03-27-2007, 10:57 AM
Narrated 'Urwa from A'isha:
The wives of Allah's Apostle were in two groups. One group consisted of A'isha, Hafsa, Safiyyah and Sawda; and the other group consisted of Umm Salamah and the other wives of Allah's Apostle.
The Muslims knew that Allah's Apostle loved A'isha, so if any of them had a gift and wished to give it to Allah's Apostle, he would delay it, until Allah's Apostle had come to A'isha's home and then he would send his gift to Allah's Apostle in her home.
The group of Umm Salamah discussed the matter together and decided that Umm Salamah should request Allah's Apostle to tell the people to send their gifts to him in whatever wife's house he was. Umm Salamah told Allah's Apostle of what they had said, but he did not reply. Then they (those wives) asked Umm Salamah about it. She said, "He did not say anything to me." They asked her to talk to him again. She talked to him again when she met him on her day, but he gave no reply. When they asked her, she replied that he had given no reply. They said to her, "Talk to him until he gives you a reply." When it was her turn, she talked to him again. He then said to her,
<b>"Do not hurt me regarding A'isha, as the Divine Inspirations do not come to me on any of the beds except that of A'isha." </b>
On that Umm Salamah said, "I repent to Allah for hurting you."
Then the group of Umm Salamah called Fatima, the daughter of Allah's Apostle and sent her to Allah's Apostle to say to him,
<b> "Your wives request to treat them and the daughter of Abu Bakr on equal terms." </b>
Then Fatima conveyed the message to him. The Prophet said, "O my daughter! Don't you love whom I love?" She replied in the affirmative and returned and told them of the situation. They requested her to go to him again but she refused.
They then sent Zaynab bint Jahsh who went to him and used harsh words saying, "Your wives request you to treat them and the daughter of Ibn Abu Quhafa on equal terms." On that she raised her voice and abused A'isha to her face so much so that Allah's Apostle looked at A'isha to see whether she would retort. A'isha started replying to Zaynab till she silenced her. The Prophet then looked at A'isha and said, "She is really the daughter of Abu Bakr."
~Saheeh al-Bukhaari, Book of Gifts, Hadeeth No. 2417