English translation
4913. Narrated Ibn 'Abbās رضي الله عنهما: For the whole year I had the desire to ask 'Umar bin Al-Khaṭṭāb regarding the explanation of a Verse (in Sūrat At-Tahrīm), but I could not ask him because I respected him very much. When he went to perform the Hajj, I, too, went along with him. On our return, while we were still on the way home, 'Umar went aside to answer the call of nature by the Arāk trees. I waited till he finished and then I proceeded with him and asked him, "O chief of the believers! Who were the two wives of the Prophet ﷺ who aided one another against him?" He said, "They were Hāfsa and 'Aishah." Then I said to him, "By Allāh, I wanted to ask you about this a year ago, but I could not do so owing to my respect for you." 'Umar said, "Do not refrain from asking me. If you think that I have knowledge (about a certain matter), ask me; and if I know (something about it), I will tell you." Then 'Umar added, "By Allāh, in the Pre-Islāmic Period of Ignorance we did not pay attention to women until Allāh revealed regarding them what He revealed regarding them; and assigned for them what He has assigned. Once, while I was thinking over a certain matter, my wife said, "I recommend that you do so-and-so." I said to her, "What have you got to do with this matter? Why do you poke your nose in a matter which I want to see fulfilled?" She said, "How strange you are, O son of Al-Khaṭṭāb! You don't want to be argued with, whereas your daughter, Hāfsa surely, argues with Allāh's Messenger ﷺ so much that he remains angry for a full day!" 'Umar then reported; how he at once put on his outer garment and went to Hāfsa and said to her, "O my daughter! Do you argue with Allāh's Messenger so that he remains angry the whole day?" Hāfsa said, "By Allāh, we argue with him." 'Umar said, "Know that I warn you of Allāh's punishment and the anger of Allāh's Messenger ﷺ. O my daughter! Don't be betrayed by the one who is proud of her beauty because of the love of Allāh's Messenger ﷺ for her (i.e., ‘Aishah).’ ‘Umar added, “Then I went out to Umm Salama’s house who was one of my relatives, and I talked to her. She said, “O son of Al-Khaṭṭāb! It is rather astonishing that you interfere in everything; you even want to interfere between Allāh’s Messenger and his wives!” By Allāh, by her talk she influenced me so much that some of my anger subsided. I left her (and went home). At that time I had a friend from the Anṣārī who used to bring news (from the Prophet ﷺ) in case of my absence, and I used to bring him the news if he was absent. In those days we were afraid of one of the kings of Ghassān tribe. We heard that he intended to move and attack us, so fear filled our hearts because of that. (One day), my Anṣārī friend unexpectedly knocked at my door, and said, ‘Open! Open!’ I said, ‘Has the king of Ghassān come?’ He said, ‘No, but something worse; Allāh’s Messengers has isolated himself from his wives.’ I said, ‘Let the nose of ‘Aishah and Ḥafṣa be stuck to dust (i.e., humiliated)!’ Then I put on my clothes and went to Allāh’s Messenger’s residence, and behold! He was staying in an upper room of his, to which he ascended by a ladder, and a black slave of Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ was (sitting) at the first ladder-step. I said to him, ‘Say (to the Prophet ﷺ) ‘Umar bin Al-Khaṭṭāb is here.’ Then the Prophet ﷺ admitted me and I narrated this story to Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ. When I reached the story of Umm Salama, Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ smiled while he was lying on a mat made of palm-tree leaves with nothing between him and the mat. Underneath his head there was a leather pillow stuffed with palm-fibres, and leaves of a Saut tree were piled at his feet, and above his head hung a few water-skins. On seeing the marks of the mat imprinted on his side, I wept. He said, 'Why are you weeping?' I replied, 'O Allāh's Messenger! Caesar and Khusrāu are leading the life (i.e., luxurious life) while you, Allāh's Messenger ﷺ though you are (is living in destitute)." The Prophet ﷺ then replied, 'Won't you be satisfied that they enjoy this world and we the Hereafter?"