The Hadith of Aisha and the Gifts — The Prophet's Special Love for Aisha and What It Teaches About Justice Among Wives
The Prophet’s love for Aisha was not a source of injustice toward his other wives — the hadith and its commentary make clear that what was obligatory upon him was justice in the division of nights, spending, and necessary matters, while preferential gifting by the companions of their own free will was not subject to redistribution by the Prophet.
The Hadith — Full Text from Sahih al-Bukhari
The Muslims knew the love of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, for Aisha, so if one of them had a gift that he wanted to give to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, he would delay it until the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was in Aisha’s house, then the one who had the gift would send it to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, in Aisha’s house. The party of Umm Salamah spoke together, and they said to her, “Speak to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, so that he may say to the people: Whoever wants to give a gift to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, let him give it to him wherever he is among his wives’ houses.”
Umm Salamah spoke to him about what they had said, but he did not say anything to her. They asked her and she said, “He did not say anything to me.” They said to her, “Then speak to him again.” She spoke to him when he came back to her again, but he did not say anything to her. They asked her and she said, “He did not say anything to me.” They said to her, “Speak to him until he speaks to you.” So he came back to her and she spoke to him. He said to her, “Do not harm me with regard to Aisha, for the revelation did not come to me while I was in the garment of any woman except Aisha.” She said, “I repent to Allah for harming you, O Messenger of Allah.”
Then they called Fatimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and she sent to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, saying, “Your wives ask you by Allah to be just with regard to the daughter of Abu Bakr.” She spoke to him and he said, “O my daughter, do you not love what I love?” She said, “Yes.” So she returned to them and informed them.
They said she refused to return, so they sent Zainab bint Jahsh, who came to him and spoke harshly and said, “Your women ask you by God to be just with regard to the daughter of Abu Quhafah’s son.” She raised her voice until she reached Aisha while she was sitting, and she cursed Aisha, until the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, looked at Aisha to see if she would speak. Aisha spoke in response to Zainab until she silenced her. The Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, looked at Aisha and said, “She is the daughter of Abu Bakr.”
The Chains of Transmission — Al-Bukhari’s Additional Narrators
Al-Bukhari said: “The last words are from the story of Fatimah.” He then records the additional chains through which the hadith was transmitted:
- On the authority of Hisham bin Urwah, on the authority of a man, on the authority of al-Zuhri, on the authority of Muhammad bin Abd al-Rahman.
- Abu Marwan said on the authority of Hisham, on the authority of Urwah: “People used to be careful with their gifts on the day of Aisha.”
- On the authority of Hisham, on the authority of a man from Quraysh and a man from the Mawali, on the authority of al-Zuhri, on the authority of Muhammad bin Abd al-Rahman bin al-Harith bin Hisham: “Aisha said: I was with the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, and Fatimah asked permission.”
Commentary from Fath al-Bari — Ibn Hajar’s Explanation
Ibn Hajar then draws the following lessons from the hadith:
This hadith clearly shows the virtue of Aisha, and that there is no blame on a man for preferring some of his wives with gifts. What is required is justice in spending the night with them, spending on them, and other necessary matters.
This is what Ibn Battaal stated on the authority of Al-Muhallab. Ibn al-Munir commented on it by saying that the Prophet, peace be upon him, did not do that himself — rather those who gave him gifts did so of their own free will. The Prophet, peace be upon him, did not prevent them because it is not from the perfection of morals for a man to expose himself to people in such a way, as it involves exposing oneself to the appearance of asking for a gift. Also, the one who gives a gift for Aisha’s sake is as if he owns the gift on condition, and ownership follows the restriction of the owner — although what appears is that he, peace be upon him, used to share that with them, and the competition occurred because the gift reached them from Aisha’s house. In this hadith it is established that people intended gifts at times and places of joy so that this would increase the pleasure of the one to whom they gave them.
The following lessons are established from this hadith:
- In it: competition and jealousy between co-wives over a man, and that this is a natural human matter not to be condemned in itself.
- In it: that a man is permitted to remain silent when his wives speak to him without favoring one over the other in his response.
- In it: the permissibility of complaining and seeking intercession in this regard.
- In it: the awe and shyness of the wives of the Prophet, peace be upon him, to the point that they wrote to him through the most precious person to him — Fatimah — rather than approaching him directly themselves.
- In it: their quick understanding and their return to the truth and their adherence to it when informed.
- In it: the boldness of Zainab bint Jahsh toward the Prophet, peace be upon him, because she was his cousin — her mother was Umaimah, the daughter of Abdul Muttalib.
Al-Dawudi said: It contains the Prophet’s excuse for Zainab. Ibn al-Tin said: I do not know where he took that from.