Ibn ‘Abbas explained the Qur’anic verse It is not lawful for you forcibly to inherit the woman (of your deceased kinsmen) nor (that) ye should put constraint upon them that ye may take away a part of that which ye have given them, unless they be guilty of flagrant lewdness and said “This means that a man used to inherit a relative woman. He prevented her from marriage till she died or returned her dower to her. Hence, Allaah prohibited that practice.
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ الْمَرْوَزِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي عَلِيُّ بْنُ حُسَيْنِ بْنِ وَاقِدٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ النَّحْوِيِّ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ { لاَ يَحِلُّ لَكُمْ أَنْ تَرِثُوا النِّسَاءَ كَرْهًا وَلاَ تَعْضُلُوهُنَّ لِتَذْهَبُوا بِبَعْضِ مَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَأْتِينَ بِفَاحِشَةٍ مُبَيِّنَةٍ } وَذَلِكَ أَنَّ الرَّجُلَ كَانَ يَرِثُ امْرَأَةَ ذِي قَرَابَتِهِ فَيَعْضُلُهَا حَتَّى تَمُوتَ أَوْ تَرُدَّ إِلَيْهِ صَدَاقَهَا فَأَحْكَمَ اللَّهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ وَنَهَى عَنْ ذَلِكَ .
AbuDaud
Marriage (Kitab Al-Nikah) • Hadith 2090