g., by adding the word 'right now' (al-an).4

All agree that both declaration and acceptance must be uttered at a single session. It is not necessary for the declaration to precede the acceptance, except according to the Hanbalis.5 A person who knows Arabic must pronounce the formula in that language, but those who do not know Arabic may employ equivalent terms in their own language. A mute may employ sign language.

B. The Persons (mahall)

The man and woman must be free of all shar'i hindrances to their marriage, as explained below. The identity of the spouses must be clearly specified. Thus, for example, if the guardian (below, C) should say: 'I give one of my two daughters to you in marriage', and the man should accept, the contract is invalid.

A woman may not marry a husband who is not 'equal' (kafa) to her. According to the Shi’a , this means only that the woman's husband must be a Muslim.6 The Sunni schools add equality in terms of various social considerations. Not only must the man be a Muslim, he must also have a social standing at least equal to the woman's.

In other words, she may not marry anyone below her rank in society, though a man may do so. 'Equality' here is defined in terms of a number of factors which differ slightly among the four schools. The Hanafis mention Islam, lineage, profession, liberty (as opposed to slavery), piety, and property. The Shafi'is list lineage, religion, and profession, differing only slightly in the words employed from the Hanbalis. The Malikis mention piety and freedom from physical defects detrimental to marriage.7

A man and woman may be forbidden from marrying for several reasons:

1. Blood relationship (qaraba). A man may not marry the following women: (a) His mother or any of his grandmothers; (b) His daughter or granddaughters, no matter how far removed; (c) His sister; (d) His nieces, his aunts, or his great aunts.

2. Relationship by marriage (musahara). A man may not marry: (a) The mother or grandmothers of his wife; (b) The daughter, granddaughter, etc., of a wife with whom his marriage has been consummated; (c) The ex-wife of his son, grandson, etc.; (d) The ex-wife of his father, grandfather, etc.

3. There are certain women whom a man may marry singly, but not at the same time. These are (a) two sisters, and (b) a woman and the sister of her mother or father. In the second case, the Shi’a take exception to the four Sunni schools by saying that if the aunt agrees to share her husband with her niece, the contract is valid.8

Except for the daughter of his wife, in the three other instances of relationship by marriage, the women become forbidden to the man as soon as the marriage contract is concluded; consummation of the marriage is not necessary. But if a man wants to marry the daughter of a wife with whom he has not consummated his marriage, he can do so if he first divorces the wife.

Once the marriage has been consummated, the wife's daughter is forbidden to him forever, whether or not the marriage contract is valid. If a man should marry both a woman and her daughter or two sisters in a single contract, both marriages are invalid. In both cases, should he first marry one and then the other, the first contract is valid and the second void.

The schools of law differ as to what exactly establishes the unmarriageability of a woman as the result of a relationship by marriage. For the Hanafis, unmarriageability is established by a valid marriage contract, sexual intercourse in whatever context (i.e. whether as the result of a valid contract, an invalid one, or fornication), love play, or looking at the private parts of a person of the opposite sex.9

The Shafi'is hold that unmarriageability is established only by a valid marriage contract or by the consummation of an invalid marriage contract. They do not consider any other factors, such as fornication or love play, as sufficient to establish unmarriageability.10

The Maliki position is the same as the Hanafi, except in the case of fornication; like the Shafi'is, the Malikis hold that no honor or respect can be paid to fornication.11 In the Hanbali view an invalid contract, like a valid one, results in unmarriageability, as does sexual intercourse.12 The Shi’a hold the same position as the Shafi'is except that the opinion of the 'ulama's split on fornication; one group says that it results in unmarriageability, another group says it does not.13

4. Foster relationships because of suckling (rida'). In establishing unmarriageability, a foster mother who suckles an infant is considered exactly as the infant's real mother, provided that all the shar'i conditions for this relationship are fulfilled, as detailed below. In other words, the children of the foster mother are considered as the child's siblings and all of her other relatives are considered exactly as if they were truly the child's relatives by blood or marriage.

The Shi’a and Hanbalis hold that the mother's milk must have been the result of pregnancy from marriage.14 The Shafi'is hold that the mere physical possibility of pregnancy is sufficient. Thus, for example, if a married nine year old girl should have begun menstruation and her breasts produce milk, and if she should provide milk for a foster child, the shar'i foster relationship is established.15

The Malikis and the Hanafis maintain that it is only necessary for the woman to have given milk for the relationship to be established; it makes no difference if she should also be an unmarried virgin, or if she is too young to marry or too old to bear children.16

According to the Hanbali and Shafi'i schools, if the foster mother should have become pregnant through fornication, the relationship of unmarriageability is established only with the mother's blood relatives, not with the father's, since he has no legitimate relationship with the mother. The Hanafi and Maliki schools say that unmarriageability is established also with the father's relatives.17 The Shi’a hold that in the case of fornication no relationship of unmarriageability is established whatsoever, since fornication deserves no respect.18

According to four of the schools, the foster child must have been suckled before it reaches two years of age for unmarriageability to be established. The Malikis set the age at two years and two months.19

According to all the schools, the milk must have entered the infant's stomach.

The Shi’a hold that the infant must have suckled at the breast of the foster mother. Hence, if the milk is placed in a container and fed to the child, the foster relationship is not established.20 The Sunni schools hold that the means of drinking the milk is irrelevant.

The schools differ as to how many times milk must be drunk. The Shafi'i and Hanbali schools hold that the infant must suckle at least five times.21 The Shi’a hold that it must suckle over a period of twenty-four hours or at least fifteen times, and each time it must drink a quantity of milk that would customarily be called a 'feeding'.22 According to the Hanafis and Malikis, a single act of suckling, even if the infant drinks only one drop of milk, is sufficient to establish the relationship.23

The Shafi'is and the Shi’a add that the foster mother must be alive when the milk is drunk.24 The other schools hold that even if for some reason an infant should suckle at the breast of a corpse, the foster relationship will be established.25

5. Religious difference. A woman may not marry a non-Muslim. In Sunnism, a man may marry a woman who is one of the 'People of the Book' (ahl al-kitab, i.e., Christians, Jews, and other religions with revealed scriptures). But in Shi’a m a man may not contract a permanent marriage with a non-Muslim, though he may marry one of the People of the Book temporarily.26 If either of the spouses should become an apostate, the marriage is automatically annulled.

6. Maximum number of wives. A man may not have more than four wives at one time. If a man should divorce one of his wives, he cannot remarry until her waiting period (below, IV) is completed, unless the divorce should be of the irrevocable type (ba'in, see below under III).

7. Divorce. If a man should have divorced his wife irrevocably, she is forbidden to him forever, unless she should marry another man and obtain a divorce from him. Once the woman's waiting period has expired, she may remarry her first husband. The woman's husband is known as the muhallill, 'he who makes [marriage to her first husband] lawful'. The marriage with the muJ:tallil must be consummated.27

8. Sworn allegation. Having annulled his marriage through 'sworn allegation' (li'an, below, VII), a man may never remarry the woman.

C. Guardianship (wilaya)

The legal guardian in the marriage contract may be the father, the father's father (Hanafi, Shafi'i, Shi'i), the executor of the father's will concerning the marriage (wasi), the governor of the town (hakim) in case of the nonexistence of the others (Hanbali), and the owner of a slave (Maliki). The mother has no guardianship except in the Hanafi School, which holds that if there is no close male relative, close female relatives may assume the guardianship and conclude the marriage contract.28

In the Maliki and Shafi'i schools, the participation of the legal guardian is one of the pillars of the marriage; in the Hanbali School it is a condition (shart) of the contract, which means that if the contract is concluded without the guardian, it will be valid only on condition that the guardian gives permission afterwards.29 Hence in these three schools the woman does not have the right to conclude a marriage contract without the participation of her guardian.30

In the Shi'i and Hanafi schools the presence of the guardian is required only at the marriage contract of a girl not of age, that is, one who has not yet reached puberty (saghira), or of an incompetent or insane girl or woman of age.

In both these schools a girl who is physically mature may marry whomsoever she wishes, and the validity of the contract is not conditional upon the presence of the guardian.31 However, the Hanafis add that since social equality (kafa') is a condition for a valid contract, a guardian may annul a contract concluded by a woman on her own behalf with an unequal man.32

In the Maliki, Hanbali, and Shafi'i schools, the guardian may give a virgin in marriage without her consent, whether or not she is of age. But a woman or girl who has been married before may not be given in marriage without her permission.33 The Hanafis and Shi’a hold that only a girl not of age may be given in marriage without her consent.34 The Shafi'is add here that if an underage girl has already been married, she may not be given in marriage again until she comes of age.35

The regulations of guardianship also apply to boys not of age (saghir) and mentally incompetent men.36

D. Witnesses (Shahid)

The Shafi'i, Hanbali, and Hanafi schools hold that the presence of two witnesses is a pillar of marriage and that without their presence, the contract is invalid.37 The Malikis hold that the presence of two witnesses is necessary at the time of the marriage's consummation (dukhul), but not during the contract, when their presence is merely recommended.38 The Shi’a maintain that the presence of one or more witnesses is not a pillar of the contract, so a man and woman may conclude a contract secretly if they so wish.39

II. The Statutes Of Marriage

A. The Dower (mahr)

Whenever a man marries a woman, he must give her a dower in return for the sexual gratification he is to receive. The dower must consist of a specified amount of property, cash, or profit. It must be ritually pure and owned by the husband. All schools agree that the dower does not have to be mentioned in the contract. If it is mentioned and does not fulfill the conditions required for dowers, the contract is valid but the dower must be corrected.

There are two kinds of dower. The 'specified dower' (al-mahr al-musamma) is one upon which the man and the woman agree. The 'normal dower' (a!-mahr a!-mathal) is what the woman receives if she cannot come to an agreement with her husband over the specified dower, or if for some reason the specified dower should be invalid. The normal dower is the amount of property, in cash or kind, which other women of the same social status, age, beauty, etc., are receiving in the society of the time.

According to four of the schools, as soon as the marriage contract is concluded, the woman becomes the owner of the whole dower; the Malikis maintain that only one-half of the dower belongs to her at this point.40 Should the wife demand the dower from her husband immediately, he must pay it to her; but if he should divorce her before consummation and she has not yet taken the dower, he only has to pay her one-half.

In all schools, consummation of the marriage or the death of one of the spouses necessitates payment of the full dower. The Malikis add that if the wife should live with her husband at least one year, there being no hindrance to consummation of the marriage, he must pay the full dower.41 The Hanafis maintain that it is sufficient for the man to be alone with his wife on one occasion when there is no hindrance to consummation.42 According to the Hanbalis, being alone with the wife, love play, and seeing her private parts are all sufficient cause for the payment of the whole dower.43

Before consummation of the marriage, payment of all or part of the dower may be nullified for the following reasons:

1. One-half is nullified through divorce.

2. If the woman should become an apostate, she loses the whole dower.

3. If the man should become an apostate, the marriage is void, but he still must pay one-half the dower.

4. If the man or woman should annul the marriage because of physical disability or deception by the partner, she forfeits the whole dower; however, the Shi’a hold that if the woman should annul the marriage by reason of the man's impotence, she will be entitled to one-half the dower.44

5. If a man and woman should suddenly become forbidden to each other through the establishment of some relationship, e.g. a foster relationship, where the woman is not at fault, she receives one-half the dower; if she is at fault she loses all of it.

According to the Maliki, Hanbali, and Shi'i schools, if the marriage contract should be invalid but copulation takes place, the woman is entitled to the specified dower.45 The Shafi'is hold that in such a case, she receives the normal dower.46 The Hanafis rule that she will receive whichever of the two dowers is less.47 In a case of 'mistaken intercourse' (waty a!-shubha), where copulation takes place because the man and woman mistakenly believe themselves to be husband and wife, the woman is entitled to the normal dower.

The woman may refrain from sexual intercourse as long as she has not received the dower. In such a case the man may not claim conjugal rights unless it was explicitly stated in the marriage contract that the dower would be paid at some later date.

But if the woman should accept intercourse before receiving the dower, from then on she may not refuse her husband, unless it is proven that he has no ability to pay the dower; here the Shi’a take exception, holding that once the marriage is consummated, the wife may not refuse intercourse because of the husband's inability to pay the dower.48

The Hanbalis, Shafi'is, and Malikis say that if the husband's inability to pay is proven before consummation, the woman may annul the marriage; with the exception of the Hanbalis, they hold that she may not do so after consummation, since her willingness to engage in sexual intercourse proves that she accepted the marriage's validity; the Hanbalis say the woman may annul the marriage even after consummation.49 The Hanafis and Shi’a hold that the woman may not annul the marriage, but she may refuse to engage in intercourse.50

If the woman should decide to return part or all of her dower to her husband, he is then free from the obligation to pay it to her.

B. Support (nafaqa)

Once the woman has taken up residence with her husband, he must support her in a mode corresponding to the support received by her equals. Support includes such things as food, clothing, shelter, and other necessities. Payment of the dower becomes incumbent on the husband as a result of the marriage contract, but payment of support only becomes incumbent as a result of the contract and the wife's obedience to her husband. If the wife does not obey her husband, he is not obliged to support her.

Here it should be kept in mind that in Islamic society a wife must 'obey' her husband only within the shar'i limits, which is to say that the woman obeys the man on condition that he is obeying God. Should he tell her to do something not sanctioned by the sharia her duty is to follow God, not her husband.

A woman who is in the 'waiting period' (below, IV) after having been divorced, but not irrevocably, by her husband, is entitled to support, since she is still his wife. A woman who is in the waiting period of irrevocable divorce must be supported only if she is pregnant.

According to the Hanbalis, Malikis, and Shafi'is, if it is proven that the man does not have the ability to support his wife with the necessities of life, she has the right to seek to annul the marriage through a qadi (shar'i judge). The Hanafis and Shi’a maintain that a woman not adequately supported by her husband may complain to a qadi, who must then take whatever action he thinks necessary to rectify the situation, e.g., pursuading the husband to take employment.51

C. Annulment (faskh)

Any time a spouse has certain specified physical or mental disabilities which make continuation of the marriage difficult, the other spouse may annul the marriage. These disabilities vary according to the different schools.

All schools except the Hanafi list insanity, emasculation, and impotence for the men, and insanity, leprosy, and a blocked vagina for the wife; each of them except the Hanafi then adds various other disabilities of the same sort. In the Hanafi school the wife has the right to annul the marriage only for the three grounds listed, while the husband has no grounds for annulment on the basis of disabilities.52

The spouse who discovers a disability in the other spouse must exercise the right of annulment immediately or lose the right. Similarly, if there was knowledge of the disability before the marriage, the marriage is in effect an expression of satisfaction with the disability, so there is no grounds for annulment; however, the Shafi'is and Malikis hold that a woman's knowledge of the man's impotence before marriage does not effect her right to annul the marriage.53 If the annulment takes place before consummation, the wife receives no dower; if the marriage has been consummated, she receives the full dower.

All schools agree that disabilities which existed before the marriage are grounds for annulment, but there is a difference of opinion about disabilities which appear after the marriage. The Malikis hold that in the case of such later disabilities, the wife-but not the husband-has the right to annulment before consummation, so long as the husband was healthy before the marriage; however, in the case of insanity and leprosy, the husband has one year in which to undergo treatment, If he is not cured in one year, the annulment takes place,54

All schools agree that a full year is needed before the man can be judged impotent; after a year, the annulment takes place, The Shafi'is and Hanbalis maintain that both spouses retain the right to annulment, whether before or after consummation, The Sunni schools agree that the annulment should be declared by a qadi.

The Shi’a say that disabilities occurring after marriage do not establish grounds for annulment, with the exception of the husband's insanity, which is grounds for annulment even after consummation; as for impotence, the wife should seek the qadis pronouncement of the one year period, but then she herself annuls the marriage.55

III. Divorce (Talaq)

The pillars of divorce differ according to the schools. The Hanafis and Hanbalis hold that there is only one pillar, i,e., the formula through which it takes place. In the view of the Shafi'is and Malikis, the pillars are (I) the existence of the husband and the wife, (2) the formula of divorce, and (3) the intention.56

The Shi’a maintain that the pillars are (1) the husband and wife, (2) the formula, and (3) two witnesses,57 The husband may divorce the wife, but not the reverse. In contrast to marriage, the wife's consent is not necessary.

The man must be in possession of his rational faculties, have reached physical maturity (except in the Hanbali view), and be acting of his own free will (except according to the Hanafis). The Hanbalis maintain that a youth who has not reached puberty but who understands the meaning of divorce and its consequences may divorce his wife of his own accord; the Hanafis say that even if the formula is pronounced under duress, it is still valid.58 To the views shared with the other schools, the Shi’a add that the husband must pronounce the formula with the intent of divorcing his wife, although unlike the Shafi'is and Malikis, they do not make this a pillar of divorce.59

The wife must be a free woman, a permanent wife, and faithful, since there is no divorce in the case of a slave woman, a temporary wife (in Shi’a m), or an adulteress.

The man must employ words in the formula that denote divorce directly or indirectly, though the Shi’a hold that the word 'divorce' itself must be employed. A dumb man may divorce his wife through gestures. The Malikis and Hanafis hold that a man may divorce his wife in writing.

The formula must be pronounced three times in the manner described below.

Divorce has two general categories depending on the time the man chooses to pronounce the formula: 'traditional' (sunni) divorce, which is permitted, and 'non-traditional' (bid'i) divorce, which is prohibited.

Whether divorce is traditional or non-traditional depends upon the woman's state of ritual purity when the man pronounces the formula and his manner of reciting the formula. During menstruation and confinement after childbirth a woman is ritually impure, and she does not become pure again until her situation changes and she performs the major ablution (ghusl).

For the traditional divorce to take place, she must be in a state of ritual purity and her husband must not have had sexual intercourse with her during her last menstrual period (this condition is added for reasons of precision, even though sexual intercourse during that time is forbidden) or from the time she performed the major ablution after her period or confinement.

According to the Shi’a , if the woman is in the state known as mustaraba (i,e., she is approaching menopause, her menstrual period is delayed, and she mayor may not be pregnant), the husband must wait three months in order to determine her condition, and only then can he divorce her.60 The man must pronounce the formula on three separate occasions separated by a specific period of time, as explained below.

Although non-traditional divorce is forbidden with certain exceptions in the view of some schools, it may still take place. It is divided into several kinds: A divorce given while the woman is in (I) her menstrual period or (2) confinement, (3) A divorce given by pronouncing the formula three times on a single occasion; here the Shafi'is maintain that this form of divorce is permissible.61 (4) Divorce when the woman is ritually pure after menstruation, but sexual intercourse has taken place; the Malikis hold that this form of divorce is not forbidden, only reprehensible (makruh ).

In spite of the fact that non-traditional divorce is forbidden, the Sunnis hold that the formula pronounced under any of the above conditions is still valid. However, the Hanafis and Malikis say that the man must return to his wife and consider himself as her husband; if he still desires to divorce her; he must wait until she has purified herself after her second menstrual period from the time he originally pronounced the formula and then pronounce it once more. If the man does not return to his wife, the divorce is valid, but the man has then definitely sinned against the shari'a; however, no punishment is to be inflicted in this world before the Day of Judgment,62

The Shi’a maintain that non-traditional divorce is invalid, with the exception of the form in which a man pronounces the formula three times at once; such a divorce is then irrevocable.63

In certain cases, the temporal categories delineated by 'traditional' and 'non-traditional' do not apply. Thus a man may divorce at any time a woman with whom he has not consummated the marriage, a girl who has not reached puberty, a woman who has reached menopause, and a pregnant wife. In three of the schools, these types of divorce are considered traditional, while the Shafi'is and Hanbalis hold that they are outside the classification.64

According to three of the schools, divorce initiated by the wife (khul' and mubarat, discussed below), divorce as a result of 'forswearing' (I'la, below V), and divorce ordered by a qadi have no temporal conditions. The Malikis and Shi’a hold that these are types of traditional divorce with the same temporal conditions.65

For a divorce to become final, in most cases the man must pronounce the formula on three different occasions, as described below. Technically, his first and second pronouncements are also divorces, but they are 'revocable' (rij'i). Hence, divorce may be divided into the revocable and irrevocable (ba'in) forms. In the following cases, divorce is irrevocable:

I. The divorce of a wife with whom marriage has not been consummated.

2. The divorce of a wife who has not yet reached puberty.

3. The divorce of a wife who has reached menopause.

4. Divorce initiated by the wife (khul' and mubarat ).

5. The third divorce after two revocable divorces.

Once an irrevocable divorce has taken place, a man may not remarry his wife unless she first marries another man and consummates the marriage; having been divorced irrevocably from her second husband, she may then remarry her first.

The second husband is known as the muhallil, as mentioned above. In such a situation, it would be normal practice for some sort of agreement to be made between the wife and her second husband. However, it is not permissible for a condition of subsequent divorce to be entered into the marriage contract. Outwardly the contract must be the same as for any permanent marriage.66

A woman who has been revocably divorced keeps the status of wife, and the husband may return to her and have sexual intercourse with her if he so wishes. But according to the Malikis, he must make the mental intention of returning to her before doing so; and according to the Shafi'is, he must express the intention verbally to his wife.67

It is permissible to include a condition of divorce in the marriage contract in certain cases. Hence, for example, a wife may stipulate that if her husband should marry a second wife, she will have the right to be divorced.

Although only the man has the right to pronounce the formula of divorce, the woman may take the initiative in khul' and mubarat. These two terms are almost synonymous, but in the case of khul', the wife must have an aversion to her husband; in muharat, there should be mutual aversion. In each case the wife agrees to pay her husband a certain amount of property in cash or kind if he divorces her.

According to the Shi’a , the amount in muharat must not exceed the amount of the dower, while in khul' there are no conditions on the amount, These divorces are irrevocable, except according to the Shi’a , who hold that during her waiting period the woman may take back her property from her husband, in which case he has the right to conjugal relations.68 The Hanbalis maintain that khul' is a form of annulment, not divorce.69

Since these types of divorces are in reality a kind of contract, they require a declaration (ijab) and an acceptance (qabul). The woman must say something like: 'Divorce me in exchange for such and such', while the man must answer something like: 'I accept' or 'I divorce you'. The Sunnis hold that the husband may employ any number of words in the formula, such as 'divorce' or words derived from the same roots as khul' and muharat. The Shi’a say that the word 'divorce' itself must be employed.70

According to the Sunni schools, a third party may initiate a khul' divorce. In other words, he may offer the husband a sum in exchange for which the husband will divorce his wife. The Shi’a maintain that this is forbidden.71

The schools discuss in detail the nature of the property which may be exchanged in khul' and mubarat, differing on many minor points. In general it must be lawful and intrinsically valuable, like the property which constitutes the dower. If not, the divorce will be valid, but there is then a difference of opinion as to whether it is revocable or irrevocable.

IV. The Waiting Period ('Idda)

When a woman is divorced or her husband dies, she must wait for a prescribed period of time before she can remarry.

If the woman's husband has died, the waiting period differs according to whether or not she is pregnant; if she is not, she must wait four months and ten days. Such things as her physical maturity, whether or not she has reached menopause, and whether or not the marriage has been consummated are irrelevant.

If the woman is pregnant, according to the Sunnis her waiting period terminates when she gives birth to the child; according to the Shi’a , she must wait either four months and ten days or the term of her pregnancy, whichever is longer.72

If a woman's husband should be away on a journey when she hears of his death, according to the Sunni schools her waiting period begins on the date of his death; the Shi’a hold that it begins on the day she receives the news.73

The waiting period for divorce differs according to circumstances and the views of the different schools. A woman with whom the marriage has not been consummated has no waiting period. A girl less than nine years old has no waiting period according to the Hanbalis and the Shi’a; but the Malikis and Shafi'is hold that if she was mature enough to participate in sexual relations, she must wait three months; the Hanafis hold that in any case her waiting period is three months.

A woman who has gone through menopause must wait three months in the view of the Sunni schools, but the Shi’a say that she has no waiting period. A woman who menstruates and who is not pregnant must wait either three tuhrs (periods of purification after menstruation) according to the Shi’a , Malikis, and Shafi'is, or three menstrual periods according to the Hanafis and Hanbalis. A woman who is old enough to menstruate but who does not or who is in the state of mustaraha must wait three months. A woman who is pregnant must wait until she has delivered her child.74

V. Forswearing (Ila')

'Forswearing' means to swear an oath in God's name not to have sexual relations with one's wife, either absolutely, or for a period of more than four months. Since the sharia forbids a husband from refraining from sexual intercourse with his wife for more than four months, once the four months have passed, the wife has a valid reason to have recourse to a qadhi.

If the husband should break the oath, he must pay the expiation (kaffara) set by the law for the breaking of an oath. If he holds to his oath and the four months pass, the wife may go before a qadi and request that he clarify her marital situation. According to the wife's wishes, the qadi will either order the husband to return to his wife or to divorce her.

If the husband is ordered to return to her but refuses, the qadi will then order him to divorce her. If he also refuses that, the qadil will grant her a revocable divorce.

The Shi’a differ here by holding that the qadi does not have the right to grant divorce in the husband's stead; however, he can force the husband-by imprisonment or other means at his disposal-to take one of the two courses open to him, i.e., to return to her or divorce her.75 The Hanafis say that once the period of the husband's oath comes to an end, the woman is divorced irrevocably, without any need for the husband's pronouncement of the formula.76 The Shi’a hold that forswearing may not take place in the case of a virgin.77 The Sunni schools disagree and add that if her husband divorces her, the divorce is irrevocable.

VI. Zihar

In pre-Islamic times the Arabs practiced a form of divorce which amounted to the husband's reciting the formula, 'You are to me as my mother's back (zahr)', a practice referred to as zihar. Although Islam forbids zihar (cf. Qur'an 33:4, 58:2), if a man should recite this formula to his wife--or an equivalent formula, by substituting a reference to any other female forbidden to him-sexual intercourse with his wife is forbidden to him. Zihar's conditions are the same as those of divorce; hence in Shi’a m two witnesses must hear the formula recited.

VII. Sworn Allegation (Li'an)

'Sworn allegation' is a procedure whereby a man may take his wife before a qadi and either accuse her of infidelity or deny his fathering her child. The man then pronounces this formula four times: 'I testify before God that I speak the truth concerning what I say about this woman.' The qadi will then counsel the man concerning the gravity of his accusation. If he should repent of his words, he will receive the punishment for false accusation (eighty lashes). If he maintains the truth of his accusation, he must repeat a second formula four times: 'God's curse be upon me if I am a liar'.

The judge then turns to the wife. She may either face the penalty for adultery (stoning to death) or repeat this formula four times: 'I testify before God that he is a liar'. The judge will counsel her concerning the gravity of falsely swearing before God. If she continues to maintain her innocence, she must pronounce a second formula four times: 'God's wrath be upon me if he is telling the truth '. If she refuses to pronounce the formula, she will suffer the penalty for adultery.

After sworn allegation, the man and woman are forbidden to each other forever, without divorce. If the husband denies the parentage of a child, the child is illegitimate. If the man should ever repent of his allegation, he must suffer the penalty for false accusation. In case a child is involved, its legitimacy will then be restored; according to the Sunnis, in such a case the father and the child inherit from each other, but according to the Shi’a , the father may not inherit from the child.78 The woman continues to be forbidden to the man.

VIII. Inheritance (Mirath)

Husband and wife inherit from each other according to set rules. The only condition for inheritance is a valid marriage contract, not consummation of the marriage.

If the wife should die childless, the husband inherits one-half of her property; if she had a child or children, he inherits one-fourth. If the husband should die childless, the wife inherits one-fourth of her property; if he had children, she inherits one-eighth.

If the deceased wife should have no other relatives, all property goes to the husband. If the deceased husband should have no other relatives, the wife will inherit one-half the property and the rest will go to the bayt al-mal (the community treasury), except according to one of two Shi'i opinions, which holds that she inherits all the property.79 If the deceased husband had more than one wife, the wife's share is divided among them equally.

The husband inherits from everything left by the wife. According to the Sunni schools, the wife also inherits from everything left by the husband; in general the Shi’a hold that if she does not have any children from the husband, she inherits from all property except land, though she does inherit from the value of property situated upon the land, such as buildings, trees, implements, etc.80

If a woman should be in a period of revocable divorce when she or her husband dies, her situation is the same as that of an ordinary wife. But when irrevocable divorce has taken place, there is no inheritance, with the exception of divorce during illness.

If the husband should be ill and divorce his wife irrevocably, and if she should then die, he does not inherit from her; but if the husband should die as a result of the illness, the schools differ as to the situation.

The Hanbalis hold that the wife inherits as long as she has not remarried. The Hanafis say that she inherits as long as she is still in her waiting period. The Malikis hold that she inherits in any case. The Shafi'is have two opinions, one that there is no inheritance, the other that the situation is as the Hanafis say. The Shi’a maintain that she may inherit within one year of the divorce provided she has not remarried.81

Notes

1. 'Abd al-Rahman al-Jaziri, al-Fiqh 'ala al-madhahib al-arba'a (hereafter cited as Fiqh), Cairo, 1969, IV, 24.

2. Al-Shahid al Thani (Zayn al-Din Muhammad ibn 'Ali al-Jab'i al-'Amili [d. 965/1558]), al-Rawdat al-bahiyya fi sharh al-lum'at al-Dimashqiyya (hereafter cited as Sharh al-luma), Beirut, 1967, v, 108.

3. Fiqh, IV, 13.

4. Ibid., 18.

5. Ibid., 25.

6. Sharh al-lum'a. v. 234.

7. Fiqh, IV, 54-60.

8. Sharh al-lum'a, V, 181; Muhammad 'Ali al-Tabataba'i (d. 1231/1816), Riyad al-masail (also known as al-Sharh al-Kabir), Tabriz, 1308/1890-9 1,II, 94.

9. Fiqh, IV, 63.

10. Ibid.,65.

11. Ibid.,66.

12. Ibid.,67-68.

13. Sharh al-lum'a, v, 176-82; Riyad, II,96-97.

14. Fiqh, IV, 268; Riyad, II, 86.

15. Fiqh, IV, 256.

16. Ibid.,253-55.

17. Ibid.,268-69.

18. Riyad, II, 86.

19. Fiqh, IV, 253.

20. Riyad, II, 86.

21. Fiqh,lv,257.

22. Riyad, II, 87.

23. Fiqh,IV, 257.

24. Ibid., 256; Sharh al-lum'a, II, 63.

25. Fiqh, IV, 254,255, and 261.

26. Sharh al-lum'a, v, 156; Riyad, II, 105-06.

27. Fiqh, IV, 77-84; Riyad, II, 181; Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 46.

28. Fiqh,IV, 27.

29. Ibid., 46--47.

30. The major sources for this ruling are two hadith: 'If any of your women marry without the permission ofher guardian, the marriage is invalid (batil)' (Abu Dawud, Nikah 19; al-Darimi, Nikah 11). 'A woman may not be given in marriage by a woman, nor may a woman give herself in marriage' (Ibn Maja, Nikah 15 Malik, Nikah 5).

31. Fiqh, IV, 46--47; Sharh al-lum'a, V, 112; Muhammad b. al-Hasan al-Hurr al-'Amili (d. 1104-1693), Wasa'il al-shi'a, Tehran, 1385/1965-66, XIV, 220-221, hadith 1-3.

32. Fiqh, IV, 46.

33. Ibid.,51-52.

34. Ibid., Sharh al-lum'a, v, 116.

35. Fiqh, IV, 51-52.

36. Ibid.,51.

37. Ibid.,25.

38. Ibid.

39. Sharh al-lum'a, V, 112; Riyad, II, 70.

40. Fiqh, IV, 108.

41. Ibid.,109.

42. Ibid., III.

43. Ibid.,115.

44. Sharh al-lum'a, II, 101; Riyad, II, 135.

45. Fiqh, IV, 120-21; Sharh al-lum'a, II,101; Riyad, II, 135.

46. Fiqh, IV,118.

47. Ibid.,116.

48. Sharh al-lum'a, v, 371-72; Riyad, II, 149

49. Fiqh, IV, 165.

50. Ibid., 163; Riyad, II, 109-10.

51. Fiqh, IV, 581; Sharh al-lum'a, v, 237-38; Riyad, II, 109-10.

52. Fiqh, IV, 189-92.

53. Ibid.,197.

54. Ibid.,181-98.

55. Sharh al-lum'a, v, 387; Riyad, II, 132-35.

56. Fiqh,IV, 280.

57. Sharh al-lum'a,vi, 11; Riyad,II, 168-75.

58. Fiqh, IV, 284

59. Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 14-21; Riyad, II, 172.

60. Riyad, II,171.

61. Fiqh,IV,297.

62. Ibid.,310.

63. Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 31-32; Riyad, II, 176.

64. Fiqh, IV, 305, and 307.

65. Ibid., 302; Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 36-37; Riyad, II. 176.

66. The necessity for the muhallil is established by Qur'an 2:230. And if he divorces her finally, she shall not be lawful to him after that, until she marries another husband. If he divorces her, then it is no fault in them to return to each other.'

67. Fiqh, IV, 435-41.

68. Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 104-07; Riyad, II, 196.

69. Fiqh, IV, 424.

70. Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 87-89, and 111-13; Riyad, II, 107.

71. Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 90-95.

72. Ibid., 62-63; Riyad, II, 187.

73. Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 65-66; Riyad, II, 188.

74. Fiqh, IV, 540-52; Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 57-65; Riyad, II,183-86.

75. Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 160; Riyad, II, 123.

76. Fiqh, IV, 485.

77. Riyad, II,122.

78. Sharh al-lum'a, VI, 210-12; Riyad, II, 217-18.

79. Sharh al-lum'a, VIII, 65-66; Riyad, II, 366.

80. Sharh al-lum'a, VIII, 172 74; Riyad, II, 367.

81. Sharh al-lum'a, VIII, 172; Riyad, II, 367, 369.


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