سنن نسائی · Hadith 3404

It was narrated that ‘Aishah said: “The wives of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم got together and sent Fatimah to the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلمThey told her to say: ‘Your wives” – and he (the narrator) said something to the effect that they are urging you to be equitable with regard to the matter of the daughter of Abu Quhafah. She said: “So she entered upon the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم when he was with ‘Aishah under her cover. She said to him: ‘Your wives have sent me and they are urging you to be equitable with regard to the matter of the daughter of Abu Quhafah.’ The Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم said to her: ‘Do you love me?’ She said: ‘Yes.’ He said: ‘Then love her.’ So she went back to them and told them what he said. They said to her: ‘You did not do anything; go back to him.’ She said: ‘By Allah, I will never go back (and speak to him) about her again.’ She was truly the daughter of the Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلمSo they sent Zainab bint Jabsh.” ‘Aishah said: “She was somewhat my equal among the wives of the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلمShe said: ‘Your wives have sent me to urge you to be equitable with regard to the matter of the daughter of Abu Qubafah.’ Then she swooped on me and Abused me, and I started watching the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم to see if he would give me permission to respond to her. She insulted me and I started to think that he would not disapprove if I responded to her. So I insulted her and I soon silenced her. Then the Prophet صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم. said to her: ‘She is the daughter of Abu Bakr.” ‘Aishah said: “And I never saw any woman who was better, more generous in giving charity, more keen to uphold the ties of kinship, and more generous in giving of herself in everything by means of which she could draw closer to Allah than Zainab. But she had a quick temper; however, she was also quick to calm down.” (Sahih) Abu ‘Abdur-Rahman (An-Nasa’i) said: This is a mistake, and what is correct is the one which is before

Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020