Awf, may Allah be pleased with them, and this is the position of 'Ata', al-Hasan, al-Sha'bi, Qatadah, al-Thawri, al-Shafi'i, and the scholars of opinion (ashab al-ra'y). Al-Qasim ibn Muhammad, Salim ibn 'Abd Allah, Tawus, Mujahid, al-Zuhri, Rabi'ah, Malik, Abu Thawr, and Dawud said: He may marry four, due to the generality of the verse, and because the path to this is pleasure and desire, so the slave is equal to the free man in it, like [the permissibility of] eating. Our argument is the statement of those we have named among the Companions, and no one is known to have opposed them in their era, so it was a consensus. Layth ibn Abi Sulaym narrated from al-Hakam ibn 'Utaybah that he said: The Companions of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, reached a consensus that a slave may not marry more than two. This is strengthened by what Imam Ahmad narrated, with his chain of narration from Muhammad ibn Sirin, that 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, asked the people: "How many may a slave marry?" 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf said: "Two, and his divorce is two." This proves that this took place in the presence of the Companions and others, and it was not objected to. This restricts the generality of the verse, even though there is in it [the verse] what indicates that it refers to free men, which is His saying, the Almighty: {or what your right hands possess} (10). Marriage is different from eating, as it is based on preference (11). For this reason, the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, was distinguished from his nation in it, and because it involves ownership, and the slave is deficient in ownership compared to the free man.
(3) In the original and M: "hadhihi" (this). (4) In M: "tariqatuhu" (its path). (5) In B: "fayakun" (so it would be). (6) In the original, A, and M: "'Uqbah". It was mentioned previously in: 3/449. (7) Recorded by al-Bayhaqi, in: The Chapter of the slave's marriage and his divorce, from the Book of Marriage. Al-Sunan al-Kubra 7/158. (8) In the original, A, and B: "thintayn" (two). Recorded by al-Shafi'i, in: The Chapter on 'Iddah, from the Book of Divorce. Tartib Musnad al-Imam al-Shafi'i 2/57. And al-Bayhaqi, in: The Chapter of the slave's marriage and his divorce, from the Book of Marriage. Al-Sunan al-Kubra 7/158. (9) In the original: "wa-yadullu" (and it indicates). (10) Surah al-Nisa': 3. (11) Perhaps the correct word is "al-tafdil" (preference).
عَوْفٍ، رَضِىَ اللَّهُ عنهم، وبه قال عطاءٌ، والحَسَنُ، والشَّعْبِىُّ، وقَتادةُ، والثَّوْرِىُّ، والشَّافعىُّ، وأصْحابُ الرَّأْىِ. وقال القاسمُ بن محمدٍ، وسالمُ بن عبدِ اللَّه، وطاوُسٌ، ومُجاهِدٌ، والزُّهْرِىُّ، ورَبِيعةُ، ومالكٌ، وأبو ثَوْرٍ، وداودُ: له نِكاحُ أرْبَعٍ؛ لعُمُومِ الآية، ولأنَّ هذا (٣) طَرِيقُهُ (٤) اللَّذّةُ والشَّهْوةُ، فساوَى العَبْدُ الحُرَّ فيه، كالمَأْكُولِ. ولَنا، قولُ مَن سَمَّيْنَا من الصَّحابةِ، ولم يُعْرَفْ لهم مُخالِفٌ فى عَصْرِهِم، فكان (٥) إجماعًا. وقد رَوَى لَيْثُ بن أبى سُلَيْمٍ، عن الحَكَمِ بن عُتَيْبَةَ (٦)، قال: أجْمَعَ أصحابُ رَسُولِ اللَّه -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم-، على أَنَّ العَبْدَ لا يَنْكِحُ أكثرَ من اثْنَتَيْنِ (٧). ويُقَوِّى هذا ما رَوَى الإِمامُ أحمدُ، بإسْنادِه عن محمدِ بن سِيرِينَ، أَنَّ عمرَ، رَضِىَ اللَّهُ عنه، سَأَلَ الناسَ: كم يتَزَوَّجُ العَبْدُ؟ فقال عبدُ الرحمنِ بن عَوْفٍ: باثْنَتَيْنِ (٨)، وطَلَاقُه باثْنَتَيْنِ (٨). فدَلَّ (٩) هذا على أَنَّ ذلك كان بمَحْضرٍ من الصَّحابةِ وغيرِهم، فلم يُنْكَرْ، وهذا يَخُصُّ عُمُومَ الآيةِ، على أَنَّ فيها ما يَدُلُّ على إرادةِ الأحْرارِ، وهو قوله تعالى: {أَوْ مَا مَلَكَتْ أَيْمَانُكُمْ} (١٠). ويُفارِقُ النِّكاحُ المَأْكُولَ، فإنَّه مَبْنِىٌّ على التَّفَضُّلِ (١١). ولهذا فارَقَ النبىُّ -صلى اللَّه عليه وسلم- فيه أُمَّتَه، ولأنَّ فيه مِلْكًا، والعَبْدُ يَنْقُصُ فى المِلْكِ عن الحُرِّ.
(٣) فى الأصل، م: "هذه".(٤) فى م: "طريقة".(٥) فى ب: "فيكون".(٦) فى الأصل، أ، م: "عقبة". وتقدم فى: ٣/ ٤٤٩.(٧) أخرجه البيهقى، فى: باب نكاح العبد وطلاقه، من كتاب النكاح. السنن الكبرى ٧/ ١٥٨.(٨) فى الأصل، أ، ب: "ثنتين".وأخرجه الشافعى، فى: باب فى العدة، من كتاب الطلاق. ترتيب مسند الإِمام الشافعى ٢/ ٥٧. والبيهقى، فى: باب نكاح العبد وطلاقه، من كتاب النكاح. السنن الكبرى ٧/ ١٥٨.(٩) فى الأصل: "ويدل".(١٠) سورة النساء ٣.(١١) لعل الصواب: "التفضيل".
