03-26-2007, 09:03 PM
<b>يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَاجِكَ إِن كُنتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا وَزِينَتَهَا فَتَعَالَيْنَ أُمَتِّعْكُنَّ وَأُسَرِّحْكُنَّ سَرَاحًا جَمِيلًا
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O Prophet (Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam)! Say to your wives: If you desire the life of this world, and its glitter, Then come! I will make a provision for you and set you free in a handsome manner (divorce). (Al-Ahzaab 33:28)
وَإِن كُنتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَالدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلْمُحْسِنَاتِ مِنكُنَّ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا
But if you desire Allâh and His Messenger, and the home of the Hereafter, then verily, Allâh has prepared for AlMuhsinât (gooddoers) amongst you an enormous reward. (Al-Ahzaab 33:29)
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Tafseer (Ibn Katheer) of Surat Al-Ahzaab (33):28-29
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Giving the Wives of the Prophet, Sallallaahu ‘Alayhi wa Sallam, the Choice
Here Allaah commands His Messenger to give his wives the choice of separating from him so that they may go to someone else with whom they can find what they want of the life of this world and its attractions, or of patiently bearing the straitened circumstances with the Prophet for which they will have a great reward with Allaah. They chose Allaah and His Messenger and the Home of the Hereafter, may Allaah be pleased with them. Then Allaah gave them the best both of this world and of the Hereafter. Al-Bukhaari narrated from ‘Aa‘ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, the wife of the Prophet that the Messenger of Allaah came to her when Allaah commanded him to give his wives the choice. She said, "The Messenger of Allaah started with me, and said,
‘I am going to tell you about something and you do not have to hasten to respond until you consult your parents.’
He knew that my parents would never tell me to leave him. Then he said:
‘Allaah says: O Prophet! Say to your wives...' and he recited the two Aayaat. I said to him, ‘Concerning what do I need to consult my parents? I choose Allaah and His Messenger and the Home of the Hereafter.’'' He also narrated it without a chain of narrators, and added, "She said, ‘Then all the wives of the Prophet did the same as I.’''
Imaam Ahmad recorded that ‘Aa'ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, said: "The Messenger of Allaah gave us the choice, and we chose him, so giving us that choice was not regarded as divorce.'' It was recorded by (Al-Bukhaari and Muslim) from the Hadeeth of Al-A`mash.
Imaam Ahmad recorded that Jaabir, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "Abu Bakr, may Allaah be pleased with him, came to ask permission to see the Messenger of Allaah and the people were sitting at his door, and the Prophet was sitting, but he did not give him permission. Then `Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, came and asked permission to see him, but he did not give him permission. Then he gave Abu Bakr and `Umar, may Allaah be pleased with them both, permission, and they entered. The Prophet was sitting with his wives around him, and he was silent. `Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, said, `I will tell the Prophet something to make him smile.' `Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, said, `O Messenger of Allaah, if only you had seen the daughter of Zayd -- the wife of `Umar -- asking me to spend on her just now; I broke her neck!' The Messenger of Allaah smiled so broadly that his molars could be seen, and he said,
‘They are around me asking me to spend on them.’
Abu Bakr, may Allaah be pleased with him, got up to deal with `Aa'ishah (daughter of Abu Bakr) and `Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him, got up to deal with Hafsah (daughter of ‘Umar), and both of them were saying, `You are asking the Prophet for that which he does not have!' But the Messenger of Allaah stopped them, and they (his wives) said, `By Allaah, after this we will not ask the Messenger of Allaah for anything that he does not have.' Then Allaah revealed the Aayah telling him to give them the choice, and he started with `Aa'ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her. He said,
‘I am going to tell you something, and I would like you not to hasten to respond until you consult your parents.’
She said, ‘What is it?’ He recited to her: ‘O Prophet! Say to your wives...’ ‘Aa‘ishah, may Allaah be pleased with her, said, ‘Do I need to consult my parents concerning you…I choose Allaah and His Messenger, but I ask you not to tell of my choice to your other wives.’ He said:
‘Allaah did not send me to be harsh, but He sent me to teach in a gentle and easy manner. If any of them asks me what your decision was, I will tell her.’”
This was also recorded by Muslim, but not Al-Bukhaari; An-Nisaa'ee also recorded it. `Ikrimah said: "At that time he was married to nine women, five of them were from Quraysh -- `Aa'ishah, Hafsah, Umm Habibah, Sawdah and Umm Salamah, may Allaah be pleased with them. And he was also married to Safiyyah bint Huyay An-Nadariyyah, Maymunah bint Al-Harith Al-Hilaliyyah, Zaynab bint Jahsh Al-Asadiyyah and Juwayriyyah bint Al-Harith Al-Mustalaqiyyah, may Allaah be pleased with all of them.”