A Woman offers Herself as a Gift to a Man

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنِ الْمَرْأَةِ تَهَبُ نَفْسَهَا لِلرَّجُلِ يَنْكِحُهَا بِغَيْرِ مَهْرٍ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا كَانَ هَذَا لِلنَّبِيِّ ص وَ أَمَّا لِغَيْرِهِ فَلَا يَصْلُحُ هَذَا حَتَّى يُعَوِّضَهَا شَيْئاً يُقَدِّمُ إِلَيْهَا قَبْلَ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ بِهَا قَلَّ أَوْ كَثُرَ وَ لَوْ ثَوْبٌ أَوْ دِرْهَمٌ وَ قَالَ يُجْزِئُ الدِّرْهَمُ.

“This is concerning my question before abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a woman who gives herself as a gift to a man for marriage. He (the Imam) said, ‘This was only for the Holy Prophet, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, but for others it is not prop

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- وَ امْرَأَةً مُؤْمِنَةً إِنْ وَهَبَتْ نَفْسَها لِلنَّبِيِ‌[1] فَقَالَ لَا تَحِلُّ الْهِبَةُ إِلَّا لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ أَمَّا غَيْرُهُ فَلَا يَصْلُحُ نِكَاحٌ إِلَّا بِمَهْرٍ.

“I once asked abu Ja‘far (a.s.), about the words of Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, ‘A believing woman who gifts herself to the Holy Prophet. . . .’ (33:50) He (the Imam) said that such gift is not lawful except for the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their serv

لَا تَحِلُّ الْهِبَةُ إِلَّا لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ أَمَّا غَيْرُهُ فَلَا يَصْلُحُ نِكَاحٌ إِلَّا بِمَهْرٍ.

‘(A woman’s) gifting herself is not lawful except to the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, and in other people’s case, marriage is not proper without mahr (dower).”’

لَا إِنَّمَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ص وَ لَيْسَ لِغَيْرِهِ إِلَّا أَنْ يُعَوِّضَهَا شَيْئاً قَلَّ أَوْ كَثُرَ.

“About the case of a woman who gifts herself or her guardian gifts her to a man, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘No, it was only for the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, and not for others unless it is in exchange for something, little

إِنْ عَوَّضَهَا كَانَ ذَلِكَ مُسْتَقِيماً.

“About the case of a woman who gifts herself to a Muslim man, abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said, ‘If it is in exchange for something it then is correct.’”