English translation
[3695] 34 - (...) It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbâs said: "I was eager to ask 'Umar about the two wives of the Prophet ﷺ concerning whom Allâh, the Most High said:
“If you two turn in repentance to Allāh, (it will be better for you), your hearts are indeed so inclined...,”[1] until ‘Umar went for Hajj and I went with him. When we were partway there, ‘Umar turned aside, and I turned aside with him, bringing the jug. He relieved himself, then he came to me and I poured water onto his hands, and he performed Wudū’.
I said: ‘O Commander of the Believers, who are the two wives of the Prophet ﷺ, about whom Allāh the Mighty and Sublime said: “If you two turn in repentance to Allāh, (it will be better for you), your hearts are indeed so inclined...”’[2] ‘Umar said: ‘How strange of you, O Ibn ‘Abbās!’” - Az-Zuhrī (a narrator) said: “By Allāh, he did not like the question, but he did not conceal anything” - “He said: ‘They were Ḥaṣṣah and ‘Āishah.’ Then he started to narrate the Hadīth and said: ‘We people of the Quraish were a people who dominated women, but when we came to Al-Madīnah we found a people who were dominated by their women, and our women started to learn from their women. My house was among Banū Umayyah bin Zaid in Al-‘Awāfī. One day I got angry with my wife, and she argued with me. I did not like her to argue with me. But she said: “Do you not like me to argue
with you? By Allâh, the wives of the Prophet ﷺ argue with him, and one of them will forsake him all day until night comes." I went and entered upon Hâfşah, and I said: "Do you argue with the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ?" She said: "Yes." I said: "Does one of you forsake him all day until night comes?" She said: "Yes." I said: "Any one of you who does that is doomed and lost. Does any one of you feel assured that Allâh will not be angry with her because of the anger of His Messenger ﷺ, for then she will be doomed? Do not argue with the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ and do not ask him for anything. Ask me for whatever you want. And do not be misled by the fact that your neighbor is more beautiful than you and more beloved to the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ than you'" - referring to 'Aîshah.
"And 'Umar said: 'I had a neighbor among the Anşâr. We used to take turns going down to the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ. He would go down one day and I would go down the next. He would bring me the news of the Revelation and other things, and I would do likewise. We were saying that Ghassân were shoeing their horses to attack us. My friend went to visit, then he came to me at night and knocked on my door, then he called out to me. I went out to him and he said: "Something terrible has
happened!" I said: "What? Have the Ghassân come?" He said: "No, it is more terrible than that, and worse. The Prophet ﷺ has divorced his wives." I said: "Hafṣah is doomed and lost. I thought that this would happen." Then when I had prayed Ṣubh, I got dressed, then I went down and entered upon Hafṣah, who was weeping. I said: "Has the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ divorced you?" She said: "I do not know. He has secluded himself in this loft." I went to a black slave of his, and I said: "Ask for permission for 'Umar to enter." He went in, then he came out to me and said: "I mentioned you to him but he did not say anything."
"I went away and came to the Minbar, where I sat down. By it was a group of people, some of whom were weeping. I sat for a little while, then I could not bear it any longer, so I went to the slave and said: "Ask for permission for 'Umar to enter." He went in. Then he came out to me. He said: "I mentioned you to him but he did not say anything." I turned to leave. Then the slave called me, and he said: "Go in, he has given you permission." So I went in and greeted the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ with Salām. He was resting on a reed mat that had left marks on his side. I said: "O Messenger of Allāh, have you divorced your
wives?" He looked up at me and said: "No." I said: "Allâhu Akbar! If you had seen us, O Messenger of Allâh, we the Quraish, were a people who dominated women, but when we came to Al-Madinah we found a people who were dominated by their women, and our women started to learn from their women. I got angry with my wife one day, and she started to argue with me. I did not like her to argue with me, but she said: "Do you not like me to argue with you? By Allâh, the wives of the Prophet ﷺ argue with him, and one of them will forsake him all day until night comes." I said: "Any one of them who does that is doomed and lost. Does one of them feel assured that Allâh will not be angry with her because of the anger of His Messenger ﷺ, then she will be doomed?" The Messenger of Allâh ﷺ smiled. I said: "O Messenger of Allâh, I entered upon Hafsah and I said: 'Do not be misled by the fact that your neighbor is more beautiful than you and more beloved to the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ than you.'" The Messenger of Allâh ﷺ smiled again."
"I said: "O Messenger of Allâh, may I talk to you freely?" He said: "Yes." So I sat down and looked around the room, and by Allâh, I did not see anything in it to please the eye except three
hides. I said: "Pray to Allâh, O Messenger of Allâh, to make life prosperous for your Ummah, for He has made life prosperous for the Persians and Romans, but they do not worship Allâh, the Mighty and Sublime." He sat up straight and said: "Are you doubting, O son of Al-Khaṭṭâb? Their good things have been granted to them in this world." I said: "Pray for forgiveness for me, O Messenger of Allâh." He had sworn that he would not enter upon them for a month, because he was so annoyed with them, until Allâh [the Mighty and Sublime] rebuked him."