The Absent and Missing

الْمَفْقُودُ إِذَا مَضَى لَهُ أَرْبَعُ سِنِينَ بَعَثَ الْوَالِي أَوْ يَكْتُبُ إِلَى النَّاحِيَةِ الَّتِي هُوَ غَائِبٌ فِيهَا فَإِنْ لَمْ يُوجَدْ لَهُ أَثَرٌ أَمَرَ الْوَالِي وَلِيَّهُ أَنْ يُنْفِقَ عَلَيْهَا فَمَا أَنْفَقَ عَلَيْهَا فَهِيَ امْرَأَتُهُ قَالَ قُلْتُ فَإِنَّهَا تَقُولُ فَإِنِّي أُرِيدُ مَا تُرِيدُ النِّسَاءُ قَالَ لَيْسَ ذَلِكَ لَهَا وَ لَا كَرَامَةَ فَإِنْ لَمْ يُنْفِقْ عَلَيْهَا وَلِيُّهُ أَوْ وَكِيلُ

“Once abu ‘ Abd Allah (a.s.), was asked about the case of a man who is absent and missing. He (the Imam) said, ‘If one is absent and missing for four years the authorities must send in writing to the area where he has disappeared, and if no trace of him is found the authority then commands his guardian to provide maint

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع عَنِ الْمَفْقُودِ كَيْفَ يُصْنَعُ بِامْرَأَتِهِ قَالَ مَا سَكَتَتْ عَنْهُ وَ صَبَرَتْ يُخَلَّى عَنْهَا فَإِنْ هِيَ رَفَعَتْ أَمْرَهَا إِلَى الْوَالِي أَجَّلَهَا أَرْبَعَ سِنِينَ ثُمَّ يَكْتُبُ إِلَى الصُّقْعِ الَّذِي فُقِدَ فِيهِ فَلْيُسْأَلْ عَنْهُ فَإِنْ خُبِّرَ عَنْهُ بِحَيَاةٍ صَبَرَتْ وَ إِنْ لَمْ يُخْبَرْ عَنْهُ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ حَتَّى تَمْضِيَ الْأَرْبَعُ سِنِينَ دُعِيَ وَلِيُّ الزَّوْ

“I once asked abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), about the case of a man who is absent and missing and about how to deal with the issue of his wife. He (the Imam) said, ‘If she is silent and has exercised patience, she is not disturbed, but if she brings her case before the authorities she will be told to wait for four years. Ther

نَعَمْ وَ إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ وَلِيٌّ طَلَّقَهَا السُّلْطَانُ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ قَالَ الْوَلِيُّ أَنَا أُنْفِقُ عَلَيْهَا قَالَ فَلَا يُجْبَرُ عَلَى طَلَاقِهَا قَالَ قُلْتُ أَ رَأَيْتَ إِنْ قَالَتْ أَنَا أُرِيدُ مِثْلَ مَا تُرِيدُ النِّسَاءُ وَ لَا أَصْبِرُ وَ لَا أَقْعُدُ كَمَا أَنَا قَالَ لَيْسَ لَهَا ذَلِكَ وَ لَا كَرَامَةَ إِذَا أَنْفَقَ عَلَيْهَا[2].

“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 divor

سَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْمَفْقُودِ فَقَالَ إِنْ عَلِمَتْ أَنَّهُ فِي أَرْضٍ فَهِيَ مُنْتَظِرَةٌ لَهُ أَبَداً حَتَّى تَأْتِيَهَا مَوْتُهُ أَوْ يَأْتِيَهَا طَلَاقُهُ وَ إِنْ لَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَيْنَ هُوَ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ كُلِّهَا وَ لَمْ يَأْتِهَا مِنْهُ كِتَابٌ وَ لَا خَبَرٌ فَإِنَّهَا تَأْتِي الْإِمَامَ فَيَأْمُرُهَا أَنْ تَنْتَظِرَ أَرْبَعَ سِنِينَ فَيُطْلَبُ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يُوجَدْ لَهُ أَثَرٌ حَتَّى تَمْضِيَ الْأَرْ

“I once asked him (the Imam) (a.s.), about the case of a man who is absent and missing. He (the Imam) said, ‘If it is known that he is in a certain location she waits for ever until the news of his death comes or her divorce. If it is not known where he is and no letter comes from him or any news, she then comes to the

إِذَا نُعِيَ الرَّجُلُ إِلَى أَهْلِهِ أَوْ خَبَّرُوهَا أَنَّهُ طَلَّقَهَا فَاعْتَدَّتْ ثُمَّ تَزَوَّجَتْ فَجَاءَ زَوْجُهَا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّ الْأَوَّلَ أَحَقُّ بِهَا مِنْ هَذَا الْآخَرِ دَخَلَ بِهَا أَوْ لَمْ يَدْخُلْ بِهَا وَ لَهَا مِنَ الْأَخِيرِ الْمَهْرُ بِمَا اسْتَحَلَّ مِنْ فَرْجِهَا قَالَ وَ لَيْسَ لِلْآخَرِ أَنْ يَتَزَوَّجَهَا أَبَداً. - أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ الرَّزَّازُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَيُّوبَ بْنِ نُ

1. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Musa ibn Bakr from Zurarah who has said the following: “Abu Ja‘far, ‘Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘If a woman receives news of the death of her husband or she is informed about her being divorced by her husband and she counts her waitin