truer in speech, more devoted to maintaining kinship bonds, and more generous in charity (1).
It is related from ʿUmar that, in one year, he allotted to each of the Mothers of the Believers twelve thousand dirhams, except for Juwayriyyah and Safiyyah, for each of whom he fixed half that amount. Al-Zuhrī is the one who reported this.
Ibn Jurayj transmitted from ʿAṭāʾ, who heard ʿUbayd ibn ʿUmayr (2) say:
“I heard ʿĀʾishah claim that the Prophet ﷺ used to stay with Zaynab bint Jahsh and drink honey in her house. So Hafsah and I agreed that whichever of us he visited should say, ‘I detect the smell of maghāfīr—a pungent resin—on you; have you eaten maghāfīr?’
“When he came to one of us, she said that to him. He replied, ‘No, I only drank honey at Zaynab’s, yet I shall never do that again.’
“Thereupon the verse was revealed: ‘O Prophet, why do you forbid yourself what Allah has made lawful for you…’ (al-Taḥrīm 66:1) up to His words: ‘If you two repent…,’ meaning Hafsah and ʿĀʾishah.
“And His saying, ‘When the Prophet confided a matter [to one of his wives]…,’ refers to his statement, ‘Rather, I drank honey.’” (3)
(1) Muslim narrates this report (no. 2422, “The Merits of the Companions”) through the isnad of al-Zuhri, who said: Muhammad b. ʿAbd al-Rahman b. al-Harith b. Hisham related to me from ʿAisha a long tradition in which she states: “The wives of the Prophet sent Zaynab bint Jahsh—who, of them all, was my equal in rank with the Messenger of Allah. I never saw a woman better in religion than Zaynab: more God-fearing, more truthful in speech, more dutiful to kin, more generous in charity, or more ready to humble herself in the works by which she sought nearness to Allah—save for a sudden flare of temper from which she would quickly repent….” Ahmad also records it (6/151) via al-Zuhri, from ʿUrwa, from ʿAisha, with the wording: “I never saw a woman better than her, more abundant in charity, more devoted to kin, or more self-sacrificing in every act that brings one close to Allah than Zaynab—apart from a brief surge of sharpness that would soon fade.”
(2) In the printed edition the name is mistakenly given as “ʿUmar.”
(3) Al-Bukhari relates this incident (11/499, Book of Oaths and Vows, ‘Chapter: When someone declares food unlawful’; and 9/330–331, Book of Divorce, ‘Chapter: Why do you forbid what Allah has made lawful for you’), Muslim records it (no. 1474, Book of Divorce, ‘Chapter: The obligation of expiation for one who declares his wife unlawful without intending divorce’), and Ibn Saʿd includes it (8/107). Al-Bukhari also transmits it (8/503, Book of Tafsir) from ʿAisha in the wording: “The Messenger of Allah used to drink honey at the house of Zaynab bint Jahsh and would stay there. Hafsa and I agreed that, whichever of us he entered upon, she should say: ‘Have you eaten maghafir? I detect the scent of maghafir on you.’ He replied: ‘No, but I was drinking honey at the house of Zaynab bint Jahsh, and I shall not do that again. I have taken an oath; do not tell anyone about this.’”