What do you think of Hafsa?
Asked of Uthman ibn Affan RA, after Umar RA sought a husband for his widowed daughter Hafsa RA.
Saying
Let me think about this.
Saying · A few days later
I think I don't want to get married right now.
~Around the 4th year of the Hijrah · 4 AHDate debatedReports differ on when Khunays RA died, and so when this marriage took place. Ibn Sa'd has him die soon after Badr and the Prophet ﷺ marry Hafsa RA in Sha'ban of 3 AH, before Uhud (Ibn Hajar thinks this likelier); Ibn Abd al-Barr has him die of wounds from Uhud, which places the marriage later.
Dating debated
Reports differ on when Khunays RA died, and so when this marriage took place. Ibn Sa'd has him die soon after Badr and the Prophet ﷺ marry Hafsa RA in Sha'ban of 3 AH, before Uhud (Ibn Hajar thinks this likelier); Ibn Abd al-Barr has him die of wounds from Uhud, which places the marriage later.
Hafsa bint Umar RA lost her first husband, Khunays ibn Hudhafah RA, in Madinah. Ibn Sa'd says he died soon after Badr. Ibn Abd al-Barr says he died of wounds he received at Uhud.
Her father, Umar ibn al-Khattab RA, felt her loss deeply. When her waiting period was over, he offered her in marriage to Uthman ibn Affan RA, whose wife Ruqayyah, the Prophet ﷺ's daughter, had recently died. Uthman said he did not want to marry just then. Umar RA then offered her to Abu Bakr RA, who gave him no answer at all. Umar RA was hurt by both refusals.
Neither man could explain. The Prophet ﷺ had privately mentioned Hafsa RA to them, and they could not reveal his secret. Then the Prophet ﷺ proposed to Hafsa RA himself. Uthman RA later married another daughter of the Prophet ﷺ, Umm Kulthum.
Hafsa RA became the 4th wife of the Prophet ﷺ. Aisha RA considered her her main competition for the Prophet ﷺ's company and love.
Other events recorded in 4 AH. Their order within the year is not established; use the storyline above for the sequence.
What do you think of Hafsa?
Asked of Uthman ibn Affan RA, after Umar RA sought a husband for his widowed daughter Hafsa RA.
Let me think about this.
I think I don't want to get married right now.
What do you think of Hafsa?
Asked of Abu Bakr RA after Uthman ibn Affan RA had put off the same proposal.
Let me think about it.
This was much more painful to me than Uthman's!
Said after Abu Bakr RA left his proposal of Hafsa RA without any response at all, unlike Uthman ibn Affan RA who had at least given him an answer.
Uthman and Abu Bakr have both turned away my daughter Hafsa.
Said to the Prophet ﷺ, after both Uthman ibn Affan RA and Abu Bakr RA had failed to accept his proposal of marriage for Hafsa RA.
Hafsa will marry someone better than Uthman, and Uthman will marry someone better than Hafsa.
Perhaps you felt something against me when I didn't come back to you.
Abu Bakr RA said this to Umar RA afterward, once the Prophet ﷺ had himself proposed to and married Hafsa RA.
Yes.
The Prophet ﷺ had mentioned Hafsa to us, and I could not inform you of his secret.
Had the Prophet ﷺ not proposed for her, I would have accepted.