Sahih Muslim 1475b

Ibn Abbas (radiyallahu anhum) reported. I had always been anxious to ask Umar (radiyallahu anhu) about the two ladies amongst the wives of Allah’s Prophet (may peace be upon Lim) about whom Allah, the Exalted, said: “ If you both turn in repentance to Allah, then indeed your hearts are inclined (to this)” (Ixvi. 4), until Umar (radiyallahu anhu) set out for Hajj and I also went along with him.

And as we were going along a path, Umar (Allah be pleased with hiyn) went aside and I also went aside with him with a jug (of water). He answered the call of nature, and then came to me and I poured water over his hands and he performed ablution I said: Commander of the Faithful, who are the two ladies amongst the wives of Allah’s Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) about whom Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, said: ‘If you both turn to Allah in repentance, then indeed your heart are inclined to it’?

Umar (Allah he pleased with him) said: How strange is it for you, Ibn Abbas! (Zuhri said: By Allah, he disliked what he asked about, but did not keep it a secret.) He (Umar) said: They are Hafsah and Aishah; and he then began to narrate the hadith and said: We were such people among the Quraish who dominated women, and as we reached Medina we found there people who were dominated by their women, and our women began to learn (the habits) of their women.

He further said: And my house was situated in the suburb of Aledina in the tribe of Banu Umayya ibn Zaid. One day I became angry with my wife and she retorted upon me. I did not like that she should retort upon me.

She said: You disapprove of my retorting upon you By Allah, the wives of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) retort upon him, and one of them detaches herself from him for the day until the night.

So I (Umar) went out and visited Hafsah and said: Do you retort upon the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)? She said: Yes. I said; Does any one of you detach herself from him from the day to the night?

She said: Yes. He said: She who did like it amongst you in fact failed and incurred loss. Does everyone amongst you not fear the wrath of Allah upon her due to the wrath of His Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), and (as a result thereof) she may perish? So do not retort upon the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and do not ask him for anything, but ask me that which you desire, (and the frank behaviour) of your companion may not mislead you, if she is more graceful and is dearer to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) than you (meaning Aishah (radiyallahu anha). He (Hadrat Umar further) said: I had a compalaion from the Ansar and, we used to remain in the company of the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) turn by turn.

He remained there for a day while I remained there on the other day, and he brought me the news about the revelation and other (matter), and I brought him (the news) like this. And we discussed that the Ghassanids were shoeing the horses in order to attack us. Id y companion once attended (the Messenger). and then came to me at night and knocked at my door and called me, and I came out to him, and he said: A matter of great importance has happened.

I said: What is that? Have the Ghassanids come? He said: No, but even more serious and more significant than that: the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has divorced his wives.

I said: Hafsah has failed and has incurred loss. and I feared that it would happen. When it was dawn I observed the dawn prayer and dressed myself, and then came there (in the house of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)) and visited Hafsah, and she was weeping.

I said: Has the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) divorced you (all)? She said: I do not know. He has, however, separated himself in his attic. I came to a black servant and said to him: Seek permission for Umar He went in and then came to me and said: I made mention of you to him, but he kept quiet. I then went to the pulpit and sat there, and there was a group of people sitting by it and some of then were weeping.

I sat there for some time, until I was overpowered (by that very idea) which was in my mind. I then came back to the boy and said to him: Seek permission for Umar He went in and came to me and said: I made mention of you to him but he kept quiet.

I was about to turn back when the boy called me and said: Go in; permission has been granted to you. I went in and greeted the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and he was reclining against the couch of mat and it had left its marks upon his side.

I said: Messenger of Allah, have you divorced your wives? He raised his head towards me and said: No. I said: Allah is the Greatest. Messenger of Allah, I wish if you had seen how we the people of Quraish had domination over women but when we came to Medina we found people whom their women dominated. So our women began to learn from their women.

One dily I became angry with my wife and she began to retort upon me. I did not approve that she should retort upon me. She said: You do not like that I should retort upon you, but, by Allah. the wives of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) retort upon him and any one of them separates herself from him for a day until night.

I said: He who did that amongst them in fact failed and incurred loss. Does any of them feel sate from the wrath of Allahupon her due to the wrath of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), and she has certainly perished. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) smiled, I said: Messenger of Allah, I visited Hafsah and said: (The behaviour) of your companion (Aishah may not mislead you, If she is more graceful than you and is dearer to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) than you. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) smiled for the second time.

I said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), way I talk to you about agreeable things? He said: Yes. I sat down and lifted my head (to see things) in the house and, by Allah, I did not see anything significant besides three hides.

I said: Messenger of Allah, supplicate the Lord that He should make (life) prosperous for your Ummah as He has made plentiful for the people of Persia and Rome (in spite of the fact) that they do no, worship Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, whereupon he (The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)) sat up an I then said: Ibn Khattab, do you doubt that they are a nation whom their nice things have been given immediately in the life of this world.

I said: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)! seek pardon for me. And he (The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)) had taken an oath that he would not visit them for a month due to extreme annoyance with them until Allah showed His displeasure to him (The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)).

Zuhri said: Urwa informed me that ‘Aishah (radiyallahu anha) said: When twenty-nine nights were over, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) visited me, and he began (his visit) with me.

I said: Messenger of Allah, you had taken an oath that you would not visit us for a month, while you have visited after I have counted only twenty-nine (nights). Thereupon he said: The month may also be of twenty-nine (days).

He then said: Aishah, I am going to talk to you about a matter, and you should not be hasty in it (and do not give your final decision) until you have consulted your parents. He then recited this verse to me: ‘ O Prophet, say to your wives’ till he reached’ mighty reward (xxxiii. 28).

Aishah (radiyallahu anha) said: By Allah, he knew that my parents would not allow me to separate from him. I said: Is there any need to consult my parents in this matter? I in fact choose Allah and His Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and the abode in the Hereafter.

Mamar said: Ayyub reported to me that Aishah said: Don’t inform your wives that I have chosen you, whereupon the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said: Verily Allah has sent me as a conveyer of message, and He has not sent me as a source of hardship (to others). Qatada said: “ Saghat qulubukum” means Your hearts have inclined.