Asking the permission of the Imam

Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah:

I participated in a Ghazwa along with Allah's Apostle The Prophet met me (on the way) while I was riding a camel of ours used for irrigation and it had got so tired that it could hardly walk. The Prophet asked me, "What is wrong with the camel?" I replied, "It has got tired." So. Allah's Apostle came from behind it and rebuked it and prayed for it so it started surpassing the other camels and going ahead of them. Then he asked me, "How do you find your camel (now)?" I replied, "I find it quite well, now as it has received your blessings." He said, "Will you sell it to me?" I felt shy (to refuse his offer) though it was the only camel for irrigation we had. So, I said, "Yes." He said, "Sell it to me then." I sold it to him on the condition that I should keep on riding it till I reached Medina. Then I said, "O Allah's Apostle! I am a bridegroom," and requested him to allow me to go home. He allowed me, and I set out for Medina before the people till I reached Medina, where I met my uncle, who asked me about the camel and I informed him all about it and he blamed me for that. When I took the permission of Allah's Apostle he asked me whether I had married a virgin or a matron and I replied that I had married a matron. He said, "Why hadn't you married a virgin who would have played with you, and you would have played with her?" I replied, "O Allah's Apostle! My father died (or was martyred) and I have some young sisters, so I felt it not proper that I should marry a young girl like them who would neither teach them manners nor serve them. So, I have married a matron so that she may serve them and teach them manners." When Allah's Apostle arrived in Medina, I took the camel to him the next morning and he gave me its price and gave me the camel itself as well.

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ غَزَوْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ فَتَلاَحَقَ بِي النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَأَنَا عَلَى نَاضِحٍ لَنَا قَدْ أَعْيَا فَلاَ يَكَادُ يَسِيرُ فَقَالَ لِي " مَا لِبَعِيرِكَ ". قَالَ قُلْتُ عَيِيَ. قَالَ فَتَخَلَّفَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَزَجَرَهُ وَدَعَا لَهُ، فَمَا زَالَ بَيْنَ يَدَىِ الإِبِلِ قُدَّامَهَا يَسِيرُ. فَقَالَ لِي " كَيْفَ تَرَى بَعِيرَكَ ". قَالَ قُلْتُ بِخَيْرٍ قَدْ أَصَابَتْهُ بَرَكَتُكَ. قَالَ " أَفَتَبِيعُنِيهِ ". قَالَ فَاسْتَحْيَيْتُ، وَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَنَا نَاضِحٌ غَيْرَهُ، قَالَ فَقُلْتُ نَعَمْ. قَالَ " فَبِعْنِيهِ ". فَبِعْتُهُ إِيَّاهُ عَلَى أَنَّ لِي فَقَارَ ظَهْرِهِ حَتَّى أَبْلُغَ الْمَدِينَةَ. قَالَ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي عَرُوسٌ، فَاسْتَأْذَنْتُهُ فَأَذِنَ لِي، فَتَقَدَّمْتُ النَّاسَ إِلَى الْمَدِينَةِ حَتَّى أَتَيْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ، فَلَقِيَنِي خَالِي فَسَأَلَنِي عَنِ الْبَعِيرِ، فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ بِمَا صَنَعْتُ فِيهِ فَلاَمَنِي، قَالَ وَقَدْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لِي حِينَ اسْتَأْذَنْتُهُ " هَلْ تَزَوَّجْتَ بِكْرًا أَمْ ثَيِّبًا ". فَقُلْتُ تَزَوَّجْتُ ثَيِّبًا. فَقَالَ " هَلاَّ تَزَوَّجْتَ بِكْرًا تُلاَعِبُهَا وَتُلاَعِبُكَ ". قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ تُوُفِّيَ وَالِدِي ـ أَوِ اسْتُشْهِدَ ـ وَلِي أَخَوَاتٌ صِغَارٌ، فَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أَتَزَوَّجَ مِثْلَهُنَّ، فَلاَ تُؤَدِّبُهُنَّ، وَلاَ تَقُومُ عَلَيْهِنَّ، فَتَزَوَّجْتُ ثَيِّبًا لِتَقُومَ عَلَيْهِنَّ وَتُؤَدِّبَهُنَّ. قَالَ فَلَمَّا قَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمَدِينَةَ غَدَوْتُ عَلَيْهِ بِالْبَعِيرِ، فَأَعْطَانِي ثَمَنَهُ، وَرَدَّهُ عَلَىَّ. قَالَ الْمُغِيرَةُ هَذَا فِي قَضَائِنَا حَسَنٌ لاَ نَرَى بِهِ بَأْسًا.