A marriage arranged on what a man actually had
He was asked twice and had nothing both times.
وَهَلْ عِنْدَكَ مِنْ شَىْءٍ
Wa hal ʿindaka min shayʾ
And do you have anything?
Where this comes from
A woman offered herself in marriage and he did not answer, so she sat down. A man stood and said: if you have no need of her, marry her to me. He asked what he had. Nothing. Go and look, even an iron ring. He came back with nothing. In the end he was asked what he had of the Qurʾān, and married her on that.
The full narration
Narrated Sahl bin Sa`d As-Sa`idi:A woman came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I have come to give you myself in marriage (without Mahr)." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) looked at her. He looked at her carefully and fixed his glance on her and then lowered his head. When the lady saw that he did not say anything, she sat down. A man from his companions got up and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! If you are not in need of her, then marry her to me." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Have you got anything to offer?" The man said, "No, by Allah, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said (to him), "Go to your family and see if you have something." The man went and returned, saying, "No, by Allah, I have not found anything." Allah's Apostle said, "(Go again) and look for something, even if it is an iron ring." He went again and returned, saying, "No, by Allah, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I could not find even an iron ring, but this is my Izar (waist sheet)." He had no rida. He added, "I give half of it to her." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "What will she do with your Izar? If you wear it, she will be naked, and if she wears it, you will be naked." So that man sat down for a long while and then got up (to depart). When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saw him going, he ordered that he be called back. When he came, the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "How much of the Qur'an do you know?" He said, "I know such Sura and such Sura," counting them. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do you know them by heart?" He replied, "Yes." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Go, I marry her to you for that much of the Qur'an which you have
Source
Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī · 5087
- Agreed upon as authentic (al-Bukhārī / Muslim)