There Cannot be Divorce before Marriage

كُنْتُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَدَخَلَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع وَ لَمْ أُثْبِتْهُ فَسَأَلْتُ عَنْهُ فَأُخْبِرْتُ بِاسْمِهِ فَقُمْتُ إِلَيْهِ أَنَا وَ غَيْرِي فَاكْتَنَفْنَاهُ‌[1] فَسَلَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ أَصْلَحَكَ اللَّهُ مَا تَرَى فِي رَجُلٍ سَمَّى امْرَأَةً بِعَيْنِهَا وَ قَالَ يَوْمَ يَتَزَوَّجُهَا هِيَ طَالِقٌ ثَلَاثاً ثُمَّ بَدَا لَهُ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَهَا أَ يَصْلُحُ لَهُ‌ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا ال

“Once I was in the Masjid when Ali ibn al-Husayn, ‘Alayhim al-Salam, came in but I could not recognize him properly; so I asked about him and I was told about his name so others and I stood up for him, we surrounded him (the Imam) and offered him (the Imam) greeting of peace. A man then said, ‘I pray to Allah to keep y

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الرَّجُلِ يَقُولُ يَوْمَ أَتَزَوَّجُ فُلَانَةَ فَهِيَ طَالِقٌ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ إِنَّهُ لَا يَكُونُ طَلَاقٌ حَتَّى يَمْلِكَ عُقْدَةَ النِّكَاحِ.

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the case of a man who says that on the day I will get married to so and so she is divorced. He (the Imam) said, ‘It does not have any valid effect until he has a binding marriage.’”

كَانَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِنَا يَقُولُونَ لَا عَتَاقَ وَ لَا طَلَاقَ إِلَّا بَعْدَ مَا يَمْلِكُ الرَّجُلُ.

“Abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘Those who were before us would say, ‘Setting free of a slave or divorce does not have any valid effect until a man has an ownership and marriage.’”

كُنْتُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَدَخَلَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ ع وَ لَمْ أُثْبِتْهُ وَ عَلَيْهِ عِمَامَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ قَدْ أَرْسَلَ طَرَفَيْهَا بَيْنَ كَتِفَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ لِرَجُلٍ قَرِيبِ الْمَجْلِسِ مِنِّي مَنْ هَذَا الشَّيْخُ فَقَالَ مَا لَكَ لَمْ تَسْأَلْنِي عَنْ أَحَدٍ دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ غَيْرِ هَذَا الشَّيْخِ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ لَمْ أَرَ أَحَداً دَخَلَ الْمَسْجِدَ أَحْسَنَ هَيْئَةً فِي عَيْنِي مِنْ هَذَا الشَّيْخِ فَلِ

“Once I was in the Masjid when Ali ibn al-Husayn, Alayhi al-Salam, came and I could not recognize him. He (the Imam) had a black turban and he had allowed both ends of the turban to hang down between his two shoulders. I then asked a man sitting near me, ‘Who is this Shaykh?’ He asked, ‘Why did you not ask me about peo

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ رَجُلٍ قَالَ إِنْ تَزَوَّجْتُ فُلَانَةَ فَهِيَ طَالِقٌ وَ إِنِ اشْتَرَيْتُ فُلَاناً فَهُوَ حُرٌّ وَ إِنِ اشْتَرَيْتُ هَذَا الثَّوْبَ فَهُوَ لِلْمَسَاكِينِ فَقَالَ لَيْسَ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ لَا يُطَلِّقُ إِلَّا مَا يَمْلِكُ وَ لَا يَتَصَدَّقُ إِلَّا بِمَا يَمْلِكُ.

“I once asked abu Ja‘far, Alayhi al-Salam, about the case of a man who says, ‘If I marry so and so woman she is divorced; if I buy so and so slave, he is free and if I buy this cloth it is for the destitute. He (the Imam) said, ‘It does not have any valid effect; he cannot divorce until he is married and owns. He canno