The Power of the Prophet of Allah Sulayman and His Circumambulation of Ninety Women
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Fatwa No. ( 3400 ):
Q: It was narrated to us by Khalid ibn Makhlad , who narrated to us from Mughirah ibn 'Abd al-Rahman , from Abu al-Zinad , from al-A'raj , from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: Sulayman ibn Dawud said:. Shu'ayb and Ibn Abi al-Zinad said: "Ninety, and that is the most authentic" - [Sahih al-Bukhari ], Book of the Prophets, Volume 1, Part 13, Page 486, Delhi Edition, Chapter [Sad 38:17]. This hadith has been narrated through multiple chains, and its entire chain of transmission is authentic and good. The number of wives mentioned in it varies (60, 70, 99, 100). There is no doubt about the authenticity of this hadith in terms of the narrators and the chain of transmission. However, the explicit meaning of the hadith contradicts reason and feeling. Its meaning declares and proclaims that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not say this as the narrator transmitted it, but rather that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned, as an example, some of the falsehoods and myths of the Jews , and the narrator understood
that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said it as a factual statement. Because if any person calculates in his own mind, it becomes clear to him that if the number of wives is 60, and Sulayman (peace be upon him) had intercourse with them, 6 wives in one hour, he would have to have intercourse with them all night without stopping for ten consecutive hours. Is this possible rationally?
A: First: A muddled hadith is one that is narrated through different chains of equal strength, and it is not possible to reconcile them. However, if some are stronger or reconciliation is possible, there is no muddling. Accordingly, the discrepancy in the number of women in the hadith in question is not considered a muddling that invalidates the hadith, for two reasons: (1) The preponderance of the narration that states their number is ninety, as al-Bukhari said in his Sahih: Shu'ayb and Abu al-Zinad said: ninety, and this is the most correct. (2) The possibility of reconciling these narrations, to which Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) adhered in his commentary on this hadith in the chapter mentioned in the question. He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The summary of the narrations is sixty, seventy, ninety, ninety-nine, and one hundred. The reconciliation is that the sixty were free women, and those in excess were concubines, or vice versa. As for the seventy, it is for exaggeration. As for the ninety and one hundred, they were less than one hundred and more than ninety."
So whoever said ninety, he ignored the fraction, and whoever said one hundred, he rounded it up. Hence, there was hesitation in the narration of Ja'far ). End of quote. Second: The claim that this hadith explicitly contradicts reason is a false claim, because it is based on comparing people to one another in terms of health, physical strength, ability to have intercourse, and the speed or slowness of ejaculation. This is a defective analogy, as reality testifies to their variation in these matters and others, especially the Prophets (peace and blessings be upon them) compared to others. They were granted physical strength and the ability to have intercourse, along with perfect chastity and self-control, and the restraint of desire, which was not granted to others. Thus, their chastity and protection of their private parts from satisfying desire in what is forbidden, while having the ability to have intercourse and the strength of its urges, was a miracle for them (peace and blessings be upon them). It was easy for one of them to have intercourse with ten women in one hour and one hundred women in ten hours or less, due to the reality of their special strength and the possibility of ejaculation in five minutes or less. Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned something similar to this in his explanation of this hadith and in clarifying what is derived from it. He said: "In it is what the Prophets were specifically granted in terms of strength in intercourse, which indicates the soundness of their constitution, the strength of their manhood, and the perfection of their masculinity, despite their engagement in worship and knowledge. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) experienced the most eloquent
miracle in this regard; because despite his engagement in the worship of his Lord, his knowledge, and his dealing with creation, he was sparing in the food and drink that cause physical weakness despite frequent intercourse. And yet, he would circumambulate his women in one night with a single ghusl, and they were eleven women. It was mentioned earlier in the Book of Ghusl. It is also said that whoever fears Allah has a stronger desire; because the one who does not fear Allah relaxes by looking and the like. Third: It is established that our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the most sincere to his Ummah, and that he was granted the essence of speech and clear eloquence, and the perfection of clarity in expression. So he would not confuse his Ummah in his speech with deceit and trickery, nor would he be obscure in his statement due to a defect in his tongue or an inability to express clearly. And the narrator of this hadith from him, who was a pure Arab, would not fail to understand what he (peace and blessings be upon him) explicitly stated from the Prophet of Allah Sulayman (peace be upon him), namely his saying: "I will surely circumambulate tonight ninety women, each of whom will bear a horseman who will strive in the cause of Allah." And that he did not say: "If Allah wills." And the confirmation of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) of that by his saying:Sahih al-Bukhari 3424. So whoever claims that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned that as an example from the falsehoods and myths of the Jews , and that the Companion assumed that he (peace and blessings be upon him) mentioned it as a statement of reality and a report of truth - whoever claims that has followed his desire and his false assumption, and distorted the meaning of the hadith which was intended, and criticized the Companion, and thought ill of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him);
following his wrong imagination in judging that the explicit meaning of this hadith contradicts reason. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Q: It was narrated to us by Khalid ibn Makhlad , who narrated to us from Mughirah ibn 'Abd al-Rahman , from Abu al-Zinad , from al-A'raj , from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who said: Sulayman ibn Dawud said:
I will surely circumambulate tonight seventy women, each of whom will bear a horseman who will strive in the cause of Allah. So his companion said to him: Say, "If Allah wills." But he did not say it, and none of them bore anything except one who was stillborn, one of whose sides was missing. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: If he had said it, they would have striven in the cause of Allah as horsemen, and he would not have broken his oath.
لأطوفن الليلة على سبعين امرأة تحمل كل امرأة فارسًا يجاهد في سبيل الله، فقال له صاحبه: قل: إن شاء الله، فلم يقل، ولم تحمل شيئًا إلاَّ واحدًا ساقطًا أحد شقيه، فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: لو قالها لجاهدوا في سبيل اللهand remember Our servant, David, the possessor of strength; indeed, he was one who repeatedly turned back [to Allah].
وَاذْكُرْ عَبْدَنَا دَاوُدَ ذَا الأَيْدِ إِنَّهُ أَوَّابٌthat the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said it as a factual statement. Because if any person calculates in his own mind, it becomes clear to him that if the number of wives is 60, and Sulayman (peace be upon him) had intercourse with them, 6 wives in one hour, he would have to have intercourse with them all night without stopping for ten consecutive hours. Is this possible rationally?
A: First: A muddled hadith is one that is narrated through different chains of equal strength, and it is not possible to reconcile them. However, if some are stronger or reconciliation is possible, there is no muddling. Accordingly, the discrepancy in the number of women in the hadith in question is not considered a muddling that invalidates the hadith, for two reasons: (1) The preponderance of the narration that states their number is ninety, as al-Bukhari said in his Sahih: Shu'ayb and Abu al-Zinad said: ninety, and this is the most correct. (2) The possibility of reconciling these narrations, to which Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) adhered in his commentary on this hadith in the chapter mentioned in the question. He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "The summary of the narrations is sixty, seventy, ninety, ninety-nine, and one hundred. The reconciliation is that the sixty were free women, and those in excess were concubines, or vice versa. As for the seventy, it is for exaggeration. As for the ninety and one hundred, they were less than one hundred and more than ninety."
So whoever said ninety, he ignored the fraction, and whoever said one hundred, he rounded it up. Hence, there was hesitation in the narration of Ja'far ). End of quote. Second: The claim that this hadith explicitly contradicts reason is a false claim, because it is based on comparing people to one another in terms of health, physical strength, ability to have intercourse, and the speed or slowness of ejaculation. This is a defective analogy, as reality testifies to their variation in these matters and others, especially the Prophets (peace and blessings be upon them) compared to others. They were granted physical strength and the ability to have intercourse, along with perfect chastity and self-control, and the restraint of desire, which was not granted to others. Thus, their chastity and protection of their private parts from satisfying desire in what is forbidden, while having the ability to have intercourse and the strength of its urges, was a miracle for them (peace and blessings be upon them). It was easy for one of them to have intercourse with ten women in one hour and one hundred women in ten hours or less, due to the reality of their special strength and the possibility of ejaculation in five minutes or less. Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) mentioned something similar to this in his explanation of this hadith and in clarifying what is derived from it. He said: "In it is what the Prophets were specifically granted in terms of strength in intercourse, which indicates the soundness of their constitution, the strength of their manhood, and the perfection of their masculinity, despite their engagement in worship and knowledge. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) experienced the most eloquent
miracle in this regard; because despite his engagement in the worship of his Lord, his knowledge, and his dealing with creation, he was sparing in the food and drink that cause physical weakness despite frequent intercourse. And yet, he would circumambulate his women in one night with a single ghusl, and they were eleven women. It was mentioned earlier in the Book of Ghusl. It is also said that whoever fears Allah has a stronger desire; because the one who does not fear Allah relaxes by looking and the like. Third: It is established that our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) is the most sincere to his Ummah, and that he was granted the essence of speech and clear eloquence, and the perfection of clarity in expression. So he would not confuse his Ummah in his speech with deceit and trickery, nor would he be obscure in his statement due to a defect in his tongue or an inability to express clearly. And the narrator of this hadith from him, who was a pure Arab, would not fail to understand what he (peace and blessings be upon him) explicitly stated from the Prophet of Allah Sulayman (peace be upon him), namely his saying: "I will surely circumambulate tonight ninety women, each of whom will bear a horseman who will strive in the cause of Allah." And that he did not say: "If Allah wills." And the confirmation of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) of that by his saying:
If the Prophet (ﷺ) Solomon had said it (i.e. 'If Allah will') he would have begotten children who would have fought in Allah's Cause.
لو قالها لجاهدوا في سبيل الله فرسانًا ولم يحنثfollowing his wrong imagination in judging that the explicit meaning of this hadith contradicts reason. And success is from Allah. And may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and his Companions.
Source
www.alifta.gov.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.