Sunday 10 October 2010

Aisha and Hafsa

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OUR MOTHERS IN THE QURAN

Honey Problem

Prophet’s wife Zainab knew his likes and his dislikes. He loved her, and she loved him. Prophet loved honey. Zainab brought some honey for him. He ate it and thanked her. Zainab was the most beautiful of Prophet's wives. He used to praise Zainab. Aisha became very jealous. She and Hafsa did not like Zainab. They did not trust the Prophet to give them equal time. They believed he was being partial to Zainab. Jealous wives plotted a scheme. Both made a plan against Zainab. They said to the Prophet that his mouth smells bad. The Prophet told them I only ate honey but they continued to insist he has smelly breath. To make them happy, Prophet vowed never to eat honey again. Aisha later confessed she did this deliberately. These wives had acted against Zainab and the Prophet. This is recorded by Bukhari.

Aisha admitted: “I and Hafsa made this plan that when the Prophet visits any one of us, she should tell him that his mouth smells. When Prophet visited Hafsa, she said: ‘O Prophet, your mouth has bad odours.’ He said: ‘I only ate honey when I was with Zainab. In future, I shall not eat honey’.”

Money Problem

Abu Bakr and Umar visited the Prophet. He was sitting among his wives, who were complaining to him about the harsh conditions. The wives were demanding more money from the Prophet, and saying they could not live in such poverty. Umar said to the Prophet that if my daughter Hafsa asks you for money I would hit her and pull her hair. Prophet laughed and told him that here they are asking for more money. Umar got furious with Hafsa. He pulled his daughters hair. He shouted, “How dare you ask the Prophet what he cannot afford.” Abu Bakr also got up and grabbed Aisha by the hair.

Money and honey incidents are mentioned in Holy Quran. For example, see Surah Al Tahreem, 66:1; and Surah al Ahzab, 33:28. Other such episodes in which wives of Prophet were issued warnings occurred during his life. The Prophet was sometimes so displeased with his wives that he separated himself from them for a whole month. Allah even threatened Prophet’s wives with divorce.

Surah Al Ahzab, 33:28

“O Prophet, say to your wives: If you desire the world's life and its beauty, thencome, I will give you what you desire, and will release you happily. But if you desire Allah and His messenger and the abode of the Hereafter, then lo! Allah has prepared for the good among you an immense reward. O wives of the Prophet, Whosoever of you does shameless things, the punishment for her will be doubled, and that is easy for Allah. And whosoever of you is submissive unto Allah and His messenger and does right, We shall give her reward twice over, and We have prepared for her a rich provision. O wives of the Prophet, you are not like other women. If you keep your duty, then do not speak softly, or else he in whose heart is a disease will lust (for you), but talk in normal voice, and, stay in your houses. Do not show off like the showing off during Jahiliyyah Days. Be regular in prayer, and give charity, and obey Allah and His messenger.

Surah Al Tahreem, 66:1

“O Prophet! Why do you ban that which Allah has made lawful for you? Seeking to please your wives? Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. Allah has made released you of you oaths, and Allah is your Protector. He is the Knower, the Wise. When the Prophet confided a (secret) fact to one of his wives, and when she then leaked it, and Allah informed him of her; he (Prophet) made known part of it, and kept part of it (the secret). And when he told it her (that she betrayed him), she said: Who has told you? He said: The Knower, the Aware hath told me. If you two turn to Allah repentant, for your hearts desired (wrong); and if you help each other against him (Prophet), then Allah, He, is his Protecting Friend, and Gabriel and the righteous among the believers; and furthermore the angels are his helpers. It may happen that if he divorce you, his Lord will give him instead, wives better than you, submissive, believing, pious, penitent, devout, inclined to fasting, (from) widows and virgins.”


For translations, see our website, Mighty Koran.

www.mightykoran.blogspot.co.uk

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