Narrated Ibn `Abbas:I had been eager to ask `Umar bin Al-Khattab about the two ladies from among the wives of the Prophet regarding whom Allah said 'If you two (wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) namely Aisha and Hafsa) turn in repentance to Allah, your hearts are indeed so inclined (to oppose what the Prophet (ﷺ) likes). (66.4) till `Umar performed the Hajj and I too, performed the Hajj along with him. (On the way) `Umar went aside to answer the call of nature, and I also went aside along with him carrying a tumbler full of water, and when `Umar had finished answering the call of nature, I poured water over his hands and he performed the ablution. Then I said to him, "O chief of the Believers! Who were the two ladies from among the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) regarding whom Allah said: 'If you two (wives of the Prophet) turn in repentance to Allah your hearts are indeed so inclined (to oppose what the Prophet (ﷺ) likes)?" (66.4) He said, "I am astonished at your question, O Ibn `Abbas. They were `Aisha and Hafsa." Then `Umar went on narrating the Hadith and said, "I and an Ansari neighbor of mine from Bani Umaiyya bin Zaid who used to live in `Awali-al-Medina, used to visit the Prophet (ﷺ) in turn. 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 Divine Inspiration and other things, and when he went, he used to do the same for me. We, the people of Quraish used to have the upper hand over our wives, but when we came to the Ansar, we found that their women had the upper hand over their men, so our women also started learning the ways of the Ansari women. I shouted at my wife and she retorted against me and I disliked that she should answer me back. She said to me, 'Why are you so surprised at my answering you back? By Allah, the wives of the Prophet answer him back and some of them may leave (does not speak to) him throughout the day till the night.' The (talk) scared me and I said to her, 'Whoever has done so will be ruined!' Then I proceeded after dressing myself, and entered upon Hafsa and said to her, 'Does anyone of you keep the Prophet (ﷺ) angry till night?' She said, 'Yes.' I said, 'You are a ruined losing person! Don't you fear that Allah may get angry for the anger of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and thus you will be ruined? So do not ask more from the Prophet (ﷺ) and do not answer him back and do not give up talking to him. Ask me whatever you need and do not be tempted to imitate your neighbor (i.e., `Aisha) in her manners for she is more charming than you and more beloved to the Prophet (ﷺ) ." `Umar added,"At that time a talk was circulating among us that (the tribe of) Ghassan were preparing their horses to invade us. My Ansari companion, on the day of his turn, went (to the town) and returned to us at night and knocked at my door violently and asked if I was there. I became horrified and came out to him. He said, 'Today a great thing has happened.' I asked, 'What is it? Have (the people of) Ghassan come?' He said, 'No, but (What has happened) is greater and more horrifying than that: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ); has divorced his wives. `Umar added, "The Prophet (ﷺ) kept away from his wives and I said "Hafsa is a ruined loser.' I had already thought that most probably this (divorce) would happen in the near future. So I dressed myself and offered the morning prayer with the Prophet (ﷺ) and then the Prophet; entered an upper room and stayed there in seclusion. I entered upon Hafsa and saw her weeping. I asked, 'What makes you weep? Did I not warn you about that? Did the Prophet (ﷺ) divorce you all?' She said, 'I do not know. There he is retired alone in the upper room.' I came out and sat near the pulpit and saw a group of people sitting around it and some of them were weeping. I sat with them for a while but could not endure the situation, so I went to the upper room where the Prophet; was and said to a black slave of his, 'Will you get the permission (of the Prophet (ﷺ) ) for `Umar (to enter)?' The slave went in, talked to the Prophet (ﷺ) about it and then returned saying, 'I have spoken to the Prophet (ﷺ) and mentioned you but he kept quiet.' Then I returned and sat with the group of people sitting near the pulpit. but I could not bear the situation and once again I said to the slave, 'Will you get the permission for `Umar?' He went in and returned saying, 'I mentioned you to him but he kept quiet.' So I returned again and sat with the group of people sitting near the pulpit, but I could not bear the situation, and so I went to the slave and said, 'Will you get the permission for `Umar?' He went in and returned to me saying, 'I mentioned you to him but he kept quiet.' When I was leaving, behold! The slave called me, saying, 'The Prophet (ﷺ) has given you permission.' Then I entered upon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and saw him Lying on a bed made of stalks of date palm leaves and there was no bedding between it and him. The stalks left marks on his side and he was leaning on a leather pillow stuffed with date-palm fires. I greeted him and while still standing I said, 'O Allah's Apostle! Have you divorced your wives?' He looked at me and said, 'No.' I said, 'Allah Akbar!' And then, while still standing, I said chatting, 'Will you heed what I say, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)? We, the people of Quraish used to have power over our women, but when we arrived at Medina we found that the men (here) were overpowered by their women.' The Prophet (ﷺ) smiled and then I said to him, 'Will you heed what I say, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)? I entered upon Hafsa and said to her, "Do not be tempted to imitate your companion (`Aisha), for she is more charming than you and more beloved to the Prophet.' " The Prophet (ﷺ) smiled for a second time. When I saw him smiling, I sat down. Then I looked around his house, and by Allah, I could not see anything of importance in his house except three hides, so I said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Invoke Allah to make your followers rich, for the Persians and the Romans have been made prosperous and they have been given (the pleasures of the world), although they do not worship Allah.' Thereupon the Prophet (ﷺ) sat up as he was reclining. and said, 'Are you of such an opinion, O the son of Al-Khattab? These are the people who have received the rewards for their good deeds in this world.' I said, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Ask Allah to forgive me.' Then the Prophet (ﷺ) kept away from his wives for twenty-nine days because of the story which Hafsa had disclosed to `Aisha. The Prophet (ﷺ) had said, 'I will not enter upon them (my wives) for one month,' because of his anger towards them, when Allah had admonished him. So, when twenty nine days had passed, the Prophet (ﷺ) first entered upon `Aisha. `Aisha said to him, 'O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! You had sworn that you would not enter upon us for one month, but now only twenty-nine days have passed, for I have been counting them one by one.' The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'The (present) month is of twenty nine days.' `Aisha added, 'Then Allah revealed the Verses of the option. (2) And out of all his-wives he asked me first, and I chose him.' Then he gave option to his other wives and they said what `Aisha had said . " (1) The Prophet, ' had decided to abstain from eating a certain kind of food because of a certain event, so Allah blamed him for doing so. Some of his wives were the cause of him taking that decision, therefore he deserted them for one month. See Qur'an: (66.4)
Reference
Sahih al-Bukhari 5191
In-book reference
Book 67, Hadith 125
USC-MSA web (English)
Vol. 7, Book 62, Hadith 119
Translation by Dr. M. Muhsin Khan · Language: EN
Sahih
It is related that 'Abdullah ibn 'Abbas said, "I was eager to ask 'Umar about the two women among the wives of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about whom Allah Almighty says, 'If the two of you would turn to Allah, for your hearts clearly deviated.' (66:4) I went on hajj with him and he went aside, and I went aside with him with a water vessel. He went out for a call of nature and when he came back, I poured some of the water from the vessel on his hands and he did wudu'. I said, 'Amir al-Mu'minin, who are the two wives of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, about whom Allah says, "If the two of you would turn to Allah, for your hearts clearly deviated"?' He said, 'I am surprised at your question, Ibn 'Abbas. That was 'A'isha and Hafsa.' Then 'Umar proceded to relate the hadith. He said, 'I and a neighbour of mine from the Ansar were among the Banu Umayya ibn Zayd, which is part of the 'Awali area of Madina. We used to take it in turns to visit the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He would go one day and I would go the next. When I went, I would bring him the news of that day of the revelation and other things. When he went, he did the same. We, the company of Quraysh, used to dominate women, and when we came to the Ansar, they were a people who were dominated by their women. So our women began to adopt the manner of the women of the Ansar. Once I shouted at my wife and she answered me back. I disliked that she should answer me back. She said, "Do you dislike that I should answer you back? By Allah, the wives of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, answer him back! Some of them might not have anything to do with him for the entire day until night!" That alarmed me, so I said, "The one among them who has done this will incur a terrible loss!" Does one of you anger the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, for the entire day until night?" She said, "Yes." I said, "She is ruined and lost! Does she feel secure that Allah will not become angry by the anger of His Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so that she will be destroyed? Do not ask from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, too much and do not answer him back in anything and do not refuse to speak to him. Ask me what you like. Do not be tempted into being like your neighbour since she is more beautiful than you and more beloved to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace," meaning 'A'isha. "'We were saying that Ghassan were getting ready their mounts to attack us. Once, on a day when it was his turn, my friend went down. He returned in the evening and banged loudly on my door and said, "Is he here?" I was alarmed and came out to him. He said, "Something terrible has happened." I said, "Has Ghassan come?" He said, "No, something worse still and even more serious. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, has divorced his wives." I said, "Hafsa is ruined and lost!" I used to think that this was about to happen. I got dressed and prayed the Fajr prayer with the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He entered a small upper room of him and withdrew into it. I went to Hafsa and found her weeping. I asked, "Why are you weeping? Didn't I warn you? Has the Messenger of Allah divorced you all?" She said, "I do not know. He is in his small upper room." "'I went out and went to the minbar, A group of people were around it and some of them were weeping. I sat with them a short while and then what I felt overcame me. I went to the small room where he was and I said to a black slave of him, "Ask permission for 'Umar." He went in and spoke to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and then came out and said, "I mentioned you to him but he was silent." So I went away and sat with the group who were at the minbar. Then what I felt overcame me and I went - and he mentioned the like of it. Then I sat with the group who were at the minbar. Then what I felt overpowered me and I went to the slave and said, "Ask permission for 'Umar," - and he mentioned the like. When I turned to go, suddenly the slave called me, saying, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gives you permission." "'So I went into him, He was lying down on a woven mat. There was no bedding between him and it and I could see the mark of the mat on his side. He was reclining on a leather cushion stuffed with palm fibre. I greeted him and then I asked while I was standing, "Have you divorced your wives?" He looked up at me and said, "No." Then I said, sociably while I was standing, "Messenger of Allah, will you listen to me? We, the company of Quraysh, used to dominate our women. Then we came to a people whose women dominate them..." (and he mentioned it.) The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, smiled. Then I said, "Will you listen to me? I visited Hafsa and I said, 'Do not be tempted into being like your neighbour since she is more beautiful than you and more beloved to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace,'" meaning 'A'isha. He smiled again. I sat down when I saw him smile. I raised my eyes to look about the room and, by Allah, I did not see anything of note in it except for three hides. I said, "Ask Allah to enrich your community. Persia and Byzantium were made rich and were given this world but they did not worship Allah." He was reclining and then he said, "Do you have any doubts, Ibn al-Khattab? Those people were repaid for their good actions in the life of this world." I said, "Messenger of Allah, ask forgiveness for me." "'The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had withdrawn for 29 nights because of the story which Hafsa divulged to 'A'isha. He had said, "I will not go to them for a month," because of the intensity of his anger towards them when Allah rebuked him." "'When twenty-nine days had passed, he went to 'A'isha and began with her. 'A'isha said to him, "You swore that you would not come to us for a month. Twenty-nine days have passed. I have counted them." The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The month is twenty-nine days." That month was twenty-nine days.'" 'A'isha said, "The ayat of choice was sent down and the Prophet began first with me and I chose him. Then he gave all his wives a choice and they said the like of what I had said to him." [cf 4027]
Reference
Sahih al-Bukhari 5191
In-book reference
Book 67, Hadith 125
USC-MSA web (English)
Vol. 7, Book 62, Hadith 119
Translation by Aisha Bewley · Language: EN
Sahih