Majma al-Zawaid — Hadith 7693

Sayyidah Aishah al-Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) was with us. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came at the beginning of the night. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: I remembered something that he had made with his blessed hand; Sayyidah Umm Salamah was not supposed to find out about it. I tried to draw his attention to it with hints and gestures, and he understood (what I meant). Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "Is this what is happening now? Can any one of us be with you only when you are alone?" Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) began to speak ill of Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) began to stop her, but she would not listen. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You answer her too." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) began to speak ill of her until she prevailed over her. Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) went to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) and said: "Aishah has spoken ill of her, and has said this about you people and has said that." Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her): "Go to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and tell him that Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) has said this about us and has said that." (Fatimah said:) I went to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and mentioned that matter before him. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her): "By the Lord of the Ka'bah! She is the beloved of your father." Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) went back to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and mentioned to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had said to her. He said: "Is it not enough for you that Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said this about us and said that, yet when Fatimah went to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), he said: 'By the Lord of the Ka'bah! She is the beloved of your father.'"
(Al-Haythami says:) I say: Abu Dawud recorded this narration, except that he mentioned Sayyidah Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her) in place of Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her), and his narration is shorter than this one. And Allah knows best.
Ahmad recorded it. Its chain contains Ali bin Zayd, in whom there is weakness, and his hadith is hasan (good).