Silsilat al-Ahadith al-Sahihah

Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) says: We left Makkah, and the daughter of Sayyiduna Hamzah (may Allah be pleased with him) started following us and called out: “My uncle! My uncle!” So I took her hand and handed her over to Sayyidah Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her) and said: This is your uncle’s daughter, keep her in your care. When we reached Madinah, I, Sayyiduna Zaid (may Allah be pleased with him), and Sayyiduna Ja’far (may Allah be pleased with him) began to dispute about her. I said: I brought her and she is my uncle’s daughter. Zaid said: She is my brother’s daughter. Ja’far said: She is my uncle’s daughter and her maternal aunt is my wife. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), deciding the matter, said to Ja’far: “You resemble me in appearance and character.” To Zaid he said: “You are our brother and friend.” And to me (Ali) he said: “You are from me and I am from you. Do this: hand the girl over to her maternal aunt, for the maternal aunt is like the mother.” I said: O Messenger of Allah! Why don’t you marry her? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “She is my foster niece.”