Narrated Ibn `Abbas:For the whole year I had the desire to ask `Umar bin Al-Khattab regarding the explanation of a Verse (in Surat Al-Tahrim) 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 Arak 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 Hafsa and `Aisha." Then I said to him, "By Allah, 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 Allah, in the Pre-lslamic Period of Ignorance we did not pay attention to women until Allah 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 the is 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-Khattab! You don't want to be argued with whereas your daughter, Hafsa surely, argues with Allah'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 Hafsa and said to her, "O my daughter! Do you argue with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) so that he remains angry the whole day?" H. afsa said, "By Allah, we argue with him." `Umar said, "Know that I warn you of Allah's punishment and the anger of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) . . . O my daughter! Don't be betrayed by the one who is proud of her beauty because of the love of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) for her (i.e. `Aisha)." `Umar addled, "Then I went out to Um Salama's house who was one of my relatives, and I talked to her. She said, O son of Al-Khattab! It is rather astonishing that you interfere in everything; you even want to interfere between Allah's Apostle and his wives!' By Allah, by her talk she influenced me so much that I lost some of my anger. I left her (and went home). At that time I had a friend from the Ansar who used to bring news (from the Prophet) 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 Ghassan tribe. We heard that he intended to move and attack us, so fear filled our hearts because of that. (One day) my Ansari friend unexpectedly knocked at my door, and said, "Open Open!' I said, 'Has the king of Ghassan come?' He said, 'No, but something worse; Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has isolated himself from his wives.' I said, 'Let the nose of `Aisha and Hafsa be stuck to dust (i.e. humiliated)!' Then I put on my clothes and went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)'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 Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was (sitting) on the first step. I said to him, 'Say (to the Prophet (ﷺ) ) `Umar bin Al-Khattab is here.' Then the Prophet (ﷺ) admitted me and I narrated the story to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). When I reached the story of Um Salama, Allah'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 Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Caesar and Khosrau are leading the life (i.e. Luxurious life) while you, Allah'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?' "
Reference
Sahih al-Bukhari 4913
In-book reference
Book 65, Hadith 433
USC-MSA web (English)
Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 435
Translation by Dr. M. Muhsin Khan · Language: EN
Sahih
It is related that 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas was heard to say, "I spent a year wanting to ask 'Umar ibn al-Khattab about an ayat, but was unable to ask him out of awe of him until he went on hajj and I set out with him. When I returned and we had gone part of the way, he went aside to some Arak trees to answer a call of nature. I waited for him until he finished and then went on with him. I said, 'Amir al-Mu'minin, who were the two wives of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who helped one another against him?' He answered, 'That was 'A'isha and Hafsa.' I said, 'By Allah, I have wanted to ask you about this for a year!" He said, 'Do not do that If you think that I have some knowledge, then ask me. If I have knowledge, I will tell you!'" He said, "By Allah, in the Jahiliyya, we did not give any importance to women until Allah revealed about them what He revealed and allotted them what He allotted. Once, while I was reflecting about a matter, my wife said to me, 'You should do such-and-such.' I retorted to her, 'What do you have to do this? Why are you interfering in something which I want to do?' She replied, 'You are extraordinary, son of al-Khattab! You do not wish to be answered back while your daughter exchanges words with the Messenger of Allah to such an extent that he remains angry for an entire day!'" "'Umar got up and immediately put on his cloak and went to Hafsa and said to her, 'Little daughter! Do you talk back to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, until he remains angry for an entire day?' Hafsa replied, 'By Allah, we talk back to him.' I said, 'Know that I caution you about Allah's punishment and the anger of His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace! Little daughter, do not be deluded by this woman who is proud of her beauty because of the love of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for her.'" He meant 'A'isha. 'Umar said, "Then I went out and went to Umm Salama, since she was a relative of mine. I spoke to her and Umm Salama said, 'You are extraordinary, son of al-Khattab! You interfere in everything even to the point where you come between the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and his wives!' By Allah, her words diverted me from some one what I felt, and I left her. "I had a friend among the Ansar. When I was absent, he would bring me the news and when I was absent, he would bring me the news, At that time we were afraid of one of the kings of Ghassan. We had heard that he intended to move against us and our hearts were fearful about it. Then one day the Ansari knocked on my door, saying, 'Open up! Open up!' I asked, 'Has the Ghassani come?' He replied, 'No, it is far worse than that! The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has withdrawn from his wives!' I said, 'May the noses of 'A'isha and Hafsa be the dust!' I put on my clothes and went and when I arrived, the Messenger of Allah was in an upper room he had which he reached by a ladder and a black slave of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sitting on the first step. I said to him, 'Say: "It is 'Umar ibn al-Khattab." He gave me permission to enter.' "I recounted this story to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. When I reached the story of Umm Salama, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, smiled. He was on a woven mat and there was nothing between him and it. Under his head he had a leather pillow stuffed with palm fibre. There were some leaves of the mimosa tree piled at his feet and some waterskins hanging at his head. I could see the marks of the mat on his side and so I wept. He asked, 'Why are you weeping?' I replied, 'Messenger of Allah, Khosrau and Caesar have what they have while you are the Messenger of Allah.' He replied, 'Are you not content that they have this world while we have the Next World?'"
Reference
Sahih al-Bukhari 4913
In-book reference
Book 65, Hadith 433
USC-MSA web (English)
Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 435
Translation by Aisha Bewley · Language: EN
Sahih