She had been married to Thabit bin Qays bin Shammas. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ went out for the dawn prayer and found Habiba bint Sahl at his door in the darkness before dawn.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, "Who is this?"She replied, "I am Habiba bint Sahl."He asked, "What is the matter with you?"She said, "Neither I nor Thabit bin Qays can remain together," referring to her husband.When Thabit bin Qays arrived, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to him, "This is Habiba bint Sahl, and she has mentioned what Allah willed her to mention."Habiba said, "Messenger of Allah, everything he gave me is still with me."So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to Thabit bin Qays, "Take it back from her."He took it back from her, and she remained with her family.
حدثنا القعنبي عن مالك عن يحيى بن سعيد عن عمرة بنت عبد الرحمن بن سعد بن زرارة أنها أخبرته
أنها كانت تحت ثابت بن قيس بن شماس وأن رسول الله ﷺ خرج إلى الصبح فوجد حبيبة بنت سهل عند بابه في الغلس فقال رسول الله ﷺ من هذه فقالت أنا حبيبة بنت سهل قال ما شأنك قالت لا أنا ولا ثابت بن قيس لزوجها فلما جاء ثابت بن قيس قال له رسول الله ﷺ هذه حبيبة بنت سهل وذكرت ما شاء الله أن تذكر وقالت حبيبة يا رسول الله كل ما أعطاني عندي فقال رسول الله ﷺ لثابت بن قيس خذ منها فأخذ منها وجلست هي في أهلها
[Its isnad is sahih]. Nasai narrated it in the Book of Divorce, Chapter on What Has Been Said Regarding Khula, no. 3492, from the hadith of Malik through this same chain, and it is found in the Muwatta (Yahya's recension): 2/564. Ibn Hibban graded it sahih (Mawarid): 1326.