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 was widowed when her first husband Khunays ibn Hudhafah RA died in Madinah, soon after Badr according to Ibn Sa'd, or of wounds from Uhud according to Ibn Abd al-Barr. Her father Umar ibn al-Khattab RA, grieved for her, offered her in marriage first to Uthman ibn Affan RA (recently widowed of Ruqayyah bint Muhammad ﷺ) and then to Abu Bakr RA; both, aware the Prophet ﷺ had privately mentioned an interest in Hafsa RA, declined without explaining why, paining Umar RA. The Prophet ﷺ then proposed for Hafsa RA himself. Uthman RA subsequently married Umm Kulthum bint Muhammad ﷺ.
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.