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Narrated by Bukhari & MuslimAuthentic hadith

It is from the Sunnah that if someone marries a virgin, he should stay with her (the virgin) for seven days and then divide the nights between them. But if he marries a previously married woman, he should stay with her for three days, then divide the nights (between his wives)

Narrator in the source: Anas

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: It is from the Sunnah that if someone marries a virgin, he should stay with her (the virgin) for seven days and then divide the nights between them. But if he marries a previously married woman, he should stay with her for three days, then divide the nights (between his wives). Abu Qilābah said: "If I wanted, I would say that Anas attributed this Hadīth directly to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)."
Grade in the source
Authentic hadith
Reported by
Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim
Source entry
HadeethEnc · 6145 ↗
Original Arabic wording
عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال: «من السنة إذا تَزَوَّجَ البِكْرَ على الثَّيِّبِ: أقام عندها سبعا ثم قَسَمَ. وإذا تَزَوَّجَ الثَّيِّبَ: أقام عندها ثلاثا ثم قَسَمَ». قال أبو قلابة:" ولو شِئْتُ لَقُلْتُ: إنَّ أَنَسًا رَفَعَهُ إلى النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ».
Understand this hadith

It is a directive from the Sunnah that when someone marries a virgin, he should stay with her for seven days to keep her company, and to remove her loneliness and also her shyness about the fact that she is recently married. He should then divide his time equally between his wives. If he marries a woman who was previously married, he should stay with her for three days, as her need is less than that of the virgin’s. This wise ruling is implied in this Hadīth reported directly from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) because when narrators say: "It is from the Sunnah," they can only mean the Prophet's Sunnah.

References (original Arabic)

تيسير العلام شرح عمدة الأحكام، للبسام، حققه وعلق عليه وخرج أحاديثه وصنع فهارسه: محمد صبحي بن حسن حلاق، ط10، مكتبة الصحابة، الإمارات - مكتبة التابعين، القاهرة، 1426هـ. الإلمام بشرح عمدة الأحكام، لإسماعيل الأنصاري، ط1، دار الفكر، دمشق، 1381هـ. عمدة الأحكام من كلام خير الأنام صلى الله عليه وسلم، لعبد الغني المقدسي، دراسة وتحقيق: محمود الأرناؤوط، مراجعة وتقديم: عبد القادر الأرناؤوط، ط2، دار الثقافة العربية، دمشق ، بيروت، مؤسسة قرطبة، 1408 هـ. صحيح البخاري، تحقيق: محمد زهير بن ناصر الناصر، ط1، دار طوق النجاة (مصورة عن السلطانية بإضافة ترقيم: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي)، 1422هـ. صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، دار إحياء التراث العربي، بيروت، 1423هـ.