before he has sexual intercourse with her. So Allah, glory be to Him, commanded him to provide her with a gift of consolation according to the measure of his hardship or ease. If he is wealthy, he compensates her with a servant or the like; and if he is in hardship, he compensates her with three garments or the like.

2350 - Ahmad b. Sinan narrated to us, 'Abd al-Rahman b. Mahdi reported to us, from Sufyan, from Isma'il b. Umayyah, from 'Ikrimah, from Ibn 'Abbas, regarding the gift of consolation (mut'ah), he said: The highest is a servant, below that is silver (wariq), and below that is clothing.

2351 - Abu Sa'id al-Ashajj narrated to us, Abu Khalid reported to us, from Dawud b. Abi Hind, from al-Sha'bi, he said: Shurayh gave a gift of consolation of five hundred. He said: I said: "People cannot afford that." He replied: "Then a middle-ground of her garments that she wears in her house: the chemise (dir'), the head covering (khimar), and the wrapper (milhafah)."

And the second aspect:

2352 - Kathir b. Shihab al-Qazwini narrated to us, Muhammad b. Sa'id b. Sabiq reported to us, 'Amr (meaning: Ibn Abi Qays) reported to us, from Abu Ishaq, from al-Sha'bi, he said: They mentioned the gift of consolation to him, is there imprisonment for it? So he recited: "The wealthy according to his means and the poor according to his means." Al-Sha'bi said: I have not seen anyone imprisoned for it. By Allah, if it were mandatory (wajib), the judges would have imprisoned for it.

His saying: "A provision according to what is acceptable"

2353 - Al-Husayn b. al-Sakan al-Basri narrated to us, Abu Zayd al-Nahwi reported to us, Qays reported to us, from Salim al-Aftas, from Sa'id b. Jubayr, regarding his saying: "A provision according to what is acceptable," he said: It is an obligatory right for the woman with whom he has not had sexual intercourse and for whom he has not specified a dowry.

2354 - My father narrated to us, Ahmad b. 'Abd Allah b. Yunus and Malik b. Isma'il reported to us, both said: al-Hasan b. Salih reported to us, from 'Abd al-A'la, from Shurayh, that he said regarding "A provision according to what is acceptable": It is the chemise, the head covering, the outer garment (jilbab), the belt (mintaq), and the lower garment (izar). Ahmad b. Yunus said: al-Hasan said: The jilbab is the mantle (rida').

His saying: "A duty upon the doers of good"

2355 - Usayd b. 'Asim narrated to us, al-Husayn b. Hafs reported to us, Sufyan reported to us, from Hisham, from Muhammad b. Sirin, from Shurayh, that he said to a man who had separated from his wife: "Do not refuse to be among the pious; do not refuse to be among the doers of good."