Surah Al-Ahzaab (33) — Ayah 29

29-1. As a result of the conquests, when the condition of the Muslims became somewhat better than before, seeing the women of the Ansar and Muhajirin, the wives of the Prophet also demanded an increase in maintenance and expenses. Since the Prophet ﷺ was extremely fond of simplicity, he was deeply grieved by this demand of the wives and separated himself from them, which continued for a month. Eventually, Allah Almighty revealed this verse. After that, the first person to whom you recited this verse and gave the choice was Hazrat Aisha; however, you told her not to decide on her own but to consult her parents before taking any step. Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) said: How can it be that I consult anyone about you? Rather, I prefer Allah and His Messenger. The same was said by the other wives (may Allah be pleased with them), and none of them preferred the luxuries of the world over staying with you. At that time, there were nine wives in the marriage bond of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Five were from the Quraysh: Hazrat Aisha, Hafsa, Umm Habibah, Sawdah, and Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with them), and four were others, namely Hazrat Safiyyah, Zaynab, and Juwayriyyah. Some people consider the option of separation given by the man as a divorce, but this is not correct. The correct view is that after the option of separation, if the woman chooses separation, then indeed divorce will occur (and this divorce will also be revocable, not final, as is the view of some scholars). However, if the woman does not choose separation, then divorce will not occur, as the wives of the Prophet (may Allah be pleased with them) preferred to remain in the household of the Messenger rather than separation, so this option was not counted as divorce (Sahih Bukhari).