Hadith record

3. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from abu al-Sabbah al-Kinaniy who has said the following: “About the case of a woman whose husband is missing and absent for four years, has not provided her maintenance and it is not known if he is alive or not, if his guardian is compelled to divorce her. He (the Imam) said, ‘Yes, he is compelled to do so. If he does not have any guardian, the authority and al- Sultan divorces her.’ I then asked what happens if the guardian says, ‘I can provide her maintenance?’ He (the Imam) said, ‘He is not then forced to divorce her.’ I then asked what happens if she says, ‘I want what women want, I do not want to wait patiently as I am.’ He (the Imam) said, ‘She does not have such right and it is not honorable to say so when he provides maintenance.’”

Translation: Muhammad Sarwar — attributed by Thaqalayn·The Arabic above is the original.