ʿUmar bin Al-Khattab said, "When Hafsa bint ʿUmar became a widow after the death of (her husband) Khunais bin Hudhafa As-Sahmi who had been one of the companions of the Prophet, and he died at Medina. I went to ʿUthman bin ʿAffan and presented Hafsa (for marriage) to him. He said, "I will think it over.' I waited for a few days, then he met me and said, 'It seems that it is not possible for me to marry at present.' " ʿUmar further said, "I met Abu Bakr As-Siddique and said to him, 'If you wish, I will marry my daughter Hafsa to you." Abu Bakr kept quiet and did not say anything to me in reply. I became more angry with him than with ʿUthman. I waited for a few days and then Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked for her hand, and I gave her in marriage to him. Afterwards I met Abu Bakr who said, 'Perhaps you became angry with me when you presented Hafsa to me and I did not give you a reply?' I said, 'Yes.' Abu Bakr said, 'Nothing stopped me to respond to your offer except that I knew that Allah's Apostle had mentioned her, and I never wanted to let out the secret of Messenger of Allah ﷺ. And if Allah's Apostle had refused her, I would have accepted her.' "
أَنَّ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ حِينَ تَأَيَّمَتْ حَفْصَةُ بِنْتُ عُمَرَ مِنْ خُنَيْسِ بْنِ حُذَافَةَ السَّهْمِيِّ وَكَانَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَتُوُفِّيَ بِالْمَدِينَةِ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ أَتَيْتُ عُثْمَانَ بْنَ عَفَّانَ فَعَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ حَفْصَةَ فَقَالَ سَأَنْظُرُ فِي أَمْرِي فَلَبِثْتُ لَيَالِيَ ثُمَّ لَقِيَنِي فَقَالَ قَدْ بَدَا لِي أَنْ لاَ أَتَزَوَّجَ يَوْمِي هَذَا قَالَ عُمَرُ فَلَقِيتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقَ فَقُلْتُ إِنْ شِئْتَ زَوَّجْتُكَ حَفْصَةَ بِنْتَ عُمَرَ فَصَمَتَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ إِلَىَّ شَيْئًا وَكُنْتُ أَوْجَدَ عَلَيْهِ مِنِّي عَلَى عُثْمَانَ فَلَبِثْتُ لَيَالِيَ ثُمَّ خَطَبَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَأَنْكَحْتُهَا إِيَّاهُ فَلَقِيَنِي أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَقَالَ لَعَلَّكَ وَجَدْتَ عَلَىَّ حِينَ عَرَضْتَ عَلَىَّ حَفْصَةَ فَلَمْ أَرْجِعْ إِلَيْكَ شَيْئًا قَالَ عُمَرُ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يَمْنَعْنِي أَنْ أَرْجِعَ إِلَيْكَ فِيمَا عَرَضْتَ عَلَىَّ إِلاَّ أَنِّي كُنْتُ عَلِمْتُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَدْ ذَكَرَهَا فَلَمْ أَكُنْ لأُفْشِيَ سِرَّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَلَوْ تَرَكَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَبِلْتُهَا