When the matter of Uthman bin Mazun arose, who was among those who had abandoned women, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent for him and said, "Uthman, I have not been commanded to adopt monasticism. Have you turned away from my way?"Uthman replied, "No, Messenger of Allah."He said, "It is part of my way that I pray and sleep, I fast and eat, and I marry and divorce. Whoever turns away from my way is not of me. Uthman, your family has a right over you, and your own self has a right over you."Saad said, "By Allah, Some men among the Muslims had resolved that if the Messenger of Allah ﷺ approved of Uthman remaining as he was, we would castrate ourselves and renounce marriage."
لما كان من أمر عثمان بن مظعون الذي كان ممن ترك النساء بعث إليه رسول الله ﷺ فقال: يا عثمان إني لم أومر بالرهبانية، أرغبت عن سنتي؟ قال: لا يا رسول الله، قال: إن من سنتي أن أصلي وأنام، وأصوم وأطعم، وأنكح وأطلق، فمن رغب عن سنتي فليس مني، يا عثمان إن لأهلك عليك حقا، ولنفسك عليك حقا قال سعد: فوالله لقد كان أجمع رجال من المسلمين على أن رسول الله ﷺ إن هو أقر عثمان على ما هو عليه أن نختصي فنتبتل.
Reported by Darimi (2173), from Muhammad bin Yazid Hizami, who said, Yunus bin Bukayr told us, Ibn Ishaq related to me, Zuhri related to me, from Saeed bin Musayab, from Saad bin Abu Waqqas, who mentioned it. Its chain is hasan due to criticism raised about Yunus bin Bukayr, for Nasai criticized him while others deemed him reliable enough. He is acceptable as a supporting witness.The hadith is recorded in the Sahihayn, Bukhari (5074) and Muslim (1402), through the route of Ibn Shihab, from Saeed bin Musayab, from Saad bin Abu Waqqas, in abbreviated form with the wording, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ refused to permit Uthman bin Mazun to practice celibacy. Had he permitted him, we would have castrated ourselves." This will come later in the book on marriage.The hadith has a supporting witness from the account of Abu Musa, who said, The wife of Uthman bin Mazun came to visit the wives of the Prophet ﷺ, and they saw that she was in poor condition. They said, "What is wrong with you? There is no man in Quraysh wealthier than your husband." She said, "We get nothing from him. His day is spent fasting, and his night is spent in prayer." He said, Then the Prophet ﷺ came in, and they mentioned this to him. So the Prophet ﷺ met with Uthman and said, "Uthman, do you not have an example to follow in me?" He said, "What do you mean, Messenger of Allah? May my father and mother be sacrificed for you." He said, "As for you, you spend the night in prayer and the day in fasting. Your family has a right over you, and your body has a right over you. Pray and sleep, fast and break your fast." He said, Afterward the woman came to them perfumed, looking like a bride, and they said to her, "What is this?" She said, "We now experience what other people experience."This was reported by Ibn Hibban (316), from Ahmad bin Ali bin Muthanna, who said, Muhammad bin Khattab Baladi Zahid told us, Abu Jabir Muhammad bin Abdul-Malik told us, Israel told us, from Abu Ishaq, from Abu Burda, from Abu Musa, who mentioned it. In this chain is Muhammad bin Khattab Baladi Zahid, about whom Abu Hatim said, "He is not strong," in Jarh wa Tadil (5/8). Haythami said in Majma (4/302, 301), "Abu Yaala and Tabarani reported it through several chains, and some of Tabarani's chains have narrators who are reliable."The hadith of Anas bin Malik, recorded in the Sahihayn, Bukhari (5063) and Muslim (1401), will come later in the book on marriage. It contains, "You are the ones who said such and such. By Allah, I am the most fearful of Allah among you, and the most mindful of Him in duty, yet I fast and I break my fast, I pray and I sleep, and I marry women. Whoever turns away from my sunnah is not of me." The wording given here is Bukhari's.There is another supporting witness from Abu Umama, who said, The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out of the house of Uthman bin Mazun and stood at the door, saying, "What is wrong with you, Kuhayla, looking so unkempt? Is Uthman not present?" She said, "Yes, he is, but he has not lain on a bed for so long, and he fasts during the day without ever breaking his fast." So he said, "Tell him to come to me." When he came, she said to him, and he went to him, finding him in the masjid. He sat beside him, but the Prophet turned away from him. Uthman wept, then said, "I know that something about me has reached you." The Prophet said, "Are you the one who fasts all day and stays up all night, never resting your side on a bed?" Uthman said, "Yes, I have done that, seeking what is good." So the Prophet said, "Your eye has its share, your body has its share, and your wife has its share. So fast and break your fast, sleep and rise, and go to your wife. For I fast and I break my fast, I sleep and I pray, and I go to women. Whoever follows my sunnah has found guidance, and whoever abandons it has gone astray. Every deed has a burst of energy, and every burst of energy is followed by a lull. If that lull leads to neglect, then it leads to ruin, but if that lull leads back to what is obligatory, then it does no harm to the one experiencing it. So take on only as much deed as you can bear, for I was sent with an easy and tolerant faith. Do not burden yourself with worship of your Lord beyond your capacity, for you do not know how long your life will be."Haythami said in Majma (3569), "Tabarani reported it in Kabir, and among its narrators is Ali bin Zayd, who is daif."