A Msyar Marriage in Baghdad. Must read for Polygynists Muslims

Inspiring Stories # 1

A Msyar Marriage in Baghdad

Narrated by Ibn Al-Jawzi (597H)

Some time ago in Baghdad  there was a man who was a cloth merchant and was wealthy. One day he was at his store when a young girl entered and made contact with him then bought a piece of fabric. While they were talking to each other she lifted up her niqab and the man became startled and perplexed by her beauty. He said: “ I am speechless at your sight.”

The women then said:, “ To be honest I didn’t come here to buy anything. I only go and come to the market looking for a man to marry me and my heart feels something for you. I am a wealthy woman, so will you marry me?”

The man said:”I am married to my cousin, we have a child together and I promised her that no one will ever take her place.”

Following this the young girl said:” I am content if you only visit me twice a week. The man liked what he heard so they made a marriage contract, and he went to her house and had relations with her.

Later on he went home and told his wife that some of his friends want him to stay the night with them, so he went stayed with his new young wife. As time went on he would go visit the young girl every day after the Thur prayer.

This went on for about eight months and his first wife didn’t like the situation. As a result of her suspicions she asked her slave, “When my husband leaves the store where does he go?” Therefore, the slave-girl followed him to his shop and when Thur came he closed the store ;and their slave-girl walked behind him, but he didn’t realize it. She stayed back until he entered his second wife’s house. After he went inside the slave –girl went to their neighbor’s home and asked them: “Whose house is that?” They replied: Some young lady who married a cloth merchant.”

After that the slave-girl returned home and informed his first wife about her discovery. His wife said:” Don’t tell anyone about this.” And she acted as if she didn’t know anything about the woman around her husband.

For one year the man maintained the situation as it was until he became ill and died. He left 8,000 dinars behind and his wife gave his son 7,000 as his inheritance and kept 1,000 dinars. She took the 1,000 dinars  and she placed 500 of them in a bag. She called the slave-girl to her room and told her to take the bag to the lady’s house and inform her that the man has died and he had 8,000 dinars. Let her know that his son had a right to 7,000 and the rest is for me and her. Then give her the bag.

The slave-girl went to lady’s house, knocked on the door ,entered , and told the woman  her husband has died. The woman cried then opened a chest, took out a slip of paper ,and said :”Go back to your master ,give her my Salams, and tell her he divorced me, so return this money back to her as I don’t deserve it.”

The slave-girl went back home and told her what was said.[1]

Reflections on this story:

1. A woman’s face can be test for a man.

2. Men selling women’s products can create a weak man.

3. Being alone with a woman is dangerous even if it’s just casual conversation.

4. Men will settle to marry a woman easily when the woman is financial independent or really doesn’t need assistance. This is witnessed around the globe today, and men and women are referring to these kind of marriage agreements as ,” Msyar Marriages”.

5. The young girl helped the man feel young again so their agreement went from twice a week to the point the man would visit her every day.

6. A man’s wife can feel when something isn’t right with her spouse if she truly loves him. Most often when men get involved with women outside their homes there is a change in the routine of things. And perhaps this man wasn’t coming home on time, or having lunch at home, and Allah Knows best.

7. Women will spy on their husbands if they have doubt about them. His first wife sent their maid to follow him.

8. He loved his first wife and didn’t want to break her heart with that young wife of his, so he married her secretly.

9. His 1^st wife was patient and didn’t want to let anyone know as she might have been embarrassed by family or friends.

10. Although his first wife was hurt she still gave her co-wife her rights in the end. She sent the slave-girl to her house as way of saying I knew all along, but here is your rights sister.

11. The co-wife saw the effect she had on the family so she lied and said they were divorced so that the man’s wealth could be hers. In reality, she didn’t need the money. She was only looking for a man to satisfy her needs.

12. There could have a been a bigger issue concerning the wealth if the co-wife had any children ,but nothing was mentioned that they did and Allah knows best.

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Prepared by Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle

[1] Taken from (صفة الصفوة) The last story of Baghdad