Virgin Consent

حَدَّثَنَا مُعَاذُ بْنُ فَضَالَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ يَحْيَى، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، حَدَّثَهُمْ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ تُنْكَحُ الأَيِّمُ حَتَّى تُسْتَأْمَرَ وَلاَ تُنْكَحُ الْبِكْرُ حَتَّى تُسْتَأْذَنَ ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَكَيْفَ إِذْنُهَا قَالَ ‏"‏ أَنْ تَسْكُتَ ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A matron should not be given in marriage except after consulting her; and a virgin should not be given in marriage except after her permission." The people asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! How can we know her permission?" He said, "Her silence (indicates her permission).

Sahih al-Bukhari 5136 https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5136

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حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ الرَّبِيعِ بْنِ طَارِقٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عَمْرٍو، مَوْلَى عَائِشَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّهَا قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ الْبِكْرَ تَسْتَحِي‏.‏ قَالَ ‏ "‏ رِضَاهَا صَمْتُهَا ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated `Aisha: I said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! A virgin feels shy." He said, "Her consent is (expressed by) her silence."

Sahih al-Bukhari 5137 https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5137

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حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي مُلَيْكَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عَمْرٍو ـ هُوَ ذَكْوَانُ ـ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ يُسْتَأْمَرُ النِّسَاءُ فِي أَبْضَاعِهِنَّ قَالَ ‏"‏ نَعَمْ ‏"‏‏.‏ قُلْتُ فَإِنَّ الْبِكْرَ تُسْتَأْمَرُ فَتَسْتَحِي فَتَسْكُتُ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ سُكَاتُهَا إِذْنُهَا ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated `Aisha: I asked the Prophet, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Should the women be asked for their consent to their marriage?" He said, "Yes." I said, "A virgin, if asked, feels shy and keeps quiet." He said, "Her silence means her consent."

Sahih al-Bukhari 6946 https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6946

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حَدَّثَنَا مُسْلِمُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ تُنْكَحُ الْبِكْرُ حَتَّى تُسْتَأْذَنَ، وَلاَ الثَّيِّبُ حَتَّى تُسْتَأْمَرَ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَقِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ إِذْنُهَا قَالَ ‏"‏ إِذَا سَكَتَتْ ‏"‏‏.‏ وَقَالَ بَعْضُ النَّاسِ إِنْ لَمْ تُسْتَأْذَنِ الْبِكْرُ وَلَمْ تَزَوَّجْ‏.‏ فَاحْتَالَ رَجُلٌ فَأَقَامَ شَاهِدَىْ زُورٍ أَنَّهُ تَزَوَّجَهَا بِرِضَاهَا، فَأَثْبَتَ الْقَاضِي نِكَاحَهَا، وَالزَّوْجُ يَعْلَمُ أَنَّ الشَّهَادَةَ بَاطِلَةٌ، فَلاَ بَأْسَ أَنْ يَطَأَهَا، وَهْوَ تَزْوِيجٌ صَحِيحٌ‏.‏

Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A virgin should not be married till she is asked for her consent; and the matron should not be married till she is asked whether she agrees to marry or not." It was asked, "O Allah's Apostle! How will she (the virgin) express her consent?" He said, "By keeping silent." Some people said that if a virgin is not asked for her consent and she is not married, and then a man, by playing a trick presents two false witnesses that he has married her with her consent and the judge confirms his marriage as a true one, and the husband knows that the witnesses were false ones, then there is no harm for him to consummate his marriage with her and the marriage is regarded as valid.

Sahih al-Bukhari 6968 https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6968

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حَدَّثَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ مَيْسَرَةَ الْقَوَارِيرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَلَمَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ تُنْكَحُ الأَيِّمُ حَتَّى تُسْتَأْمَرَ وَلاَ تُنْكَحُ الْبِكْرُ حَتَّى تُسْتَأْذَنَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَكَيْفَ إِذْنُهَا قَالَ ‏"‏ أَنْ تَسْكُتَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as having said: A woman without a husband (or divorced or a widow) must not be married until she is consulted, and a virgin must not be married until her permission is sought. They asked the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ): How her (virgin's) consent can be solicited? He (the Holy Prophet) said: That she keeps silence.

Sahih Muslim 1419a https://sunnah.com/muslim:1419a

See also: https://sunnah.com/muslim:1420 https://sunnah.com/muslim:1421a https://sunnah.com/muslim:1421b https://sunnah.com/muslim:1421c

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