Al-Lu'lu Wal-Marjan 944 — The Book of Divorce

Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:

For the whole year I had the desire to ask 'Umar bin Al-Khattâb regarding the explanation of a Verse (in Sûrat Al-Tahrîm), 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 by the Arak trees to answer the call of nature.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 صلى الله عليه وسلم who aided one another against him?" He said, "They were Hafsa and 'Âisha." Then I said to him, "By Allâh, 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 Allâh, in the Pre-Islâmic Period of Ignorance we did not pay attention to women until Allâh 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-Khattâb! You don't want to be argued with whereas your daughter, Hafsa 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 Hafsa and said to her, "O my daughter! Do you argue with Allāh's Messenger ﷺ so that he remains angry the whole day?" Hafsa 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. 'Aisha)."'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-Khattāb! It is rather astonishing that you interfere in everything; you even want to interfere between Allāh's Messenger ﷺ 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 Ansār 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 we were fearful of that.(One day) my Ansārī friend unexpectedly knocked at my door, and said, 'Open! Open!' I said, 'Has the king of Ghassān come (attacked)?' He said, 'No, but something worse; Allāh'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 Allāh's Messenger ﷺ residence, and behold, he was staying in one of his upper room, 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, 'Inform (the Prophet ﷺ) 'Umar bin Al-Khattāb is here.' Then the Prophet ﷺ admitted me and I narrated the 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 Khosrau are leading the life (of luxury) 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.'(Sahih Al-Bukhārī, Hadīth No. 435, Vol. 6)