‘Urwah reported: ‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "O my nephew, the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not give preference to one of us over the other in terms of his division of the time he spent with us. Every day, except rarely, he used to visit all of us. He would come near each of his wives without having sexual intercourse with her, until he would reach the one whose turn was on that day and he would, thus, stay with her overnight. When Sawdah bint Zam‘ah became old and feared that the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) might divorce her, she said: 'O Messenger of Allah, I give my day to ‘Ā’ishah.' The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) accepted it from her. We believe that Allah, the Exalted, revealed about this incident or similar ones the verse: {If a wife fears cruelty or desertion on her husband's part...} [Sūrat An-Nisā':128]"
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) did not give preference to one of us over the other in terms of his division of the time he spent with us. Every day, except rarely, he used to visit all of us. He would come near each of his wives without having sexual intercourse with her, until he would reach the one whose turn was on that day and he would, thus, stay with her overnight
Explanation
This Hadīth highlights the justice of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in dividing the nights among his wives. He did not favor anyone over the other. ‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) mentioned that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to pass by his wives every night, and he would fondle his wives and spend some intimate time with them without having sexual intercourse. He did that to comfort them, and out of maintaining good companionship with them. He used to spend the night at the house of the one whose turn was up. When Sawdah bint Zam‘ah grew older, she became worried that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) might leave her, but she wanted to stay as his wife and keep that honor, being a Mother of the Believers and one of the wives of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Therefore, she decided to give up her day to ‘Ā'ishah, and the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) accepted that from her. Then, ‘Ā'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) mentioned that the verse: {If a wife fears cruelty or desertion on her husband's part…} [Sūrat An-Nisā': 128] was revealed concerning this situation and others like it.
Topics
Related hadiths
- Indeed, Allah Almighty has enjoined obligations, so do not violate them; He has set limits, so do not transgress them; He has forbidden things, so do not commit them; and He has kept silent about things out of mercy for you, not out of forgetfulness, so do not search for themAn-Nawawi said: It is a Hasan (sound) Hadīth
- Islam is built on fiveAuthentic
- Leave what you doubt for what you do not doubtAuthentic
- Indeed, Allah has enjoined Ihsān (kindness/excellence) in all thingsAuthentic
- If I were to pray the obligatory prayers, fast Ramadan, adopt the lawful, as lawful and adopt the unlawful as unlawfulAuthentic
- Purity is half of faith, al-hamdulillāh (praise be to Allah) fills the Scale, and subhānallāh wa al-hamdulillāh (glory and praise be to Allah) fills what is between the heavens and the earthAuthentic