On The Dowry Being Some Actions That He Must Perform

Narrated Sahl b. Sa'd al-Sa'idi :
A woman came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said: Messenger of Allah, I have offered myself to you. When she stood for a long time, a man got up and said: Messenger of Allah, marry her to me if you have no need for her. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked: Have you anything to give her as dower ? He replied: I have nothing by this lower garment of mine. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: If you give your lower garment, you will sit while you have no lower garment. So look for something else. He said: I do not find anything. He said: Look for something, even though it should be an iron ring. The man sought it but found nothing. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Do you know anything from the Qur'an ? He said: Yes, I know surah so and so, which he named. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: I have given you her in marriage for the part of the Qur'an which you know.

حَدَّثَنِي الْقَعْنَبِيُّ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمِ بْنِ دِينَارٍ، عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ السَّاعِدِيِّ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ جَاءَتْهُ امْرَأَةٌ فَقَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي قَدْ وَهَبْتُ نَفْسِي لَكَ . فَقَامَتْ قِيَامًا طَوِيلاً فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ زَوِّجْنِيهَا إِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَكَ بِهَا حَاجَةٌ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " هَلْ عِنْدَكَ مِنْ شَىْءٍ تُصْدِقُهَا إِيَّاهُ " . فَقَالَ مَا عِنْدِي إِلاَّ إِزَارِي هَذَا . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " إِنَّكَ إِنْ أَعْطَيْتَهَا إِزَارَكَ جَلَسْتَ وَلاَ إِزَارَ لَكَ فَالْتَمِسْ شَيْئًا " . قَالَ لاَ أَجِدُ شَيْئًا . قَالَ " فَالْتَمِسْ وَلَوْ خَاتَمًا مِنْ حَدِيدٍ " . فَالْتَمَسَ فَلَمْ يَجِدْ شَيْئًا فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " فَهَلْ مَعَكَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ شَىْءٌ " . قَالَ نَعَمْ سُورَةُ كَذَا وَسُورَةُ كَذَا . لِسُوَرٍ سَمَّاهَا . فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " قَدْ زَوَّجْتُكَهَا بِمَا مَعَكَ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ " .

A tradition similar to the one narrated above has also been transmitted by Abu Hurairah through a different chain of narrators. This version does not mention the lower garment and iron ring. He (the Prophet) said:
How much do you memorize from Qur'an? He said: Surat al-Baqarah or the one that follows it. He said: Stand up and teach her twenty verses: she is your wife.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ حَفْصِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي حَفْصُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنِي إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ طَهْمَانَ، عَنِ الْحَجَّاجِ بْنِ الْحَجَّاجِ الْبَاهِلِيِّ، عَنْ عِسْلٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ أَبِي رَبَاحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، نَحْوَ هَذِهِ الْقِصَّةِ لَمْ يَذْكُرِ الإِزَارَ وَالْخَاتَمَ فَقَالَ " مَا تَحْفَظُ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ " . قَالَ سُورَةَ الْبَقَرَةِ أَوِ الَّتِي تَلِيهَا . قَالَ " فَقُمْ فَعَلِّمْهَا عِشْرِينَ آيَةً وَهِيَ امْرَأَتُكَ " .