English translation
رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا 2468. Narrated 'Abdullāh bin 'Abbās رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا: I had been eager to ask 'Umar رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا about the two ladies from among the wives of the Prophet ﷺ regarding whom Allāh said (in the Qur'ān saying): "If you two (wives of the Prophet ﷺ namely 'Aishah and Hāfṣa رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا turn in repentance to Allāh (it will be better for you), your hearts are indeed so inclined (to oppose what the Prophet ﷺ likes)...". (V.66:4), till I performed the Hajj along with 'Umar. (And on our way back from Hajj) he went aside (to answer the call of nature) and I also went aside along with him carrying a tumbler of water. When he had answered the call of nature and returned, I poured water on his hands from the tumbler and he performed ablution. I said, "O chief of the believers!" Who were the two ladies from among the wives of the Prophet ﷺ to whom Allāh عزَّ وجلَّ said:
'If you two (wives of the Prophet ﷺ namely 'Aishah and Hāfṣa رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا) turn in repentance to Allāh, (it will be better for you), your hearts are indeed so inclined (to oppose what the Prophet ﷺ likes)...'. (V.66:4) He said, "I am astonished at your question, O Ibn 'Abbās. They were 'Aishah and Hāfṣa رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا." Then 'Umar went on relating the narration and said, "I and an Anṣārī neighbour of mine from Bani Umayya bin Zaid who used to live in 'Awālī Al-Mādīna, used to visit the Prophet ﷺ in turns. He used to go one day, and I another day. When I went, I would bring him the news of what had happened that day regarding the instructions and orders, and when he went, he used to do the same for me. We, the people of Quraish, used to have authority over women, but when we came to live with the Anṣār, we noticed that the Anṣārī women had the upperhand over their men, so our women started acquiring the habits of the
Anṣārī women. Once I shouted at my wife and she shouted back at me in return and I disliked that she should answer me back. She said, 'Why do you take it ill that I retort upon you? By Allāh, the wives of the Prophet ﷺ retort upon him, and some of them may not speak with him for the whole day till night.' What she said scared me and I said to her, 'Whoever amongst them does so, will be a great loser.' Then I dressed myself and went to Ḥafṣa and asked her, 'Does any of you keep Allāh's Messenger angry all the day long till night?' She replied in the affirmative. I said, 'She is a ruined losing person (and will never have success)! Doesn't she fear that Allāh may get angry for the anger of Allāh's Messenger ﷺ and thus she will be ruined? Don't ask Allāh's Messenger ﷺ too many things, and don't retort upon him in any case, and don't desert him. Demand from me whatever you like, and don't be tempted to imitate your neighbour (i.e., 'Āishah) in her behavior towards the Prophet ﷺ), for she (i.e., 'Āishah) is more beautiful than you, and more beloved to Allāh's Messenger ﷺ'. In those days it was rumoured that Ghassān, (a tribe living in Shām) was getting prepared their horses to invade us. My companion went (to the Prophet ﷺ) on the day of his turn, went and returned to us at night and knocked at my door violently, asking whether I was sleeping. I was scared (by the hard knocking) and came out to him. He said that a great thing had happened. I asked him: 'What is it? Have Ghassān come?' He replied that it was worse and more serious than that, and added that Allāh's Messenger ﷺ had divorced all his wives. I said, 'Ḥafṣa is a ruined loser! I expected that it would happen some day.' So I dressed myself and offered the Fajr (prayer) with the Prophet ﷺ. Then the Prophet ﷺ entered an upper room and
stayed there alone. I went to Hāfsa and found her weeping. I asked her, 'Why are you weeping? Didn't I warn you? Have Allāh's Messenger ﷺ divorced you all?' She replied, 'I don't know. He is there in the upper room.' I then went out and came to the pulpit and found a group of people around it and some of them were weeping. Then I sat with them for some time, but could not endure the situation. So, I went to the upper room where the Prophet ﷺ was and requested to a black slave of his: 'Will you get the permission of (Allāh's Messenger) for 'Umar (to enter)?' The slave went in, talked to the Prophet ﷺ about it and came out saying, 'I mentioned you to him but he did not reply.' So, I went and sat with the people who were sitting by the pulpit, but I could not bear the situation, so I went to the slave again and said: 'Will you get the permission for 'Umar?' He went in and brought the same reply as before. When I was leaving, behold, the slave called me saying, 'Allāh's Messenger ﷺ has granted you permission.' So, I entered upon the Prophet ﷺ and saw him lying on a mat without bedding on it, and the mat had left its mark on the body of the Prophet ﷺ, and he was leaning on a leather pillow stuffed with palm fibres. I greeted him and while still standing, I said: 'Have you divorced your wives?' He raised his eyes to me and replied in the negative. And then while still standing, I said chattingly: 'Will you heed what I say, O Allāh's Messenger! We, the people of Quraish used to have the upper hand over our women (wives), and when we came to the people whose women had the upper hand over them, ...' 'Umar told the whole story (about his wife). "On that the Prophet ﷺ smiled." 'Umar further said, "I then said, 'I went to Hāfsa and said to her: Do not be tempted to imitate your
companion ('Āishah) for she is more beautiful than you and more beloved to the Prophet ﷺ.' The Prophet ﷺ smiled again. When I saw him smiling, I sat down and cast a glance at the room, and by Allāh, I couldn't see anything of importance but three hides. I said (to Allāh's Messenger ﷺ) 'Invoke Allāh to make your followers prosperous for the Persians and the Byzantines have been made prosperous and given worldly luxuries, though they do not worship Allāh?' The Prophet ﷺ was leaning then (and on hearing my speech he sat straight) and said, 'O Ibn Al-Khaṭṭāb! Do you have any doubt (that the Hereafter is better than this world)? These people have been given rewards of their good deeds in this world only.' I asked the Prophet ﷺ, 'Please ask Allāh's Forgiveness for me.' The Prophet ﷺ did not go to his wives because of the secret which Ḥaṣṣa had disclosed to 'Āishah,(1) and he said that he would not go to his wives for one month as he was angry with them when Allāh admonished him (for his oath that he would not approach Māria). When twenty-nine days had passed, the Prophet ﷺ went to 'Āishah first of all. She said to him, 'You took an oath that you would not come to us for one month, and today only twenty-nine days have passed, as I have been counting them day by day.' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'The month is also of twenty-nine days.' That month consisted of twenty-nine days. 'Āishah said, 'When the Divine Revelation of "choice" was revealed, the Prophet ﷺ started with me, saying to me, 'I am telling you something, but you needn't hurry to give the reply till you consult your
parents.' 'Aishah knew that her parents would not advise her to part with the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ said that Allāh had said: 'O Prophet (Muhammad ﷺ)! Say to your wives.. (up to).. an enormous reward.' (V.33:28) 'Aishah said, 'Am I to consult my parents about this? I indeed prefer Allāh, His Messenger ﷺ, and the home of the Hereafter.' After that the Prophet ﷺ gave the choice to his other wives and they also gave the same reply as 'Aishah did.'
