Abdullah b. Abbas (Allah be pleased with tlicm) reported: I intended to ask ‘Umar b. al-Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) about a verse, but I waited for one year to ask him out of his fear, until he went out for Pilgrimage and I also accompanied him. As he came back and we were on the way he stepped aside towards an Arak tree to ease himself. I waited for him until he was free. I then walked along with him and said: Commander of the Faithful, who are the two among the wives of Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) who backed up one another (in their demand for extra money)? He said: They were Hafsa and ‘A’isha (Allah be pleased with them). I said to him: It is for one year that I intended to ask you about this matter but I could not date so on account of the awe for you. He said: Don’t do that. If you think that I have any knowledge, do ask me about that. And if I were to know that, I would inform you. He (the narrator) stated that ‘Umar had said: By Allah, during the days of ignorance we had no regard for women until Allah the Exalt- ed revealed about them what He has revealed, and appointed (turn) for them what he appointed. He said: It so happened that I was thinking about some matter that my wife said: I wish you had done that and that. I said to her: It does not concern you and you should not feel disturbed in a matter which I intend to do. She said to me: How strange is it that you, O son of Khattab, do not like anyone to retort upon you, whereas your daughter retorts upon Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upou him) until he spends the day in vexation. ‘Umar said: I took hold of my cloak, then came out of my house until I visited Hafsa and said to her: O daughter, (I heard) that you retort upon Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) until he spends the day in vexation, whereupon Hafsa said: By Allah, we do retort upon him. I said: You should bear in mind, my daughter, that I warn you against the punishment of Allah and the wrath of His Messenger (may peace be upon him). You may not be misled by one whose beauty has fascinated her, and the love of Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) for her. I (‘Umar) then visited Umm Salama because of my relationship with her and I talked to her. Umm Salama said to me: Umar b. al-Khattab, how strange is it that you meddle with every matter so much so that you are anxious to interfere between Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) and his wives, and this perturbed me so much that I refrained from saying what I had to say, so I came out of her apartment, and I had a friend from the Anar. When I had been absent (from the company of the Holy Prophet) he used to bring me the news and when he had been absent I used to bring him the news, and at that time we dreaded a king of Ghassan. It was mentioned to us that he intended to attack us, and our minds were haunted by him. My friend, the Ansari, came to me, and he knocked at the door and said: Open it, open it. I said: Has the Ghassani come? He said: (The matter is) more serious than that. The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) has separated himself from his wives. I said: Let the nose of Hafsa and ‘A’isha be besmeared with dust. I then took hold of my cloth and went out until I came and found Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) in his attic to which he climbed by means of a ladder made of date-palm, and the servant of Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) who was black had been sitting at the end of the ladder. I said: This is Umar. So permission was granted to me. I narrated this news to Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) and as I narrated the news concerning Umm Salama, Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) smiled. He was lying on the mat and there was nothing between him and that (mat), and under his head there was a pillow made of leather and it was stuffed with plam fibres and at his feet were lying a heap of sant tree (acacia niloctica, meant for dyeing) and near his head there was hanging a hide. And I saw the marks of the maton the side of Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him), and so I wept. He said: What makes you weep? I said: Messenger of Allah, the Khusrau and the Ceasars (spendd their lives in) the midst of (luxuries), whereas you being Allah’s Messenger (are leading your life in this poverty). Thereupon Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: Don’t you like that they should have riches of their world, and you have the Hereafter.
Hadith In Arabic Text :
حدثنا هارون بن سعيد الأيلي، حدثنا عبد الله بن وهب، أخبرني سليمان، – يعني ابن بلال – أخبرني يحيى، أخبرني عبيد بن حنين، أنه سمع عبد الله بن عباس، يحدث قال مكثت سنة وأنا أريد، أن أسأل، عمر بن الخطاب عن آية، فما أستطيع أنله حتى خرج حاجا فخرجت معه فلما رجع فكنا ببعض الطريق عدل إلى الأراك لحاجة له فوقفت له حتى فرغ ثم سرت معه فقلت يا أمير المؤمنين من اللتان تظاهرتا على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من أزواجه فقال تلك حفصة وعائشة . قال فقلت له والله إن كنت لأريد أن أسألك عن هذا منذ سنة فما أستطيع هيبة لك . قال فلا تفعل ما ظننت أن عندي من علم فسلني عنه فإن كنت أعلمه أخبرتك – قال – وقال عمر والله إن كنا في الجاهلية ما نعد للنساء أمرا حتى أنزل الله تعالى فيهن ما أنزل وقسم لهن ما قسم قال فبينما أنا في أمر أأتمره إذ قالت لي امرأتي لو صنعت كذا وكذا فقلت لها وما لك أنت ولما ها هنا وما تكلفك في أمر أريده فقالت لي عجبا لك يا ابن الخطاب ما تريد أن تراجع أنت وإن ابنتك لتراجع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم حتى يظل يومه غضبان . قال عمر فآخذ ردائي ثم أخرج مكاني حتى أدخل على حفصة فقلت لها يا بنية إنك لتراجعين رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم حتى يظل يومه غضبان . فقالت حفصة والله إنا لنراجعه . فقلت تعلمين أني أحذرك عقوبة الله وغضب رسوله يا بنية لا يغرنك هذه التي قد أعجبها حسنها وحب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إياها . ثم خرجت حتى أدخل على أم سلمة لقرابتي منها فكلمتها فقالت لي أم سلمة عجبا لك يا ابن الخطاب قد دخلت في كل شىء حتى تبتغي أن تدخل بين رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وأزواجه . قال فأخذتني أخذا كسرتني عن بعض ما كنت أجد فخرجت من عندها وكان لي صاحب من الأنصار إذا غبت أتاني بالخبر وإذا غاب كنت أنا آتيه بالخبر ونحن حينئذ نتخوف ملكا من ملوك غسان ذكر لنا أنه يريد أن يسير إلينا فقد امتلأت صدورنا منه فأتى صاحبي الأنصاري يدق الباب وقال افتح افتح . فقلت جاء الغساني فقال أشد من ذلك اعتزل رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أزواجه . فقلت رغم أنف حفصة وعائشة . ثم آخذ ثوبي فأخرج حتى جئت فإذا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في مشربة له يرتقى إليها بعجلة وغلام لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أسود على رأس الدرجة فقلت هذا عمر . فأذن لي . قال عمر فقصصت على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم هذا الحديث فلما بلغت حديث أم سلمة تبسم رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وإنه لعلى حصير ما بينه وبينه شىء وتحت رأسه وسادة من أدم حشوها ليف وإن عند رجليه قرظا مضبورا وعند رأسه أهبا معلقة فرأيت أثر الحصير في جنب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فبكيت فقال ” ما يبكيك ” . فقلت يا رسول الله إن كسرى وقيصر فيما هما فيه وأنت رسول الله فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ” أما ترضى أن تكون لهما الدنيا ولك الآخرة ” .
Chapter : The Book of Divorce – كتاب الطلاق