I was a man with great desire for women, and I did not think any other man was as affected by this as I was. When Ramadan arrived, I declared zihar against my wife, intending it to last until Ramadan ended. One night, while she was talking with me, part of her body became uncovered, so I leapt upon her and had relations with her.In the morning, I went to my people and told them what had happened. I said to them, "Ask the Messenger of Allah ﷺ about my situation on my behalf."They said, "We will not do that. Allah might reveal a verse about us, or the Messenger of Allah ﷺ might say something concerning us, and the disgrace would remain upon us. But we will hand you over with your offense. Go yourself and mention your affair to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ."So I went out until I came to him and told him what had happened.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, "Did you really do this?"I said, "I did it. And here I am, Messenger of Allah, patient with Allah's judgment upon me."He said, "Free a slave."I said, "By the One who sent you with the truth, I do not own anything except this neck of mine."He said, "Then fast two consecutive months."I said, "Messenger of Allah, did this calamity befall me except because of fasting?"He said, "Then give charity, or feed sixty poor people."I said, "By the One who sent you with the truth, we spent last night with no dinner to eat."He said, "Then go to the collector of charity for Banu Zurayq and tell him to hand it over to you. Feed sixty poor people, and benefit from what remains."
كنت امرءا أستكثر من النساء، لا أرى رجلا كان يصيب من ذلك ما أصيب، فلما دخل رمضان ظاهرت من امرأتي حتى ينسلخ رمضان، فبينما هي تحدثني ذات ليلة انكشف لي منها شيء، فوثبت عليها فواقعتها، فلما أصبحت غدوت على قومي، فأخبرتهم خبري، وقلت لهم: سلوا لي رسول الله ﷺ فقالوا: ما كنا نفعل، إذا ينزل الله فينا كتابا، أو يكون فينا من رسول الله ﷺ قول، فيبقى علينا عاره، ولكن سوف نسلمك بجريرتك، اذهب أنت فاذكر شأنك لرسول الله ﷺ قال: فخرجت حتى جئته، فأخبرته الخبر، فقال رسول الله ﷺ: أنت بذاك؟ قلت: أنا بذاك، وها أنا، يا رسول الله! صابر لحكم الله علي. قال: فأعتق رقبة قال، قلت: والذي بعثك بالحق! ما أصبحت أملك إلا رقبتي هذه، قال: فصم شهرين متتابعين قال، قلت يا رسول الله! وهل دخل علي ما دخل من البلاء إلا بالصوم؟ قال: فتصدق أو أطعم ستين مسكينا قال، قلت: والذي بعثك بالحق! لقد بتنا ليلتنا هذه، ما لنا عشاء، قال: فاذهب إلى صاحب صدقة بني رزيق فقل له، فليدفعها إليك، أطعم ستين مسكينا. وانتفع ببقيتها.
Narrated by Abu Dawud (2213), Ibn Majah (2062), and Tirmidhi at length (3299) and in abbreviated form (1198). Ibn Khuzayma (2378) and Hakim (2/203) both graded it sahih, all of them narrating it from the hadith of Muhammad bin Ishaq, from Muhammad bin Amr bin Ata, from Sulayman bin Yasar, from Salama bin Sakhr, who related it. Hakim said, "Sahih according to the criterion of Muslim." Tirmidhi said, "A hasan hadith. Muhammad said, In my view Sulayman bin Yasar did not hear directly from Salama bin Sakhr." He also said, "He is called Salama bin Sakhr, and he is also called Salman bin Sakhr." End of quote. Bukhari said likewise, as recorded in Ilal al-Kabir (1/473).However, Tirmidhi (1200) also narrated it through another route, from Ali bin Mubarak, who said, Yahya bin Abu Kathir told us, saying, Abu Salama and Muhammad bin Abdul-Rahman bin Thawban told us, that Salman bin Sakhr al-Ansari, one of Banu Bayada, declared his wife off-limits to him like his mother's back, until Ramadan passed. But when half of Ramadan had passed, he had intercourse with her at night. He then went to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and told him about it, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Free a slave." He said, "I cannot find one." He said, "Then fast two consecutive months." He said, "I am not able to." He said, "Feed sixty poor people." He said, "I cannot find the means." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then said to Farwa bin Amr, "Give him that basket of dates," which was a container holding fifteen or sixteen saa, as feeding for sixty poor people.Tirmidhi said, "This is a hasan hadith, and it is the practice among the people of knowledge regarding the atonement for zihar." Hakim (2/204), after narrating it from the hadith of Yahya bin Abu Kathir and treating it as a supporting witness for the hadith of Sulayman bin Yasar from Salama bin Sakhr, said, "Sahih according to the criterion of the two Shaykhs."This hadith has other routes as well. It was narrated by Saeed bin Musayab and Simak bin Abdul-Rahman, both from Salama bin Sakhr. For more, see the Book of Zakat.This hadith serves as evidence that if the one who has declared zihar has intercourse with his spouse before making atonement, a single atonement suffices for him. Tirmidhi said, "This is the practice among most of the people of knowledge, and it is the view of Sufyan, Malik, Shafii, Ahmad, and Ishaq. Some have said that if he has intercourse before making atonement, then two atonements are required of him, and this is the view of Abdul-Rahman bin Mahdi."