Eleven women sat (at a place) and promised and contracted that they would not conceal anything of the news of their husbands. The first one said, "My husband is like the meat of a slim weak camel which is kept on the top of a mountain which is neither easy to climb, nor is the meat fat, so that one might put up with the trouble of fetching it." The second one said, "I shall not relate my husband's news, for I fear that I may not be able to finish his story, for if I describe him, I will mention all his defects and bad traits." The third one said, "My husband, the "too-tall"! if I describe him (and he hears of that) he will divorce me, and if I keep quiet, he will keep me hanging (neither divorcing me nor treating me as a wife)." The fourth one said, "My husband is (moderate in temper) like the night of Tihama: neither hot nor cold; I am neither afraid of him, nor am I discontented with him." The fifth one said, "My husband, when entering (the house) is a leopard (sleeps a lot), and when going out, is a lion (boasts a lot). He does not ask about whatever is in the house." The sixth one said, "If my husband eats, he eats too much (leaving the dishes empty), and if he drinks he leaves nothing; if he sleeps he sleeps he rolls himself (alone in our blankets); and he does not insert his palm to inquire about my feelings." The seventh one said, "My husband is a wrong-doer or weak and foolish. All the defects are present in him. He may injure your head or your body or may do both." The eighth one said, "My husband is soft to touch like a rabbit and smells like a Zarnab (a kind of good smelling grass)." The ninth one said, "My husband is a tall generous man wearing a long strap for carrying his sword. His ashes are abundant (i.e. generous to his guests) and his house is near to the people (who would easily consult him)." The tenth one said, "My husband is Malik (possessor), and what is Malik? Malik is greater than whatever I say about him. (He is beyond and above all praises which can come to my mind). Most of his camels are kept at home (ready to be slaughtered for the guests) and only a few are taken to the pastures. When the camels hear the sound of the lute (or the tambourine) they realize that they are going to be slaughtered for the guests." The eleventh one said, "My husband is Abu Zarʿ and what is Abu Zarʿ (i.e., what should I say about him)? He has given me many ornaments and my ears are heavily loaded with them and my arms have become fat (i.e., I have become fat). And he has pleased me, and I have become so happy that I feel proud of myself. He found me with my family who were mere owners of sheep and living in poverty, and brought me to a respected family having horses and camels and threshing and purifying grain. Whatever I say, he does not rebuke or insult me. When I sleep, I sleep till late in the morning, and when I drink water (or milk), I drink my fill. The mother of Abu Zar and what may one say in praise of the mother of Abu Zar? Her saddle bags were always full of provision and her house was spacious. As for the son of Abu Zar, what may one say of the son of Abu Zar? His bed is as narrow as an unsheathed sword and an arm of a kid (of four months) satisfies his hunger. As for the daughter of Abu Zar, she is obedient to her father and to her mother. She has a fat well-built body and that arouses the jealousy of her husband's other wife. As for the (maid) slave girl of Abu Zar, what may one say of the (maid) slavegirl of Abu Zar? She does not uncover our secrets but keeps them, and does not waste our provisions and does not leave the rubbish scattered everywhere in our house." The eleventh lady added, "One day it so happened that Abu Zar went out at the time when the milk was being milked from the animals, and he saw a woman who had two sons like two leopards playing with her two breasts. (On seeing her) he divorced me and married her. Thereafter I married a noble man who used to ride a fast tireless horse and keep a spear in his hand. He gave me many things, and also a pair of every kind of livestock and said, Eat (of this), O Um Zar, and give provision to your relatives." She added, "Yet, all those things which my second husband gave me could not fill the smallest utensil of Abu Zar's." ʿAisha then said: Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, "I am to you as Abu Zar was to his wife Um Zar." (Using translation from Bukhārī 5189)
النَّبِيُّ ﷺ اسْكُتِي يَا عَائِشَةُ فَإِنِّي كُنْتُ لَكِ كَأَبِي زَرْعٍ لِأُمِّ زَرْعٍ ثُمَّ أَنْشَأَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَهُ يُحَدِّثُ «إِنَّ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ امْرَأَةً اجْتَمَعْنَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَتَعَاهَدْنَ لَتُخْبِرَنَّ كُلُّ امْرَأَةٍ بِمَا فِي زَوْجِهَا وَلَا تَكْذِبُ» قِيلَ أَنْتِ يَا فُلَانَةُ قَالَتِ «اللَّيْلُ لَيْلُ تِهَامَةَ لَا حَرَّ وَلَا بَرْدَ وَلَا مَخَافَةَ» قِيلَ أَنْتِ يَا فُلَانَةُ قَالَتْ «الرِّيحُ رِيحُ الزَّرْنَبِ وَالْمَسُّ مَسُّ أَرْنَبِ وَنَغْلِبُهُ وَالنَّاسَ يَغْلِبُ» قِيلَ أَنْتِ يَا فُلَانَةُ قَالَتْ «وَاللهِ مَا عَلِمْتُ إِنَّهُ لرفيعُ الْعِمَادِ طَوِيلُ النِّجَادِ عَظِيمُ الرَّمَادِ قَرِيبُ الْبَيْتِ مِنَ النَّادِ» قِيلَ أَنْتِ يَا فُلَانَةُ قَالَتْ «نَكَحْتُ مَالِكًا وَمَا مَالِكٌ لَهُ إِبِلٌ كَثِيرَاتُ الْمَسَارِحِ قَلِيلَاتُ الْمَبَارِحِ إِذَا سَمِعْنَ صَوْتَ الْمِزْهَرِ أَيْقَنَّ أَنَّهُنَّ هَوَالِكُ» قِيلَ أَنْتِ يَا فُلَانَةُ قَالَتْ «ذَرْنِي لَا أَذْكُرَهُ إِنْ أَذْكُرُهُ أَذْكُرُ عُجَرَهُ وَبُجَرَهُ أَخْشَى أَنْ لَا أَذَرَهُ» قِيلَ أَنْتِ يَا فُلَانَةُ قَالَتْ «لَحْمُ جَمَلٍ غَثٍّ عَلَى جَبَلٍ لَا سَمِينٍ فَيُرْتَقَى عَلَيْهِ وَلَا بِالسَّهْلِ فَيُنْتَقَلُ» قِيلَ أَنْتِ يَا فُلَانَةُ قَالَتْ «وَاللهِ مَا عَلِمْتُ إِنَّهُ إِذَا دَخَلَ فَهِدَ وَإِذَا خَرَجَ فَأَسِدَ» [250] قِيلَ أَنْتِ يَا فُلَانَةُ قَالَتْ «وَاللهِ مَا عَلِمْتُ أَنَّهُ إِذَا أَكَلَ اقْتَفَّ وَإِذَا شَرِبَ اشْتَفَّ وَإِذَا ذَبَحَ اغْتَثَّ وَإِذَا نَامَ الْتَفَّ وَلَا يُدْخِلُ الْكَفَّ لِيَعْلَمَ الْبَثَّ» قِيلَ أَنْتِ يَا فُلَانَةُ قَالَتْ «نَكَحْتُ الْعَشَنَّقَ إِنْ أَسْكُتْ أُعَلَّقْ وَإِنْ أَنْطِقْ أُطَلَّقْ» قِيلَ أَنْتِ يَا فُلَانَةُ قَالَتْ «عَيَايَاءُ طَبَاقَاءُ كُلُّ دَاءٍ لَهُ دَاءٌ شَجَّكِ أَوْ فَلَّكِ أَوْ جَمَعَ كَلَّا لَكِ» قِيلَ أَنْتِ يَا فُلَانَةُ قَالَتْ «نَكَحْتُ أَبَا زَرْعٍ فَمَا أَبُو زَرْعٍ؟ أَنَاسَ أُذُنَيَّ وَفَرَّعَ فَأَخْرَجَ مِنْ شَحْمِ عَضُدَيَّ فَبَجَّحَ نَفْسِي فَبَجَحَتْ إِلَيَّ فَوَجَدَنِي فِي غُنَيْمَةٍ بِشِقٍّ فَجَعَلَنِي بَيْنَ جَامِلٍ وَصَاهِلٍ وَأَطِيطٍ وَدَائِسٍ وَمُنَقٍّ فَأَنَا أَنَامُ عِنْدَهُ فَأَتَصَبَّحُ وَأَشْرَبُ فَأَتَقَمَّحُ وَأَنْطِقُ فَلَا أُقَبَّحُ» ابْنُ أَبِي زَرْعٍ وَمَا ابْنُ أَبِي زَرْعٍ مَضْجَعُهُ مَسَلُّ الشَّطْبَةِ وَيُشْبِعُهُ ذِرَاعُ الْجَفْرَةِ ابْنَةُ أَبِي زَرْعٍ وَمَا ابْنَةُ أَبِي زَرْعٍ مِلْءُ إِزَارِهَا وَصَفْرُ رِدَائِهَا وَزَيْنُ أَبِيهَا وَزَيْنُ أُمِّهَا وَحَيْرُ جَارَتِهَا جَارِيَةُ أَبِي زَرْعٍ وَمَا جَارِيَةُ أَبِي زَرْعٍ لَا تُخْرِجُ حَدِيثَنَا تَفْتِيشًا وَلَا تُهْلِكُ مِيرَتَنَا تَبْثِيثًا فَخَرَجَ مِنْ عِنْدِي وَالْأَوْطَابُ تُمْخَضُ فَإِذَا هُوَ بِأُمِّ غُلَامَيْنِ كَالصَّقْرَيْنِ فَتَزَوَّجَهَا أَبُو زَرْعٍ وَطَلَّقَنِي فَاسْتَبْدَلْتُ وَكُلُّ بَدَلٍ أَعْوَرُ فَنَكَحْتُ شَابًّا سَرِيًّا رَكِبَ شَرِيًّا وَأَخَذَ خَطِّيًّا وَأَعْطَانِي نَعَمًا ثَرِيًّا وَأَعْطَانِي مِنْ كُلِّ سَائِمَةٍ زَوْجًا وَقَالَ «امْتَارِي بِهَذَا يَا أُمَّ زَرْعٍ وَمِيرِي أَهْلَكِ فَجَمَعْتُ ذَلِكَ كُلَّهُ فَلَمْ يَمْلَأْ أَصْغَرَ وِعَاءٍ مِنْ أَوْعِيَةِ أَبِي زَرْعٍ» قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ «بَلْ أَنْتَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَبِي زَرْعٍ»