Ibn Majah

Benefits and Issues:

➊ The name of Umm al-Mu’minin (Mother of the Believers) Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha was Hind bint Abi Umayyah. She was married to Abu Salamah. Abu Salamah’s name was Abdullah bin Abd al-Asad; he was the son of Barrah bint Abd al-Muttalib, who was the paternal aunt of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. When he passed away in the 4th year of Hijrah, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam married Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha.

➋ If the bride is a thayyib (widow or divorcee), it is also permissible to stay with her for seven days, but in this case, the husband must also stay seven days with each of the other wife or wives before starting the regular rotation.

➌ In response to this offer from the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, Umm al-Mu’minin Umm Salamah radi Allahu anha chose a period of three days. (Sahih Muslim, al-Rada’, Chapter: The amount of time a virgin and a thayyib are entitled to have the husband stay with them after marriage, Hadith: 1460)

➍ The likely reason for this is that in this way, there was hope of receiving her turn sooner. It is necessary, within the bounds of the Shari’ah, to take into consideration the feelings of the wives.

Benefits and Issues:
The clarification of the issue is coming in the next hadith (2124). In this hadith, it is stated that if someone stays with a widow for seven days, then the particularity of three days will be nullified, and he will have to stay for seven days with the others as well.