Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: In the time of ignorance, there were four types of marriage. One type of marriage was the one that is prevalent among people today: a man would send a proposal for the daughter of another man, give her a dowry, and marry her. Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated: The second type of marriage was that a man, after his wife became pure following divorce from him, would say to her: Send a message to such-and-such man and have intercourse with him. During this period, the husband would stay away from his wife and would not have intercourse with her until the woman became pregnant from the other man with whom she had intercourse. When the woman’s pregnancy became apparent, her original husband would have intercourse with her if he wished. The man did this so that his offspring would be from the seed of a man of a great family. This marriage was called Nikah Istibda’. Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The third type of marriage was that a group of people, less than ten in number, would gather together. They would all go to a woman and all of them would have intercourse with her. Then she would become pregnant and eventually give birth to a child. A few days after giving birth, she would call all of them together. None of them could refuse to come. When they were all gathered with the woman, she would say to them: You know what you have done. I have given birth to a child. O so-and-so! This is your son. The woman would name whichever of them she wished, and the child’s lineage would be attached to that man. That man could not deny the child. The fourth type was that many people would gather and go to a woman. The woman could not prevent any man who came to her. These were prostitute women. They would have special flags on their doors as a sign of their (profession). Whoever wanted to go to them would go. When one of these women became pregnant and gave birth to a child, all the men would be gathered to her. Then a physiognomist would be called, and he would attach the child to the man whom the child resembled. Then people would call the child the son of that man, and that man could not deny him.

Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says: In the time of ignorance, there were four types of marriage (after this she mentioned the hadith as previously narrated). In one narration, these additional words are present: (The husband would say to his wife) Send a message to such-and-such man, then have intercourse with him. During this period, the woman's husband would stay away from her and would not have intercourse with her until it became apparent that she was pregnant by the man with whom she had intercourse. When the woman's pregnancy became apparent, the husband would then have intercourse with her if he wished. He did this so that his offspring would be noble. This type of marriage was called Nikah Istibda’. The same narration is also transmitted with another chain, however, in it these words are present: (The husband says to his wife) Send a message to such-and-such man and become pregnant by him. The woman's husband would stay away from her and would not have intercourse with her until it became apparent that she was pregnant by the other man. This marriage was called Nikah Istirda’. Muhammad bin Ishaq states: This is correct (and in it these words are also present): When Allah Almighty sent Muhammad (peace be upon him) with the truth, He abolished the (various forms of) marriage of the time of ignorance.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: In the time of ignorance, the practice of badal (exchange) was that a person would say to another, "Let me have intercourse with your wife and I will let you have intercourse with my wife, and I will give you further benefit." So Allah the Exalted revealed this verse: «وَلَا أَنْ تَبَدَّلُوا بِهِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجٍ وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكُمْ حُسْنُهُنَّ» . Sayyiduna Uyainah bin Hisn Fazari (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the service of the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and at that time the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was present with Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). Uyainah entered without seeking permission, so the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him, "O Uyainah! Why did you not seek permission?" He replied, "O Messenger of Allah! Since I reached puberty, I have never sought permission to enter the house of any individual from the tribe of Mudar." He also said, "Who is this beautiful woman sitting beside you, O Messenger of Allah?" The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "This is Aisha, who is the mother of all the believers." He said, "Shall I not exchange her and give you a woman more beautiful than her?" The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "O Uyainah! Allah the Exalted has forbidden this act." When that person left, Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Who was that?" The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, "He was a foolish leader; you have seen his mental state, yet he is the chief of his people."

Abu Burdah narrates from his father that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "There is no marriage without a guardian (wali)."

This narration is also transmitted with another chain of transmission.

Abdur Rahman Hamadhani narrated it from his chain from Isra'il in the same way as Ibn Sinan narrated it. Muhammad bin Makhlad says: I said to Abdur Rahman Hamadhani: "Both Shu'bah and Sufyan have narrated it up to Abu Burdah as a mawquf (stopped) narration." So he replied: "The narration that Isra'il has transmitted from Abu Ishaq is, in my view, more preferable than the narration transmitted from Sufyan and Shu'bah."

Daalij bin Ahmar narrated with his chain the statement of Abdur Rahman bin Mahdi: "Isra'il remembered the narrations of Abu Ishaq just as he remembered Surah Al-Fatihah." Salih says: "Isra'il, in particular, transmitted the narrations of Abu Ishaq with greater accuracy."

Abu Burdah narrates from his father (Sayyiduna Abu Musa Ash'ari, may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is no marriage without a guardian (wali)."

Abu Sa'id narrates: "A marriage is not valid without a guardian, witnesses, and a dowry, except for the marriage of the Prophet (peace be upon him), which can take place without them."

Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Any woman who marries without the permission of her guardian, her marriage is invalid, her marriage is invalid, her marriage is invalid. If the man has intercourse with her, then because of this act, the woman will receive the dowry. If there is a dispute between them, then whoever has no guardian, the ruler of the time is her guardian."