its marriage had been dissolved by her choice, and the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, would not intercede for her to marry a slave unless the marriage were valid.
Section: As for wealth (financial capacity), there are two narrations regarding it. The first is that it is a condition for compatibility (kafa'a), based on the saying of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him: "True status (hasab) is wealth." (23) He also said: "The true status of people in this world is this wealth." (24) Furthermore, he said to Fatima bint Qays when she informed him that Mu'awiya had proposed to her: "As for Mu'awiya, he is a pauper with no wealth." (25) Moreover, a woman of means suffers harm if her husband is destitute, due to his inability to provide her maintenance and the sustenance of her children. For this reason, she is entitled to annul the marriage if he fails to provide maintenance, and the same applies if he is destitute at the time of the contract. Furthermore, this is considered a deficiency in the custom of the people, in which they vary (26) just as they vary in lineage, and even more so. Nubayh ibn al-Hajjaj al-Sahmi (27) said:
They both asked me for divorce when they saw My wealth had dwindled; they came to me with reprehensible intent. (28) Alas, he who possesses a lineage is beloved, And he who becomes impoverished lives a life of hardship. (29)
= regarding the option of a slave woman who is married to a slave and then becomes free, from the Book of Divorce. Sunan al-Darimi 2/170. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 1/215, 281, 361. (23) Reported by al-Tirmidhi, in: The Chapter on the Interpretation of Surah al-Hujurat, from the Chapters on Tafsir. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 12/158. Ibn Majah, in: The Chapter on Piety and God-consciousness, from the Book of Asceticism. Sunan Ibn Majah 2/1410. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 5/10. (24) Reported by al-Nasa'i, in: The Chapter on Status (Hasab), from the Book of Marriage. Al-Mujtaba 6/53. Al-Hakim, in: The Chapter on Choosing for Your Offspring, and Marry the Compatible..., from the Book of Marriage. Al-Mustadrak 2/163. And Imam Ahmad, in: Al-Musnad 5/353, 361. (25) Its authentication has been previously provided on page 388. (26) In M: "wa yatafadalun". (27) Nubayh ibn al-Hajjaj al-Sahmi: Ibn Khallikan mentioned him, quoting from Jamharat al-Nasab by Ibn al-Kalbi. He said: Munabbih and Nubayh were the sons of al-Hajjaj ibn 'Amir ibn Hudhayfa ibn Sa'd ibn Sahm al-Qurashi. They were the two masters of the Banu Sahm during the Pre-Islamic era (Jahiliyya), were killed as disbelievers on the day of Badr, and were among the providers (al-mut'imin). Wafayat al-A'yan 6/329. (28) The verse is omitted from the original. (29) In A, B, and M: "nasab yuḥabbab".
