(1)

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ حَدَّثَنَا حَاتِمُ بْنُ اِسْمَاعِيْلَ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ اَدْرَكَ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ عَنْ بْنِ مَاهَكَ عَنْ اَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَیۡهِ وَسَلَّمَ ثَلَاثٌ جِدُّهُنَّ جِدٌّ وَهَزْلُهُنَّ جِدٌّ النِّكَاحُ وَالطَّلَاقُ وَالرَّجْعَةُ قَالَ اَبُو عِيسَي هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ

 God’s Messenger said: “There are three things which will treated seriously whether done seriously or in jest: marriage, divorce and revocation of divorce.”1

Following is the schematic illustration of the isnad of this narrative’s variants:

Ibn Abi Hatim mentions ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Habib ibn Adrak2 without any jarh or ta‘dil.3 Al-Tirmidhi’s comments on the narrative are: hasanun gharibun.4

Ibn Hajar regards him to be layyin al-hadith.5 Al-Nasa’i says that he is munkar al-hadith.6 ‘Ali ibn al-Madini regards him to be da‘if.7 Ibn al-Qattan says that though a group of people like Isma‘il ibn Ja‘far, Hatim ibn Ima‘il and Sulayman ibn Bilal narrate from Ibn Adrak yet he is not known (la tu‘rafu haluhu).8 Ibn al-Jawzi records: Yahya ibn Ma‘in regards him to be da‘if and ‘Ali ibn al-Madini says that he is munkar al-hadith.9 Abu al-Fath al-Azdi calls him to be da‘if.10

(2)

 حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ عُمَرَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدِ اللّٰهِ بن لهيعة ثَنَا عُبِيْد اللّٰه بن اَبِي جعفر عن عُبَادَ بْنِ الصَّامِتِ ان رَسُوْلُ اللّٰهِ صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَیۡهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لَا يَجُوزُ اللّعِبُ فِي ثَلَاثٍ الطَّلَاقُ وَالنِّكَاحُ واَلْعِتَاقُ فَمَنْ قَالَهْنَّ فَقَدَ وَجَبْنَ

‘Ubadah ibn Samit reported from God’s Messenger that he said: “Jest is not allowed in three matters: divorce, marriage and liberation of slaves. Thus he who even said these in jest, they will become incumbent.”11

Following is the schematic illustration of the isnad of this narrative:

The narrative is munqata12 because ‘Ubadah died in 45 AH and ‘Ubaydullah ibn Ja‘far was born in 60 AH.13

Moreover, following is the jarh on ‘Abdullah ibn Lahi‘ah recorded by al-Dhahabi (d. 748 AH):14 Yahya ibn Ma‘in says that he is da‘ifun la yuhtajju bihi; Yahya ibn Sa‘id would regard him to be nothing (kana la yarahu shay’an); al-Nasa’i says that he is da‘if; Abu Zur‘ah and Abu Hatim say: amruhu mudtaribun yuktabuhu li al-i‘tibar; al-Juzjani says that there is no light in his narratives and it is not appropriate to adduce from him.

 (3)

حدثنا زيد ثنا مسعود ثنا عمر بن أيوب ثنا غالب عن الحسن عن أبي هريرة عن النبي صلي اللّٰه عليه وسلم قال ثلاث ليس فيهن لعب من تلكم بشيء منهن لاعبا فقد وجب عليه الطلاق والعتاق والنكاح

Abu Hurayrah reported from the Prophet (sws) that he said: “There are three things which if a person does even in jest they will be implemented: divorce, liberation of slaves and marriage.”15

Following is the schematic illustration of the isnad of this narrative:

 Ghalib ibn ‘Abdullah al-Jazari is matruk.16

 (4)

عَبْدٌ الرَّزَّاقِ عَنْ اِبْرَاهِيْمَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ سُلَيْمٍ اَنَّ اَبَا ذَرٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُوْلُ اللّٰه صَلَّي اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَنْ طَلَّقَ وَهُوَ لَاعِبٌ فَطَلَاقُهُ جَائِزٌ وَمَنْ اَعْتَقَ وَهُوَ لَاعِبٌ فَعَتَاقُهُ جَائِزٌ وَمَنْ اَنْكَحَ وَهُوَ لَاعِبٌ فَنِكَاحُهُ جَائِزٌ

Abu Dharr stated that God’s Messenger said: “He who divorced in jest, his divorce is permissible; he who liberated a slave in jest, his liberation is permissible; he who married in jest, his marriage is permissible.17

Following is the schematic illustration of the isnad of this narrative:

According to Ibn Hajar, this narrative is munqata‘.18

This is evident from the fact that Safwan ibn Sulaym died at the age of 72 in 132 AH.19 This means that he was born in 60 AH. On the other hand Abu Dhar al-Ghifari died in 32 AH.

Some background narratives though weak show that the above narratives perhaps had a background. A person would divorce and then take back the divorce and would say that he was joking. At this the Prophet (sws) in order to admonish him said that if you do this, your divorce would be implemented. 20

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1. Al-Tirmidhi, Sunan, vol. 3, 490, (no. 1184). See also: Abu Da’ud, Sunan, vol. 2, 259, (no. 2194); Ibn Majah, Sunan, vol. 1, 658, (no. 2039); Al-Bayhaqi, Al-Sunan al-kubra, vol. 7, 340, (no. 14770); Al-Bayhaqi, Al-Sunan al-sughra, vol. 6, 336, (no. 2668); Al-Bayhaqi, Ma‘rifah al-sunan wa al-athar, vol. 5, 469, (no. 4428); Al-Hakim, Al-Mustadrak, vol. 2, 216, (no. 2800); Al-Daraqutni, Sunan, vol. 3, 256, (no. 45); Ibid., vol. 3, 257, (no. 46); Ibid., vol. 3, 257, (no. 47); Ibid., vol. 3, 257, (no. 48); Al-Tahawi, Sharh mushkil al-athar, vol. 3, 98; Al-Mizzi, Tahdhib al-kamal, vol. 17, 53; Al-Baghawi, Tafsir, vol. 1, 210.

2. He is also called Habib ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Adrak. See, for example: Al-Mizzi, Tahdhib al-kamal, vol. 17, 52.

3. Ibn Abi Hatim, Al-Jarh wa al-ta‘dil, vol. 5, 226.

4. Al-Tirmidhi, Sunan, vol. 3, 490, (no. 1184)

5. Ibn Hajar, Taqrib, 338.

6. Al-Mizzi, Tahdhib al-kamal, vol. 17, 53.

7. ‘Ali ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Ja‘far al-Madini, Su’alat Muhammad ibn ‘Uthman ibn Abi Shaybah li ‘Ali ibn al-Madini, 1st ed. (Riyad: Maktabah al-ma ‘arif, 1404 AH), 137.

8. Abu al-Hasan ‘Ali ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-Malik ibn al-Qattan, Bayan al-wahm wa al iham fi kitab al-ahkam, 1st ed., vol. 3 (Riyad: Dar Taybah, 1418 AH), 509-510.

9. Ibn al-Jawzi, Al-Du‘afa’, vol. 1, 190.

10. Ibn Hajar, Lisan al-mizan, vol. 2, 171.

11. Al-Haythami, Musnad al-harith, vol. 1, 555, (no. 503).

12. See, for example: Al-Mizzi, Tahdhib al-kamal, vol. 14, 189.

13. See, for example: Al-Dhahabi, Tadhkirah al-huffaz, vol. 1, 136.

14. Al-Dhahabi, Mizan al-i‘tidal, vol. 4, 166-168.

15. Ibn ‘Adi, Al-Kamil, vol. 5, 6.

16. Ahmad ibn ‘Ali ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani, Al-Dirayah fi takhrij ahadith al-hidayah, vol. 2 (Beirut: Dar al-ma ‘rifah, n.d.), 91.

17. ‘Abd al-Razzaq, Musannaf, vol. 6, 134, (no. 10249).

18. Ibn Hajar, Talkhis al-habir, 3, 209.

19. See, for example: Al-Mizzi, Tahdhib al-kamal, vol. 13, 190-191.

20. See, for example: Ibn Abi Shaybah, Musannaf, vol. 4, 115, (18406); Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr, Al-Istidhkar, vol. 5, 543; Al-Shawkani, Fath al-qadir, vol. 1, 243.