Sunan an-Nasa'i: The Book of the Kind Treatment of Women

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'In this world, women and perfume have been made dear to me, and my comfort has been provided in prayer.'"

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Women and perfume have been made dear to me, but my comfort has been provided in prayer.'"

"Nothing was dearer to the Messenger of Allah after women than horses."

"Whoever has two wives and is inclined to favor one of them over the other, he will come on the Day of Resurrection with half of his body leaning."

"The Messenger of Allah used to divide his time equally among his wives then he would say: 'O Allah, this is what I have done with regard to that over which I have control, so do not blame me for that over which You have control and I do not.'" Hammad bin Zaid narrated it in Mursal form.

"The wives of the Prophet sent Fatimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, to the Messenger of Allah. She asked permission to enter when he was lying with me under my cover. He gave her permission to enter, and she said: 'O Messenger of Allah, your wives have sent me to you to ask you to be equitable with regard to the matter of the daughter of Abu Quhafah.' I ('Aishah) kept quiet and the Messenger of Allah said to her: 'O my daughter! Do you not love the one whom I love?' She said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Then love this one.' Fatimah stood up when she heard this and left the Messenger of Allah, and went back to the wives of the Prophet. She told them what she had said, and what he had said to her. They said to her: 'We do not think that you have been of any avail to us. Go back to the Messenger of Allah and say to him: Your wives are urging you to be equitable with regard to the matter of the daughter of Abu Quhafah.' Fatimah said: 'No, by Allah; I will never speak to him about her again.'" 'Aishah said: "So the wives of the Prophet sent Zainab bint Jahsh to the Messenger of Allah; she was one who was somewhat equal to me in rank in the eyes of the Messenger of Allah. And I have never seen a woman who was better in religious commitment than Zainab, more fearing of Allah, more honest in speech, more dutiful in upholding the ties of kinship, more generous in giving charity, and devoted in giving of herself in acts of charity, by means of which she sought to draw closer to Allah. But she was quick-tempered; however, she was also quick to calm down. She asked permission to enter upon the Messenger of Allah when he was with 'Aishah under her cover, in the same situation as when Fatimah had entered. The Messenger of Allah gave her permission to enter and she said: 'O Messenger of Allah, your wives have sent me to ask you to be equitable with regard to the matter of the daughter of Abu Quhafah.' Then she verbally abused me at length, and I was watching the Messenger of Allah to see if he would allow me to respond. Zainab went on until I realized that the Messenger of Allah would not disapprove if I responded. Then I spoke back to her in such a way, until I silenced her. Then the Messenger of Allah said: 'She is the daughter of Abu Bakr.'"

"The wives of the Prophet sent Zainab and she asked him permission to enter and she entered." And she said something similar. Ma'mar contradicted the two of them; he reported it from Az-Zuhri, from 'Urwah, from 'Aishah.

"The wives of the Prophet got together and sent Fatimah to the Prophet. They told her to say: 'Your wives'" -and he (the narrator) said something to the effect that they are urging you to be equitable with regard to the matter of the daughter of Abu Quhafah. She said: "So she entered upon the Prophet when he was with 'Aishah under her cover. She said to him: 'Your wives have sent me and they are urging you to be equitable with regard to the matter of the daughter of Abu Quhafah.' The Prophet said to her: 'Do you love me?' She said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Then love her.' So she went back to them and told them what he said. They said to her: 'You did not do anything; go back to him.' She said: 'By Allah, I will never go back (and speak to him) about her again.' She was truly the daughter of the Messenger of Allah. So they sent Zainab bint Jahsh." 'Aishah said: "She was somewhat my equal among the wives of the Prophet. She said: 'Your wives have sent me to urge you to be equitable with regard to the matter of the daughter of Abu Quhafa.' Then she swooped on me and abused me, and I started watching the Prophet to see if he would give me permission to respond to her. She insulted me and I started to think that he would not disapprove if I responded to her. So I insulted her and I soon silenced her. Then the Prophet said to her: 'She is the daughter of Abu Bakr.'" 'Aishah said: "And I never saw any woman who was better, more generous in giving charity, more keen to uphold the ties of kinship, and more generous in giving of herself in everything by means of which she could draw closer to Allah than Zainab. But she had a quick temper; however, she was also quick to calm down."

"The superiority of 'Aishah to other women is like the superiority of Tharid to other kinds of food."

"The superiority of 'Aishah to other women is like the superiority of Tharid to other kinds of food."

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'O Umm Salamah, do not bother me about 'Aishah, for by Allah, the Revelation has never come to me under the blanket of any of you apart from her.'"

"We love good things as much as 'Aishah does." So she spoke to him, but he did not reply her. When her turn came again, she spoke to him again, but he did not reply her. They said to her: "How did he respond?" She said: "He did not answer me." They said: "Do not leave him alone until he answers you or you comprehend what he says." When her turn came again, she spoke to him and he said: 'Do not bother me about 'Aishah, for the Revelation has never come to me under the blanket of any of you apart from the blanket of 'Aishah.'"

"The people used to try to bring their gifts (to the Prophet) on 'Aishah's day, hoping thereby to earn the pleasure of the Messenger of Allah."

"Allah sent Revelation to the Prophet when I was with him, so I got up and closed the door between him and I. When it was taken off him, he said to me: 'O 'Aishah, Jibril sends greetings of Salam to you.'"

"Jibril sends greetings of Salam to you." She said: "And upon him be peace and the mercy of Allah and His blessings; you see what we do not."

"The Messenger of Allah said: 'O 'Aishah, this is Jibril and he is sending greetings of Salam to you.'" The same.

"The Prophet was with one of the Mothers of the Believers when another one sent a wooden bowl in which was some food. She struck the hand of the Prophet and the bowl fell and broke. The Prophet picked up the two pieces and put them together, then he started to gather up the food and said: 'Your mother got jealous; eat.' So they ate. He waited until she brought the wooden bowl that was in her house, then he gave the sound bowl to the messenger and left the broken bowl in the house of the one who had broken it."

"Eat; your mother got jealous," twice. Then the Messenger of Allah took the dish of 'Aishah and sent it to Umm Salamah and he gave the dish of Umm Salamah to 'Aishah.

"I never saw any woman who made food like Safiyyah. She sent a dish to the Prophet in which was some food, and I could not keep myself from breaking it. I asked the Prophet what the expiation was for that, and he said: 'A dish like that dish, and food like that food.'"

"I perceive the smell of Maghafir (a nasty-smelling gum) on you; have you eaten Maghafir?" He came in to one of them, and she said that to him. He said: "No, rather I drank honey at the house of Zainab bint Jahsh, but I will never do it again." Then the following was revealed: 'O Prophet! Why do you forbid (for yourself) that which Allah has allowed to you.' 'If you two turn in repentance to Allah, (it will be better for you)' about 'Aishah and Hafsah, 'And (remember) when the Prophet disclosed a matter in confidence to one of his wives' refers to him saying: "No, rather I drank honey."

"O Prophet! Why do you forbid (for yourself) that which Allah has allowed to you.' until the end of the Verse.

"I looked for the Messenger of Allah and I put my hand on his hair." He said: "Your Shaitan has come to you." I said: "Don't you have a Shaitan?" He said: "Yes, but Allah helped me with him, so he submitted."

"I noticed that the Messenger of Allah was not there one night, and I thought that he had gone to one of his other wives, so I reached out for him, and found him bowing or prostrating, and saying: 'Subhanaka wa bi hamdika la ilaha illa anta (Glory and praise be to You, there is none worthy of worship but You).' I said: 'May my father and mother be sacrificed for you; you were doing one thing, and I was thinking of something else.'"

"I noticed that the Messenger of Allah was not there one night, and I thought that he had gone to one of his other wives. I looked for him then I came back, and there he was, bowing or prostrating and saying: 'Subhanaka wa bi hamdika la ilaha illa anta (Glory and praise be to You, there is none worthy of worship but You).' I said: 'May my father and mother be sacrificed for you; you were doing one thing and I was thinking of something else.'"

"Shall I not tell you about the Prophet and I?" We said: "Yes." She said: "When it was my night, he came in, placed his shoes by his feet, lay down his Rida' (upper garment), and spread his Izar (lower garment) on his bed. As soon as he thought that I had gone to sleep, he put his shoes on slowly and picked up his Rida' slowly. Then he opened the door slowly, went out and shut it slowly. I put my garment over my head, covered myself and put on my Izar (lower garment), and I set out after him until he came to Al-Baqi', raised his hands three times and stood there for a long time. Then he left and I left, he hurried and I hurried, he ran and I ran, and I got there before him and entered (the house). I had only just laid down when he came in and said: 'O 'Aishah, why are you out of breath?' (one of the reporters) Sulaiman said: I thought he (Ibn Wahb) said: 'short of breath.' He said: 'Either you tell me or the All-Aware, All-Knowing will tell me.' I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you;' and I told him the story. He said: 'You were the black shape I saw in front of me?' I said: 'Yes.'" She said: "He gave me a shove in the chest that hurt me and said: 'You thought that Allah and His Messenger would be unfair to you.' She said: 'Whatever people conceal, Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, knows it.' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Jibril came to me when you saw (me leave) but he did not enter upon you because you have taken off your garments. So he called me but he concealed himself from you, and I answered him but I concealed it from you. I thought that you had gone to sleep and I did not want to wake you and I was afraid that you would feel lonely. He told me to go to Al-Baqi' and pray for forgiveness for them.'" Hajjaj bin Muhammad contradicted him (Ibn Wahb), he said: "From Ibn Juraij, from Ibn Abi Mulaikah, from Muhammad bin Qais."

"Shall I not tell you about the Prophet and I?" We said: "Yes." She said: "When it was my night when he" -meaning the Prophet- "was with me, he came in, placed his shoes by his feet, lay down his Rida' (upper garment), and spread the edge of his Izar (lower garment) on his bed. As soon as he thought that I had gone to sleep, he put his shoes on slowly, and picked up his Rida' slowly. Then he opened the door slowly, went out and shut it slowly. I put my garment over my head, covered myself and put on my Izar (lower garment), and I set out after him until he came to Al-Baqi', raised his hands three times and stood there for a long time. Then he left and I left, he hurried and I hurried, he ran and I ran, and I got there before him and entered (the house). I had only just laid down when he came in and said: 'O 'Aishah, why are you out of breath?' She said: 'No.' He said: 'Either you tell me or Allah, the All-Aware, All-Knowing, will tell me.' I said: 'O Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you;' and I told him the story. He said: 'You were the black shape I saw in front of me?' I said: 'Yes.'" She said: "He gave me a shove in the chest that hurt me and said: 'You thought that Allah and His Messenger would be unfair to you.' She said: 'Whatever people conceal, Allah knows it.' He said: 'Yes.' He said: 'Jibril came to me when you saw (me leave) but he did not enter upon you because you have taken off your garments. So he called me but he concealed himself from you, and I answered him, but I concealed it from you. I thought that you had gone to sleep and I did not want to wake you, and I was afraid that you would feel lonely. He told me to go to Al-Baqi' and pray for forgiveness for them.'" 'Asim reported it from 'Abdullah bin 'Amir, from 'Aishah, with a wording different from this.

"I noticed that he was not there one night" and he quoted the rest of the Hadith.