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Sunan an-Nasai

Hadith 3396

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Sunan an-Nasai · Hadith 3396

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When A Man Loves One Of His Wives More Than Another

English source

Darussalam · Volume 4

36. The Book Of The Kind Treatment Of Women[1]

Sunan an-Nasai Darussalam English translation

Arabic source

Arabic text is not available for this narration.

DarussalamŠaḥīhAl-AlbaniNot found
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Text and translation

English translation

3396. 'Āishah said: "The wives of the Prophet ﷺ sent Fāṭimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, to the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. She asked permission to enter when he was lying with me under my cover. He gave her permission to enter, and she said: 'O Messenger of Allāh, your wives have sent me to you to ask you to be equitable with regard to the matter of the daughter of Abû Quhâfah.' I (Âishah) kept quiet and the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ said to her: 'O my daughter! Do you not love the one whom I love?' She said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Then love this one.' Fâtimah stood up when she heard this and left the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ, and went back to the wives of the Prophet ﷺ. She told them what she had said, and what he had said to her. They said to her: 'We do not think that you have been of any avail to us. Go back to the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ and say to him: Your wives are urging you to be equitable with regard to the matter of the daughter of Abû Quhâfah.'" Fâtimah said: 'No, by Allâh; I will never speak to him about her again.'" Âishah said: "So the wives of the Prophet ﷺ sent Zainab bint Jahsh to the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ; she was one who was somewhat equal to me in rank in the eyes of the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ. And I have never seen a woman who was better in religious commitment than Zainab, more fearing of Allâh, more honest in speech, more dutiful in upholding the ties of kinship, more generous in giving charity, and devoted in giving of herself in acts of charity, by means of which she sought to draw closer to Allâh. But she was quick-tempered; however, she was also quick to calm down. She asked permission to enter upon the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ when he was with 'Aishah under her cover, in the same situation as when Fâtimah had entered. The Messenger of Allâh ﷺ gave her permission to enter and she said: 'O Messenger of Allâh, your wives have sent me to ask you to be equitable with regard to the matter of the daughter of Abû Quhâfah.' Then she verbally abused me at length, and I was watching the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ to see if he would allow me to respond. Zainab went on until I realized that the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ would not disapprove if I responded. Then I spoke back to her in such a way, until I silenced her. Then the Messenger of Allâh ﷺ said: 'She is the daughter of Abû Bakr.'" (Šaḥīh)

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Footnotes

  1. 1

    [1] Meaning: This Hadīth, which the author cited, is narrated by Ḥammād bin Salamah, from Ayyūb from Abū Qilābah, from 'Abdullāh bin Yazīd, from 'Āishah, while Ḥammād bin Zaid has narrated it from Ayyūb, from Abū Qilābah, without mention of 'Abdullāh Nor 'Āishah. See At-Tirmidhī's discussion of it after No. 1140, and Tuhfat Al-Ashraf No. 16290.

Commentary

1. 'The daughter of Abû Quhâfah': This was uttered with a view to humiliate, because when they wanted to express their dislike toward someone, the Arabs used to attribute the object of their contempt to non-popular parentage. Abû Quhâfah was actually the name of Abû Bakr's father, who had till then not accepted Islam. Kinship was ascribed to the grandfather instead of father. 2. 'Some what equal to me' because she belonged to the household of the Prophet ﷺ. She was the daughter of the Prophet's ﷺ paternal aunt. Besides, she had come into the Prophet's ﷺ wedlock by Allâh's command. 3. 'The daughter of Abû Bakr': Praised her; she was extolled as of having excellent moral character, patience, endurance, terse and to-the-point speech, fluent and eloquent, which compelled Zainab to become silent. Abû Bakr too possessed these qualities, to the point of their perfection. He, therefore, attributed her to him. He could have otherwise simply stated: She is 'Aishah. (May Allâh be pleased with her).