my companions. Observe your waiting period in the house of Ibn Umm Maktum." (Agreed upon) (8). If it is said: "Umar criticized her and said, 'We will not abandon the Book of our Lord and the Sunnah of our Prophet for the word of a woman, as we do not know whether she spoke the truth or lied.'" And 'Urwah said: "'A'ishah (8) criticized that most severely, and she said (9): 'She was in a desolate place, so there was fear for her safety.'" And Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib said: "That is a woman who tempted the people; she was sharp-tongued, so she was placed in the care of the blind Ibn Umm Maktum." We respond: As for contradicting the Book, when they criticized Fatimah, she said, "Between me and you is the Book of Allah. Allah Almighty says: 'You do not know; perhaps Allah will bring about after that a matter.' (10)" For what matter could be brought about after three [divorces]? How then do you say there is no maintenance for her if she is not pregnant? On what basis would you confine her? How can a woman be confined without maintenance? As for their statement that 'Umar said: "We will not abandon the Book of our Lord," Ahmad rejected this statement attributed to 'Umar and said: "Rather, he said: 'We do not accept in our religion the word of a single woman.'" This is something upon which there is consensus to the contrary; we have accepted the report of Furay'ah—and she is a woman—as well as the narrations of 'A'ishah and the wives of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in many rulings. Scholars have turned to this report of Fatimah in many rulings, such as the lapse of maintenance for an irrevocably divorced woman if she is not pregnant, a woman's looking at men, and a man proposing to a woman already proposed to by his brother if she has not found comfort with the first. As for the interpretation of those who interpreted her hadith, it is of no weight, for she disagrees with them regarding that, and she is more knowledgeable about her own situation. Furthermore, the interpreters did not agree on anything. A rebuttal has been made against those who refuted her; Maymun ibn Mihran said to Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib when he said, "That is a woman who tempted the people": "If she only acted according to what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) decreed for her, she did not tempt the people; and we have in the...
(8) 'A'ishah's statement was recorded by al-Bukhari in: The Chapter on the Story of Fatimah bint Qays, and the Chapter on the Divorced Woman if She Fears for Her Safety..., from the Book of Divorce. Sahih al-Bukhari 7/75. And Muslim in: The Chapter on the Woman Divorced Thrice Who Has No Maintenance, from the Book of Divorce. Sahih Muslim 2/1116. And Abu Dawood in: The Chapter on the One Who Criticized That Against Fatimah bint Qays, from the Book of Divorce. Sunan Abi Dawood 1/534. Abu Dawood also recorded the statement of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) in the same place. (9) In A and M: "wa-qala" (And he said). (10) Surah al-Talaq: 1.
