A woman came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "I have offered myself to you in marriage." She remained standing for a long time.A man then said, "Messenger of Allah, marry her to me if you have no need of her."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, "Do you have anything you can give her as a dowry?"The man replied, "I have nothing but this cloak of mine."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If you give her your cloak, you will be left sitting with no cloak. Look for something else."He said, "I cannot find anything."The Prophet ﷺ said, "Look, even if it is only an iron ring."He searched but found nothing.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then asked, "Do you know anything of the Quran?"He answered, "Yes, surah such-and-such and surah such-and-such," naming the surahs.The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "I have married her to you for what you know of the Quran."
حدثنا الحسن بن علي الخلال حدثنا إسحق بن عيسى وعبد الله بن نافع الصائغ قالا أخبرنا مالك بن أنس عن أبي حازم بن دينار
أن رسول الله ﷺ جاءته امرأة فقالت إني وهبت نفسي لك فقامت طويلا فقال رجل يا رسول الله فزوجنيها إن لم تكن لك بها حاجة فقال هل عندك من شيء تصدقها فقال ما عندي إلا إزاري هذا فقال رسول الله ﷺ إزارك إن أعطيتها جلست ولا إزار لك فالتمس شيئا قال ما أجد قال فالتمس ولو خاتما من حديد قال فالتمس فلم يجد شيئا فقال رسول الله ﷺ هل معك من القرآن شيء قال نعم سورة كذا وسورة كذا لسور سماها فقال رسول الله ﷺ زوجتكها بما معك من القرآن
Agreed upon [by Bukhari and Muslim]. Bukhari transmitted it in "Marriage," chapter "The ruler is a guardian," regarding the Prophet's ﷺ saying, "I have married her to you for what you have of the Quran," no. 5135, from the hadith of Malik. Muslim transmitted it, no. 1425, from the hadith of Abu Hazim with the same wording. It is also found in Muwatta (Yahya), 2/526.