Story of the marriage of the Prophet ﷺ to Aishah ᴿᴬ and Sawda ᴿᴬ

[Machine] When Khadijah died, Khawlah b. Hakim, the wife of Uthman ibn Mazun, came and said, “O Messenger of Allah, will you not marry?” He said, “Whom?” She said, “If you wish, a virgin; and if you wish, a previously married woman.” He said, “Who is the virgin?” She said, “The daughter of the most beloved of God’s creation to you: Aishah, the daughter of Abu Bakr.” He said, “And who is the previously married woman?” She said, “Sawdah b. Zamah—she has believed in you and followed you in what you say.” He said, “Then go and mention them to me.”

So she entered the house of Abu Bakr and said, “O Umm Ruman, what goodness and blessing has God brought upon you?” She said, “And what is that?” She said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has sent me to propose Aishah to him.” She said, “Wait for Abu Bakr until he comes.” Then Abu Bakr came, and she said, “O Abu Bakr, what goodness and blessing has Allah brought upon you?” He said, “And what is that?” She said, “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has sent me to propose Aishah to him.” He said, “Is she suitable for him? She is only the daughter of his brother.”

So she returned to the Messenger of Allah and mentioned that to him. He said, “Go back to him and tell him: I am your brother and you are my brother in Islam, and your daughter is suitable for me.” So she went back and mentioned that to him. He said, “Wait,” and he went out.

Umm Ruman said, “al-Mutim b. Adi had already mentioned her for his son; and by Allah, he has never made a promise and then broken it.” So Abu Bakr went in to al-Mutim b. Adi, and his wife Umm al-Fata was with him. She said, “O son of Abu Quhafah, perhaps you will make our companion abandon his religion and enter your religion that you are upon, if he marries into you.” Abu Bakr said to al-Mutim b. Adi, “Is this what she is saying?” He said, “Yes, she is saying that.” So he left them, and Allah removed from his heart whatever had been there regarding the arrangement that he had promised him. Then he returned and said to Khawlah, “Call the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for me.” So she called him, and he married her to him—while Aishah at that time was a girl of six years.

Then she went out and entered upon Sawdah b. Zamah and said, “What goodness and blessing has Allah brought upon you?” She said, “What is that?” She said, “The Messenger of God has sent me to propose you to him.” She said, “I would like that; go in to my father and mention it to him.” He was an old man, advanced in age, who had stayed behind from the pilgrimage. So she entered upon him and greeted him with the greeting of the pre-Islamic time. He said, “Who is this?” She said, “Khawlah b. Hakim.” He said, “What is your business?” She said, “Muhammad b. Abdullah has sent me to propose Sawdah to him.” He said, “A noble and suitable match. What does your companion say?” She said, “She likes that.” He said, “Call her to me.” So she called her, and he said, “My daughter, this woman claims that Muhammad b. Abdullah b. Abd al-Muttalib has sent to propose to you, and he is a noble and suitable match. Would you like me to marry you to him?” She said, “Yes.” He said, “Call him to me.” So the Messenger of Allah came to him, and he married her to him.

Then her brother Abd b. Zamah came back from the pilgrimage and began throwing dust on his head. Then—after he became Muslim—he said, “By your life, I was indeed foolish on the day I threw dust on my head because the Messenger of Allah married Sawdah b. Zamah.”

Aishah said: We arrived in Madinah and stayed among Banu al-Harith of the Khazraj in al-Sunh. She said: Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came and entered our house, and men and women of the Ansar gathered to him. My mother brought me while I was on a swing between two date-palms, swinging me. She took me down from the swing, and I had a little tuft of hair, so she parted it and wiped my face with some water. Then she came, leading me, until she made me stand at the door, and I was out of breath until I calmed down. Then she brought me in, and there was the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sitting on a bed in our house, with men and women of the Ansar around him. She seated me in his lap, then said, “These are your family. May God bless you in them, and bless them in you.” Then the men and women got up and left.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ consummated the marriage with me in our house. No camel was slaughtered for me, nor was a sheep sacrificed for me, until Sad b. Ubadah sent us a bowl—one he used to send to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he went around to his wives. And at that time I was nine years old.

لَمَّا هَلَكَتْ خَدِيجَةُ جَاءَتْ خَوْلَةُ بِنْتُ حَكِيمٍ امْرَأَةُ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ مَظْعُونٍ قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَلَا تَزَوَّجُ؟ قَالَ مَنْ؟ قَالَتْ إِنْ شِئْتَ بِكْرًا وَإِنْ شِئْتَ ثَيِّبًا؟ قَالَ فَمَنِ الْبِكْرُ؟ قَالَتْ ابْنَةُ أَحَبِّ خَلْقِ اللهِ ﷻ إِلَيْكَ عَائِشَةُ بِنْتُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ قَالَ وَمَنِ الثَّيِّبُ؟ قَالَتْ سَوْدَةُ بِنْتُ زَمْعَةَ آَمَنَتْ بِكَ وَاتَّبَعَتْكَ عَلَى مَا تَقُولُ قَالَ فَاذْهَبِي فَاذْكُرِيهِمَا عَلَيَّ

فَدَخَلَتْ بَيْتَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ فَقَالَتْ يَا أُمَّ رُومَانَ مَاذَا أَدْخَلَ اللهُ ﷻ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَالْبَرَكَةِ؟ قَالَتْ وَمَا ذَاكَ؟ قَالَتْ أَرْسَلَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَخْطُبُ عَلَيْهِ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ انْتَظِرِي أَبَا بَكْرٍ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ فَجَاءَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَقَالَتْ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ مَاذَا أَدْخَلَ اللهُ ﷻ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَالْبَرَكَةِ؟ قَالَ وَمَا ذَاكَ؟ قَالَتْ أَرْسَلَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَخْطُبُ عَلَيْهِ عَائِشَةَ قَالَ وَهَلْ تَصْلُحُ لَهُ؟ إِنَّمَا هِيَ ابْنَةُ أَخِيهِ

فَرَجَعَتْ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَذَكَرَتْ ذَلِكَ لَهُ قَالَ ارْجِعِي إِلَيْهِ فَقُولِي لَهُ أَنَا أَخُوكَ وَأَنْتَ أَخِي فِي الْإِسْلَامِ وَابْنَتُكَ تَصْلُحُ لِي فَرَجَعَتْ فَذَكَرَتْ ذَلِكَ لَهُ قَالَ انْتَظِرِي وَخَرَجَ

قَالَتْ أُمُّ رُومَانَ إِنَّ مُطْعِمَ بْنَ عَدِيٍّ قَدْ كَانَ ذَكَرَهَا عَلَى ابْنِهِ فَوَاللهِ مَا وَعَدَ وَعْدًا قَطُّ فَأَخْلَفَهُ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ فَدَخَلَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ عَلَى مُطْعِمِ بْنِ عَدِيٍّ وَعِنْدَهُ امْرَأَتُهُ أُمُّ الْفَتَى فَقَالَتْ يَا ابْنَ أَبِي قُحَافَةَ لَعَلَّكَ مُصْبِئُ صَاحِبَنَا مُدْخِلُهُ فِي دِينِكَ الَّذِي أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ تَزَوَّجَ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ لِلْمُطْعِمِ بْنِ عَدِيٍّ أَقَوْلُ هَذِهِ تَقُولُ قَالَ إِنَّهَا تَقُولُ ذَلِكَ فَخَرَجَ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ وَقَدْ أَذْهَبَ اللهُ ﷻ مَا كَانَ فِي نَفْسِهِ مِنْ عِدَتِهِ الَّتِي وَعَدَهُ فَرَجَعَ فَقَالَ لِخَوْلَةَ ادْعِي لِي رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فَدَعَتْهُ فَزَوَّجَهَا إِيَّاهُ وَعَائِشَةُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِنْتُ سِتِّ سِنِينَ

ثُمَّ خَرَجَتْ فَدَخَلَتْ عَلَى سَوْدَةَ بِنْتِ زَمْعَةَ فَقَالَتْ مَاذَا أَدْخَلَ اللهُ ﷻ عَلَيْكِ مِنَ الْخَيْرِ وَالْبَرَكَةِ؟ قَالَتْ مَا ذَاكَ؟ قَالَتْ أَرْسَلَنِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ أَخْطُبُكِ عَلَيْهِ قَالَتْ وَدِدْتُ ادْخُلِي إِلَى أَبِي فَاذْكُرِي ذَاكَ لَهُ وَكَانَ شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا قَدْ أَدْرَكَتْهُ السِّنُّ قَدْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنِ الْحَجِّ فَدَخَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ فَحَيَّتْهُ بِتَحِيَّةِالْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَقَالَ مَنْ هَذِهِ؟ فَقَالَتْ خَوْلَةُ بِنْتُ حَكِيمٍ قَالَ فَمَا شَأْنُكِ؟ قَالَتْ أَرْسَلَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ أَخْطُبُ عَلَيْهِ سَوْدَةَ قَالَ كُفْءٌ كَرِيمٌ مَاذَا تَقُولُ صَاحِبَتُكِ؟ قَالَتْ تُحِبُّ ذَاكَ قَالَ ادْعُهَا لِي فَدَعَتْهَا فَقَالَ أَيْ بُنَيَّةُ إِنَّ هَذِهِ تَزْعُمْ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ قَدْ أَرْسَلَ يَخْطُبُكِ وَهُوَ كُفْءٌ كَرِيمٌ أَتُحِبِّينَ أَنْ أُزَوِّجَكِ بِهِ قَالَتْ نَعَمْ قَالَ ادْعِيهِ لِي فَجَاءَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِلَيْهِ فَزَوَّجَهَا إِيَّاهُ

فَجَاءَهَا أَخُوهَا عَبْدُ بْنُ زَمْعَةَ مِنَ الْحَجِّ فَجَعَلَ يَحْثِي عَلَى رَأْسِهِ التُّرَابَ فَقَالَ بَعْدَ أَنْ أَسْلَمَ لَعَمْرُكَ إِنِّي لَسَفِيهٌ يَوْمَ أَحْثِي فِي رَأْسِي التُّرَابَ أَنْ تَزَوَّجَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ سَوْدَةَ بِنْتَ زَمْعَةَ

قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ فَقَدِمْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ فَنَزَلْنَا فِي بَنِي الْحَارِثِ مِنَ الْخَزْرَجِ فِي السُّنْحِ قَالَتْ فَجَاءَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فَدَخَلَ بَيْتَنَا وَاجْتَمَعَ إِلَيْهِ رِجَالٌ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ وَنِسَاءٌ فَجَاءَتْ بِي أُمِّي وَإِنِّيلَفِي أُرْجُوحَةٍ بَيْنَ عَذْقَيْنِ تَرْجَحُ بِي فَأَنْزَلَتْنِي مِنَ الْأُرْجُوحَةِ وَلِي جُمَيْمَةٌ فَفَرَقَتْهَا وَمَسَحَتْ وَجْهِي بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَتْ تَقُودُنِي حَتَّى وَقَفَتْ بِي عِنْدَ الْبَابِ وَإِنِّي لَأَنْهَجُ حَتَّى سَكَنَ مِنْ نَفْسِي ثُمَّ دَخَلَتْ بِي فَإِذَا رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ جَالِسٌ عَلَى سَرِيرٍ فِي بَيْتِنَا وَعِنْدَهُ رِجَالٌ وَنِسَاءٌ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ فَأَجْلَسَتْنِي فِي حِجْرِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَتْ هَؤُلَاءِ أَهْلُكِ فَبَارَكَ اللهُ لَكِ فِيهِمْ وَبَارَكَ لَهُمْ فِيكِ فَوَثَبَ الرِّجَالُ وَالنِّسَاءُ فَخَرَجُوا وَبَنَى بِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ فِي بَيْتِنَا مَا نُحِرَتْ عَلَيَّ جَزُورٌ وَلَا ذُبِحَتْ عَلَيَّ شَاةٌ

حَتَّى أَرْسَلَ إِلَيْنَا سَعْدُ بْنُ عُبَادَةَ بِجَفْنَةٍ كَانَ يُرْسِلُ بِهَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ إِذَا دَارَ إِلَى نِسَائِهِ وَأَنَا يَوْمَئِذٍ بِنْتُ تِسْعِ سِنِينَ