Myth of the Anṣār Divorcing for the Muhājirūn

The great Muḥaddith, ʿAbdullāh bin ʾal-Mubārak (رحمه الله) said:

إن الإسناد من الدين، ولولا الإسناد لقال من شاء ما شاء

Chains of Narrations are part of this religion. Were it not for Chains, then whoever wanted to, would say whatever they wanted to.

Preface of Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim

I would not dare to imagine, what he would have said, had he lived in the cyber era. Now every teenager with a smart phone (whether a teenager in chronological years or mental maturity) is a Muḥaddith, Mufassir and Faqīh, amongst other qualifications.

The myth that those ʾAnṣār (رضي الله عنهم) who had multiple wives, divorced them for the Muhājirūn to marry, even predates the cyber self-made scholar era. It has been circulating for decades, but not just through the Chains of naïve laymen. It would have absolutely horrified ʾIbn ʾal-Mubārak (رحمه الله), that we have amongst us such scholars, who instead of transmitting the noble words of Allāh and His Messenger (صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ), are instead transmitters of the virus of popular myth and legend.

Origin of the Myth

Myths are often distorted truths, rather than complete lies. The origin of this particular myth lies in the authentic narration which ʾAnas (رضي الله عنه) narrated:

عَنْ أَنَسٍ رَضِيَ الله عَنْهُ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ: قَدِمَ عَلَيْنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَوْفٍ، وَآخَى رَسُولُ الله صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ سَعْدِ بْنِ الرَّبِيعِ، وَكَانَ كَثِيرَ المَالِ، فَقَالَ سَعْدٌ: قَدْ عَلِمَتِ الأَنْصَارُ أَنِّي مِنْ أَكْثَرِهَا مَالًا، سَأَقْسِمُ مَالِي بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ شَطْرَيْنِ، وَلِي امْرَأَتَانِ فَانْظُرْ أَعْجَبَهُمَا إِلَيْكَ فَأُطَلِّقُهَا، حَتَّى إِذَا حَلَّتْ تَزَوَّجْتَهَا، فَقَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ: بَارَكَ الله لَكَ فِي أَهْلِكَ، فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ يَوْمَئِذٍ حَتَّى أَفْضَلَ شَيْئًا مِنْ سَمْنٍ وَأَقِطٍ، فَلَمْ يَلْبَثْ إِلَّا يَسِيرًا حَتَّى جَاءَ رَسُولَ الله صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَعَلَيْهِ، وَضَرٌ مِنْ صُفْرَةٍ، فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ الله صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: (مَهْيَمْ) قَالَ: تَزَوَّجْتُ امْرَأَةً مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ، فَقَالَ (مَا سُقْتَ إِلَيْهَا؟). قَالَ: وَزْنَ نَوَاةٍ مِنْ ذَهَبٍ، أَوْ نَوَاةً مِنْ ذَهَبٍ، فَقَالَ: (أَوْلِمْ وَلَوْ بِشَاةٍ)

When ʿAbdurraḥmān bin ʿAwf came to us [in ʾal-Madīnah] Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ joined him as a brother with Saʿd bin ʾar-Rabīʿ, who had much wealth. So Saʿd said, “The ʾAnṣār know that I am amongst the wealthiest of them. I shall divide my wealth in two equal halves between you and me. I also have two wives. See which of them is more pleasing to you and I shall divorce her. When she becomes permissible for you, you may marry her.” ʿAbdurraḥmān replied, “May Allāh bless you in your family.”

[He traded and] returned with nothing more on that day than a piece of butter and cheese. But within a short while he went to Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ with traces of yellow scent marking him.

Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ asked him, “What is this?” He replied, “I married a woman from the ʾAnṣār.” [Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ] asked, “What did you present for her?” He replied, “Gold to the weight of a date-stone.” [Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ] then remarked, “Have a wedding feast, even if it be with one ewe.”

ʾal-Bukhārī

What is clear from the knowledge with proper Chains, as opposed to what popular myth would have us believe, is that:
• Only ONE ʾAnṣārī, Saʿd bin ʾar-Rabī (رضي الله عنه) made such an offer.
• The contention that ALL, or THOUSANDS or HUNDREDS of ʾAnṣār (رضي الله عنهم) made such offers is a gross exaggeration and fabrication, with no basis in the source references of Islām.
• The offer was made to ONE Muhājir, ʿAbdurraḥmān bin ʿAwf (رضي الله عنه).
• The contention that ALL, or THOUSANDS or HUNDREDS of Muhājirūn (رضي الله عنهم) engaged in such marriages is a gross exaggeration and fabrication, with no basis in the source references of Islām.
• The ONE known offer WAS NOT ACCEPTED. ʿAbdurraḥmān (رضي الله عنه) prayed for the family of Saʿd (رضي الله عنه) to be blessed and intact, and he got married later.
• In short, at most, one offer was made and rejected, and no such marriages occurred!

Subsidiary Issue 1: Involvement of Scholars

We who have studied Ḥadīth with Chains back to Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ, not only have greater responsibilities to what we have inherited, but we are all the more responsible when our teachers not only transmit the text of knowledge, but are careful to guide us with the correct understanding. Special attention is given to identify Fabrications and “what is common on the tongues of people”. I do not believe that so many of their students are merely lazy or cognitively destitute. I fear that the greater danger is love of fame, and speaking only what the public wants to hear. These viruses have infected a sizeable proportion of those who have been entrusted with the legacy of Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ . These symptoms of deeper diseases do not bode well.

Subsidiary Issue 2: Implied Slander against Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

Although more serious in itself, it is not as apparent or intentional as the previous issue.
The aforementioned Ḥadīth makes it clear that it is only Allāh who has absolute knowledge of every matter without limit. Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ was blessed with knowledge of Unseen matters to the extent of whatever Allāh had revealed such matters unto him. Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ had not known that ʿAbdurraḥmān (رضي الله عنه) had married, and had to be informed of it. Nor did he know how much the dowry was, and had to be informed of this as well.
Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ was the administrator and spiritual father of the Muslims of ʾal-Madīnah. Allāh is most clear that what troubles the followers of Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ, hurts his pure heart as well [ʾat-Tawbah: 128].

To claim these mythical mass divorce and marriages as factual, implies the following:
• EITHER, Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ did not know about these mass divorces and weddings. That he did not know of one wedding is understandable. However, for such a massive scale of public events to occur and Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ had no idea is an unforgivable insult against his administrative abilities. What kind of administrator remains uninformed of his community to that extent? Yet ʾAnas (رضي الله عنه) who was ten years old at the time had better information? Allāh forbid!
• OR, Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ knew of it, and the spiritual father of the ʾUmmah whose sensitivity Allāh testifies to, was not concerned about the break up of thousands of families, of the feelings of the his spiritual daughters who were cast aside, and most devastatingly, the broken hearts of the children of ʾal-Madīnah meant nothing to him. Allāh forbid! We believe even a tree stump weeping at being separated from him, hurt his soft heart. How then could anyone believe that he had no feelings for such emotional trauma being inflicted on the women and children of his beloved ʾAnṣār (رضي الله عنهم)? How could anyone extol this myth as a virtue of the ʾAnṣār (رضي الله عنهم)?
• Logically, while divorce is the prerogative of the husband, this myth makes no sense on the remarriage end of the fable. Did these thousands of ladies have no say in whom they could marry? Did not a single lady protest? Again, this is an implied accusation against Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. He came with message that gave the females of this ʾUmmah dignity and rights. Yet he remained silent in the face of mass forced marriages? Do myth makers use their brain cells?

Subsidiary Issue 3: Are You then Slandering Saʿd (رضي الله عنه)?

I do not blame the reader if my preceding words create the impression that I have been disrespectful to Saʿd (رضي الله عنه). Allāh save me from destroying my faith through the slightest disrespect to any Companion of Allāh’s Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ. May Allāh be pleased with them, and may He cut off my hands should I move to intentionally write against them.

The objections I have raised are in no way aimed at Saʿd (رضي الله عنه). To analyse his actions is not the topic of this article. It suffices to draw the reader’s attention to the fact that the narrator, ʾAnas (رضي الله عنه) was ten years old at the time of the narrated event. That he could even preserve and transmit this much information to us is marvellous in itself. Do we really expect him to have in-depth information on the talks and actions that passed in the private confines of the household of Saʿd (رضي الله عنه)? I think not.

Anyone with a pure heart and basic cognitive function should be able to comprehend that there are many explanations which would justify the offer of Saʿd (رضي الله عنه), without besmirching his rank and dignity in the least. At the same time, individual situations cannot be applied to an entire city, especially when the application is for a myth and fiction.

May Allāh grant us sincerity and correct application of knowledge.

سليمان الكندي
Twitter: @sulayman_kindi