It is well known that ‘Abda and Ibn Numayr did not introduce these words by saying, “‘Ā’isha said.” Rather, they incorporated them into the hadith without distinguishing their source: they could have been her words (1), ‘Urwa’s words, or Hishām’s words. Wakī‘, however, clarified and distinguished their source. Whoever clarifies and distinguishes (2) has accurately preserved and mastered what others left unspecified. Indeed, had Ibn Numayr and ‘Abda said, “‘Ā’isha said,” while Wakī‘ said, “Hishām said,” Abū Muhammad’s argument would have been tenable, and the matter would have called for examination and weighing the evidence.

As for their being nine women and the offering being a single cow, this has been reported in three wordings. The first states that it was one cow shared by them; the second, that he sacrificed cattle on their behalf that day; and the third: “Beef was brought in to us on the Day of Sacrifice. I asked, ‘What is this?’ and was told, ‘The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, slaughtered it on behalf of his wives.’”

Scholars have differed over how many people a sacrificial camel or cow suffices for. Some said seven, which is the position of al-Shāfi‘ī and the well-known position reported from Ahmad. Others said ten, which is the position of Ishāq.

It is established that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, divided the spoils among them, reckoning one camel as equivalent to ten sheep (3).

It is also established in this hadith that he sacrificed one cow on behalf of his nine wives (4).

Sufyān narrated from Abū al-Zubayr, from Jābir, that they slaughtered a sacrificial camel during their Hajj (5)