A false narration about Ibn 'Umar's divorce of his wife

12-12-2015 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalaamu alaykum. I read a narration in Tafseer Al-Qurtubi vol. 3 page 129 that says that Abdullah bin 'Umar had given his wife divorce thrice in one sitting and then the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, told him to take his wife back as it is only one. Is the chain of this particular narration sound? May Allaah reward you.
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

We did not find any hadeeth reported to this effect. Perhaps Al-Qurtubi may Allaah have mercy upon him was referring to the following report narrated by Ad-Daaraqutni may Allaah have mercy upon him on the authority of Abu Az-Zubayr:

"I asked Ibn ʻUmar may Allaah be pleased with him about a man who divorced his wife thrice during her menstruation. He said, 'Do you know Ibn ʻUmar?' I replied, 'Yes!' He remarked, 'I divorced my wife thrice during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) while she was menstruating. So, the Messenger of Allaah sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) revoked it (meaning that bid'i [innovated] divorce) and commanded me to follow the Sunnah (to wait until she is pure from menses and then issue a Sunnah talaq (Sunni divorce) ...' Ad-Daaraqutni commented on this report saying, "The narrators of this report are all Shiites; the authentically reported incident is that Ibn ʻUmar divorced his menstruating wife once (not thrice)."" [End of quote]

Ibn Al-Qayyim may Allaah have mercy upon him wrote, "However, such a report is definitely false; it cannot be brought forth as evidence. It was cited merely to underline its inauthenticity. Even if its chain of narration contained trustworthy reporters, it is still wrong because it has been reported on the authority of trustworthy narrators that Ibn ʻUmar may Allaah be pleased with him divorced his menstruating wife once, as cited in Saheeh Muslim on the authority of Yoonus ibn Jubayr..." [Tahtheeb Sunan Abu Daawood]

For more benefit about Ibn 'Umar's divorce of his wife, please refer to fataawa 82330 and 84647. Also visit fatwa 94110 about triple divorce.

Allaah knows best.

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