حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَلَمَةَ وَيَحْيَى قَالَ لَمَّا هَلَكَتْ خَدِيجَةُ جَاءَتْ خَوْلَةُ بِنْتُ حَكِيمٍ امْرَأَةُ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ مَظْعُونٍ قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَلَا تَزَوَّجُ قَالَ مَنْ قَالَتْ إِنْ شِئْتَ بِكْرًا وَإِنْ شِئْتَ ثَيِّبًا قَالَ فَمَنِ الْبِكْرُ قَالَتْ ابْنَةُ أَحَبِّ خَلْقِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَيْكَ عَائِشَةُ بِنْتُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ قَالَ وَمَنْ ثَيِّبٌ قَالَتْ سَوْدَةُ بِنْتُ زَمْعَةَ قَدْ آمَنَتْ بِكَ وَاتَّبَعَتْكَ عَلَى مَا تَقُولُ قَالَ اذْهَبِي فَاذْكُرِيهِمَا عَلَيَّ فَدَخَلَتْ بَيْتَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ فَقَالَتْ يَا أُمَّ رُومَانَ مَاذَا أَدْخَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَالْبَرَكَةِ قَالَتْ وَمَا ذَاكَ قَالَتْ أَرْسَلَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَخْطُبُ عَلَيْهِ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ انْتَظِرِي أَبَا بَكْرٍ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ فَجَاءَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَقَالَتْ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ مَاذَا أَدْخَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَالْبَرَكَةِ قَالَ وَمَا ذَاكَ قَالَتْ أَرْسَلَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَخْطُبُ عَلَيْهِ عَائِشَةَ قَالَ وَهَلْ تَصْلُحُ لَهُ إِنَّمَا هِيَ ابْنَةُ أَخِيهِ فَرَجَعَتْ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَذَكَرَتْ ذَلِكَ لَهُ قَالَ ارْجَعِي إِلَيْهِ فَقُولِي لَهُ أَنَا أَخُوكَ وَأَنْتَ أَخِي فِي الْإِسْلَامِ وَابْنَتُكَ تَصْلُحُ لِي فَرَجَعَتْ فَذَكَرَتْ ذَلِكَ لَهُ قَالَ انْتَظِرِي وَخَرَجَ قَالَتْ أُمُّ رُومَانَ إِنَّ مُطْعِمَ بْنَ عَدِيٍّ قَدْ كَانَ ذَكَرَهَا عَلَى ابْنِهِ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا وَعَدَ وَعْدًا قَطُّ فَأَخْلَفَهُ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ فَدَخَلَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَلَى مُطْعِمِ بْنِ عَدِيٍّ وَعِنْدَهُ امْرَأَتُهُ أُمُّ الْفَتَى فَقَالَتْ يَا ابْنَ أَبِي قُحَافَةَ لَعَلَّكَ مُصْبٍ صَاحِبَنَا مُدْخِلُهُ فِي دِينِكَ الَّذِي أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ تَزَوَّجَ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ لِمُطْعِمِ بْنِ عَدِيٍّ أَقَوْلَ هَذِهِ تَقُولُ قَالَ إِنَّهَا تَقُولُ ذَلِكَ فَخَرَجَ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ وَقَدْ أَذْهَبَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مَا كَانَ فِي نَفْسِهِ مِنْ عِدَتِهِ الَّتِي وَعَدَهُ فَرَجَعَ فَقَالَ ادْعِي لِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَدَعَتْهُ فَزَوَّجَهَا إِيَّاهُ وَعَائِشَةُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِنْتُ سِتِّ سِنِينَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَتْ فَدَخَلَتْ عَلَى سَوْدَةَ بِنْتِ زَمْعَةَ فَقَالَتْ مَاذَا أَدْخَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَيْكَ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَالْبَرَكَةِ قَالَتْ وَمَا ذَاكَ قَالَتْ أَرْسَلَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَخْطُبُكِ عَلَيْهِ قَالَتْ وَدِدْتُ ادْخُلِي إِلَى أَبِي فَاذْكُرِي ذَاكَ لَهُ وَكَانَ شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا قَدْ أَدْرَكَهُ السِّنُّ قَدْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنِ الْحَجِّ فَدَخَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ فَحَيَّتْهُ بِتَحِيَّةِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَقَالَ مَنْ هَذِهِ فَقَالَتْ خَوْلَةُ بِنْتُ حَكِيمٍ قَالَ فَمَا شَأْنُكِ قَالَتْ أَرْسَلَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَخْطُبُ عَلَيْهِ سَوْدَةَ قَالَ كُفْءٌ كَرِيمٌ مَاذَا تَقُولُ صَاحِبَتُكِ قَالَتْ تُحِبُّ ذَاكَ قَالَ ادْعِيهَا إِلَيَّ فَدَعَيْتُهَا قَالَ أَيْ بُنَيَّةُ إِنَّ هَذِهِ تَزْعَمُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ قَدْ أَرْسَلَ يَخْطُبُكِ وَهُوَ كُفْءٌ كَرِيمٌ أَتُحِبِّينَ أَنْ أُزَوِّجَكِ بِهِ قَالَتْ نَعَمْ قَالَ ادْعِيهِ لِي فَجَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَيْهِ فَزَوَّجَهَا إِيَّاهُ فَجَاءَهَا أَخُوهَا عَبْدُ بْنُ زَمْعَةَ مِنَ الْحَجِّ فَجَعَلَ يَحْثِي فِي رَأْسِهِ التُّرَابَ فَقَالَ بَعْدَ أَنْ أَسْلَمَ لَعَمْرُكَ إِنِّي لَسَفِيهٌ يَوْمَ أَحْثِي فِي رَأْسِيَ التُّرَابَ أَنْ تَزَوَّجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَوْدَةَ بِنْتَ زَمْعَةَ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ فَقَدِمْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ فَنَزَلْنَا فِي بَنِي الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْخَزْرَجِ فِي السُّنْحِ قَالَتْ فَجَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَدَخَلَ بَيْتَنَا وَاجْتَمَعَ إِلَيْهِ رِجَالٌ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ وَنِسَاءٌ فَجَاءَتْنِي أُمِّي وَإِنِّي لَفِي أُرْجُوحَةٍ بَيْنَ عَذْقَيْنِ تَرْجَحُ بِي فَأَنْزَلَتْنِي مِنَ الْأُرْجُوحَةِ وَلِيَ جُمَيْمَةٌ فَفَرَقَتْهَا وَمَسَحَتْ وَجْهِي بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَتْ تَقُودُنِي حَتَّى وَقَفَتْ بِي عِنْدَ الْبَابِ وَإِنِّي لَأَنْهَجُ حَتَّى سَكَنَ مِنْ نَفْسِي ثُمَّ دَخَلَتْ بِي فَإِذَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ جَالِسٌ عِنْدَ سَرِيرٍ فِي بَيْتِنَا وَعِنْدَهُ رِجَالٌ وَنِسَاءٌ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ فَأَجْلَسَتْنِي فِي حِجْرِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَتْ هَؤُلَاءِ أَهْلُكَ فَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ لَكَ فِيهِمْ وَبَارَكَ لَهُمْ فِيكَ فَوَثَبَ الرِّجَالُ وَالنِّسَاءُ فَخَرَجُوا وَبَنَى بِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي بَيْتِنَا مَا نُحِرَتْ عَلَيَّ جَزُورٌ وَلَا ذُبِحَتْ عَلَيَّ شَاةٌ حَتَّى أَرْسَلَ إِلَيْنَا سَعْدُ بْنُ عُبَادَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ بِجَفْنَةٍ كَانَ يُرْسِلُ بِهَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَآلِهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا دَارَ إِلَى نِسَائِهِ وَأَنَا يَوْمَئِذٍ بِنْتُ تِسْعِ سِنِينَ
Abu Salamah and Yahya narrate that when Sayyidah Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) passed away, the wife of Sayyiduna Uthman bin Maz’oon (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyidah Khawlah bint Hakim (may Allah be pleased with her), came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: O Messenger of Allah! Will you not marry? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: With whom? She said: If you want a virgin, that can be arranged, and if you want a widow, that too can be arranged. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: Who is the virgin? She said: The daughter of the most beloved person to you among Allah’s creation, Aisha bint Abi Bakr. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: Who is the widow? She said: Sawdah bint Zam’ah, she has believed in you and followed you according to your command. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Alright, go and convey this message to both of them on my behalf.
So Sayyidah Khawlah entered the house of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: O Umm Ruman! What goodness and blessings Allah has brought into your house! She asked: What is it? Sayyidah Khawlah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has sent me; I have come with a proposal from him for Aisha. She said: Wait for Abu Bakr to come. Meanwhile, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) arrived. Sayyidah Khawlah said: O Abu Bakr! What goodness and blessings Allah has bestowed upon you! He asked: What is it? She said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has sent me; I have come with a proposal from him for Aisha. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Is Aisha lawful for him? She is his niece. So she returned to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and informed him of Abu Bakr’s words. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Go back and tell them: You are my brother in Islam and your daughter is lawful for me.
So she returned and conveyed this to Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). This time he said: Then wait. Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) set out. Meanwhile, Sayyidah Umm Ruman (may Allah be pleased with her) explained that Mut’im bin ‘Adi had mentioned his son for Aisha. By Allah, it has never happened that he made a promise and did not keep it for Abu Bakr. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) went to Mut’im bin ‘Adi, whose wife Umm al-Fati was sitting with him. His wife said: O son of Abu Quhafah! If our son marries your daughter, perhaps you will make him abandon his religion and enter yours. Hearing this, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Mut’im bin ‘Adi: Is this what she is saying? He replied: She only says this. (Sayyiduna Abu Bakr understood that Mut’im agreed with his wife.) Therefore, he left and whatever was in his heart regarding that man’s promise, Allah removed it. So Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) returned and said to Khawlah: Call the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So she called him, and he married Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her). At that time, Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was six years old.
Then Sayyidah Khawlah (may Allah be pleased with her) left and went to Sayyidah Sawdah bint Zam’ah (may Allah be pleased with her) and said: What goodness and blessings Allah has bestowed upon you! She asked: How so? She said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) has sent me to give you a proposal. She said: I wish for this, but go to my father and mention this to him. He was an elderly man and had stayed behind from Hajj due to old age. So she went to him and greeted him with the greeting of the time of ignorance. He asked: Who is this? She said: I am Khawlah bint Hakim. He asked: Why have you come? She said: Muhammad bin Abdullah (peace and blessings be upon him) has sent me; I have come with a proposal from him for Sawdah. He said: This is an excellent match, but what does your friend Sawdah herself want? She said: She desires this. He said: Call her to me. So I brought her to him. He said: O my dear daughter! Khawlah is telling me that Muhammad bin Abdullah (peace and blessings be upon him) has sent a proposal for you. This is an excellent match. Would you like me to marry you to him? Sayyidah Sawdah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Yes. He said: Khawlah, go and bring the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) came, and he married Sayyidah Sawdah (may Allah be pleased with her) to him.
When Sayyidah Sawdah’s brother, Abd bin Zam’ah, returned from Hajj and learned of this marriage, he began to throw dust on his head. But after he accepted Islam, he said: By your life! The day I threw dust on my head because of the marriage of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and Sawdah, I was foolish.
Sayyidah Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says: So we migrated and reached Madinah Munawwarah and stayed at the place of Sunh with the Banu Harith bin Khazraj. Then when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) arrived, he entered our house, and the men and women of the Ansar gathered around him. My mother came to me while I was in a swing tied between two date-palm trees. She took me down from the swing; my hair reached my shoulders. She combed my hair and washed my face with water. Then she led me forward, and when we reached the door, I was out of breath. When my breath settled, she took me inside the house, where the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting on a bed, and the men and women of the Ansar were also present. My mother seated me beside the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: These are your family; may Allah bless you in them and them in you. Then the people got up and left the house. There, in our house, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was alone with me. No camels or goats were slaughtered for my marriage. Sayyiduna Sa’d bin ‘Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) had sent us a dish of food. Usually, when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would be alone with his wife on the occasion of marriage, he would send this food. At that time, I was nine years old.