Muwatta Malik 562

These are the words of a Successor — the generation after the Companions — not of the Prophet ﷺ.

وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ هَلَكَتِ امْرَأَةٌ لِي فَأَتَانِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ كَعْبٍ الْقُرَظِيُّ يُعَزِّينِي بِهَا فَقَالَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ رَجُلٌ فَقِيهٌ عَالِمٌ عَابِدٌ مُجْتَهِدٌ وَكَانَتْ لَهُ امْرَأَةٌ - وَكَانَ بِهَا مُعْجَبًا وَلَهَا مُحِبًّا - فَمَاتَتْ فَوَجَدَ عَلَيْهَا وَجْدًا شَدِيدًا وَلَقِيَ عَلَيْهَا أَسَفًا حَتَّى خَلاَ فِي بَيْتٍ وَغَلَّقَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ وَاحْتَجَبَ مِنَ النَّاسِ فَلَمْ يَكُنْ يَدْخُلُ عَلَيْهِ أَحَدٌ وَإِنَّ امْرَأَةً سَمِعَتْ بِهِ فَجَاءَتْهُ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّ لِي إِلَيْهِ حَاجَةً أَسْتَفْتِيهِ فِيهَا لَيْسَ يُجْزِينِي فِيهَا إِلاَّ مُشَافَهَتُهُ فَذَهَبَ النَّاسُ وَلَزِمَتْ بَابَهُ وَقَالَتْ مَا لِي مِنْهُ بُدٌّ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ لَهُ قَائِلٌ إِنَّ هَا هُنَا امْرَأَةً أَرَادَتْ أَنْ تَسْتَفْتِيَكَ وَقَالَتْ إِنْ أَرَدْتُ إِلاَّ مُشَافَهَتَهُ وَقَدْ ذَهَبَ النَّاسُ وَهِيَ لاَ تُفَارِقُ الْبَابَ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ائْذَنُوا لَهَا ‏.‏ فَدَخَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَتْ إِنِّي جِئْتُكَ أَسْتَفْتِيكَ فِي أَمْرٍ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَمَا هُوَ قَالَتْ إِنِّي اسْتَعَرْتُ مِنْ جَارَةٍ لِي حَلْيًا فَكُنْتُ أَلْبَسُهُ وَأُعِيرُهُ زَمَانًا ثُمَّ إِنَّهُمْ أَرْسَلُوا إِلَىَّ فِيهِ أَفَأُؤَدِّيهِ إِلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ نَعَمْ وَاللَّهِ ‏.‏ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّهُ قَدْ مَكَثَ عِنْدِي زَمَانًا ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ذَلِكَ أَحَقُّ لِرَدِّكِ إِيَّاهُ إِلَيْهِمْ حِينَ أَعَارُوكِيهِ زَمَانًا ‏.‏ فَقَالَتْ أَىْ يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ أَفَتَأْسَفُ عَلَى مَا أَعَارَكَ اللَّهُ ثُمَّ أَخَذَهُ مِنْكَ وَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِهِ مِنْكَ فَأَبْصَرَ مَا كَانَ فِيهِ وَنَفَعَهُ اللَّهُ بِقَوْلِهَا ‏.‏

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that al-Qasim ibn Muhammad said, "One of my wives died and Muhammad ibn Kab al Quradhi came to console me about her. He told me of one among the Bani Israil who was a diligent, worshipping, knowing and understanding man who had a wife that he admired and loved, and she died. He grieved over her intensely and lamented her until he withdrew into a house and locked himself in, hidden from everyone, and no-one visited him. A woman heard about him and went to him, saying, 'I need him to give me an opinion. Nothing will satisfy me except what he says about it.' Everyone went away, but she stuck to his door and said, 'I must see him.' Someone said to him, 'There is a woman who wishes to ask your opinion about something,' and she insisted, 'I will only talk to him about it.' When everyone had gone away, and she still had not left his door, he said, 'Let her in.' So she went in and saw him and said, 'I have come to ask your opinion about something.' He said, 'What is it?' She said, 'I borrowed a piece of jewellery from a neighbour of mine, and I have worn it and used it for a long time. Then they sent to me for it. Should I let them have it back?' He said, 'Yes, by Allah.' She said, 'I have had it for a long time.' He said, 'It is more correct for you to return it to them, since they have lent it to you for such a long time.' She said, 'Yes. May Allah have mercy on you. Do you then grieve over what Allah has lent you and then taken from you, when He has a greater right to it than you?' Then he saw the situation he was in, and Allah helped him by her words