—three in all. I said, “Messenger of Allah, supplicate Allah to grant abundance to your community, for the Persians and the Byzantines have been granted abundance and given of this worldly life, though they do not worship Allah.”
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, sat upright, having been reclining, and said, “Is this what concerns you, son of al-Khattab? Those are a people whose good things have been hastened for them in the life of this world.”
I said, “Messenger of Allah, seek forgiveness for me.”
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, withdrew from his wives for twenty-nine nights because of that matter, when Hafsah disclosed it to Aisha. He had said, “I shall not enter upon them for a month,” owing to the intensity of his anger with them after Allah, exalted is He, had reproached him.
When twenty-nine nights had passed, he entered upon Aisha first. Aisha said to him, “Messenger of Allah, you had sworn not to enter upon us for a month, yet this morning marks only twenty-nine nights—I have counted them exactly!” He said, “A month may be twenty-nine days,” and that month was twenty-nine nights.
Aisha said: Then Allah revealed the choice, and he began with me, the first of his wives. I chose him, and he then gave all of his wives the choice, and they said what Aisha had said (1).
Abd al-Wahid al-Mulayhi informed us; Ahmad ibn Abd Allah al-Nuaymi informed us; Muhammad ibn Yusuf informed us; Muhammad ibn Isma'il related to us; Abu al-Yaman related to us; Shuayb informed us from al-Zuhri; Abu Salamah ibn Abd al-Rahman informed me that Aisha, the wife of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, told him that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, came to her when Allah commanded him to give his wives the choice. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, began with me and said, “I am going to mention a matter to you, but do not hasten (2) until you have consulted your parents.” He knew that my parents would never instruct me to leave him.
She said: Then he said, “Indeed, Allah has said: ‘O Prophet, say to your wives…’”—to the end of the two verses. I said, “Would I consult my parents about this? Indeed, I desire Allah, His Messenger, and the abode of the Hereafter” (3).
Isma'il ibn Abd al-Qahir informed us; Abd al-Ghafir ibn Muhammad informed us; Muhammad ibn Isa informed us; Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn Sufyan related to us; Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj related to us; Zuhayr ibn Harb related to me; Umar ibn Yunus related to us.