his marriage, rather than anyone else in his household. He stated this in his biography of Salamah, then related in his biography of Umm Salamah, on the authority of al-Wāqidī (1): Mujammi ibn Yaʿqūb narrated to me, from Abū Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Umar ibn Abī Salamah, from his father, that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, asked her son Umar ibn Abī Salamah for Umm Salamah’s hand in marriage. He married her to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, although he was then a young boy.
Imam Ahmad said in al-Musnad (2): Affān narrated to us, saying: Hammād ibn Salamah narrated to us, saying: Thābit informed us, saying: The son of Umar ibn Abī Salamah narrated to me, from his father, from Umm Salamah, that when her waiting period following Abū Salamah’s death had ended, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent someone to her. She said, “Welcome to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. I am a woman prone to jealousy, I have young children (3), and none of my marriage guardians is present”—and the hadith continues. It also states that she said to her son Umar, “Rise and marry me to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him.” He then did so.
This account, however, is open to question, for this Umar was nine years old when the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, died, as Ibn Saʿd mentioned (4). The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, married her in Shawwāl of the year 4 AH, which would make Umar three years old at the time. A child of that age cannot conduct a marriage; Ibn Saʿd and others stated this. When this was mentioned to Imam Ahmad, he said, “Who says that Umar was young?” Abū al-Faraj Ibn al-Jawzī said (5): “Perhaps