It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he recited this saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: "O you who believe, when you marry believing women and then divorce them before you have touched them" [Surah al-Ahzab: 49] , and said: "Divorce only takes place when marriage has already taken place before it." This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain of narration, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it. Imam al-Hakim says: I am astonished at these two Imams (Bukhari and Muslim), how they overlooked this hadith and did not record it in their two Sahihs, whereas on the condition of both of them this hadith is authentically established from Ibn Umar, Aishah, Ibn Abbas, Mu'adh bin Jabal and Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Divorce (takes effect) only after marriage."

It is narrated from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Divorce takes place only after marriage, and freeing (a slave) takes place only after ownership."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is no divorce (no right of divorce) for one who does not possess (the marriage)."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Divorce takes place only after marriage, and freeing (a slave) takes place only after ownership."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saying: "There is no divorce (no right of divorce) for one who does not possess (the marriage), and there is no freeing (of a slave) for one in whose ownership he is not."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is no divorce before marriage." Imam al-Hakim says that the chains of this hadith revolve around two extremely weak chains (those of Juwaybir and of Amr bin Shu'ayb); that is why the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not search deeply for these authentic chains. And Allah knows best.

It is narrated from Sayyidah Umm Hani (may Allah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent me a proposal of marriage, and I excused myself (because of my circumstances), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) accepted my excuse. Then Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, revealed this verse: [Surah al-Ahzab: 50] "O Prophet, We have made lawful for you your wives," up to: "who emigrated with you." She said: So I was not lawful for him, because I had not emigrated with him; rather, I was among the Tulaqa' (those set free at the Conquest of Makkah). This hadith has a sahih (authentic) chain of narration, but the two Shaykhs (Bukhari and Muslim) did not record it.