Al-Zuhd - Ahmad Ibn Hanbal - (285)

2054 – ʿAbd Allah related to us; my father related to me; Hushaym related to us; Mansur related to us, from Sirin:

ʿUtbah ibn Farqad once proposed marriage for his son ʿAmr, but ʿAmr declined. So ʿUtbah went to ʿUthman and complained about the matter. ʿUthman wrote to ʿAmr ibn ʿUtbah, summoning him, and said:

“What is keeping you from marrying when the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—married, as did Abu Bakr and ʿUmar, and when, among us, there are wives aplenty?”

ʿAmr answered, “O Commander of the Believers, who can equal the deeds of the Messenger of Allah—peace and blessings be upon him—or the deeds of Abu Bakr, ʿUmar, or even your own deeds?”

When he said this, ʿUthman told him, “Go. If you wish, marry; and if you wish, do not marry.”

٢٠٥٤ - حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، حَدَّثَنَا مَنْصُورٌ، عَنْ سِيرِينَ، أَنَّ عُتْبَةَ بْنَ فَرْقَدٍ، قَدْ عَرَضَ عَلَى ابْنِهِ عَمْرٍو التَّزْوِيجَ قَالَ: فَأَبَى قَالَ: فَانْطَلَقَ إِلَى عُثْمَانَ فَشَكَا إِلَيْهِ ذَلِكَ فَكَتَبَ عُثْمَانُ إِلَى عَمْرِو بْنِ عُتْبَةَ أَنْ يَقْدَمَ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ: مَا يَمْنَعُكُ مِنَ التَّزْوِيجِ وَقَدْ تَزَوَّجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ، وَعُمَرُ وَعِنْدَنَا مِنْهُنَّ مَا عِنْدَنَا؟ قَالَ: فَقَالَ لَهُ عَمْرٌو: يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَمَنْ لَهُ مِثْلُ عَمَلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَمِثْلُ عَمَلِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، وَعُمَرَ وَمِثْلُ عَمَلِكَ؟ فَلَمَّا قَالَهَا قَالَ: انْطَلِقْ فَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَتَزَوَّجْ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ فَلَا تَتَزَوَّجْ "