Sunan al-Tirmidhī · Sunan Abī Dāwūd · Sunan Ibn Mājah · Musnad Aḥmad

Salamah ibn Sakhr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: I was a man more given to sexual intercourse with women than others. When the month of Ramadan came, I feared lest I would have intercourse with my wife, and this would continue till the morning. So I swore that my wife would be as impermissible for me as my mother till the end of Ramadan. One night, however, when she was serving me, something of her was revealed, prompting me to jump upon her right away.

In the morning, I went out to my people and informed them about this matter. I said: "Go along with me to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)." They said: "No, by Allah." So I went to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him of the matter. He said: "Did you really do it, Salamah?" I said: "I did it twice, O Messenger of Allah, I am content with the judgment of Allah.

So take a decision about me as Allah revealed to you." He said: "Free a neck (a slave)." I said: 'By the One Who sent you with truth! I do not possess a neck other than this," striking the surface of my own neck. He said: "Then fast two consecutive months." I said: "Indeed, the very act I committed was because of fasting." He said: "Feed sixty poor people with a Wasq of dates." I said: "By the One Who sent you with truth!

We passed the night hungry; there was no food in our house." He said: "Then go to the collector of Zakah of Banu Zurayq, and let him give it to you, and feed sixty poor people with a Wasq of dates, and you and your family eat the remaining dates." I came back to my people and said to them: "I found with you restriction and bad opinion, but I found with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) spaciousness and wise opinion. He has ordered me – or for me – to be given from your Zakah."