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Hafsah bint Umar (RU)
Hafsah bint Umar (RA). She was the
daughter of Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA). She was beautiful and a
pious woman. She got married to Khunis ibn Hudhafa Ibn Qays as-Sahami
(RA) who was from Quraish.
He was a part of the two emigrations (Abyssinia and Madina). He
fought in Badr and Uhud. In the latter battle he was fatally
wounded and died shortly thereafter. Hafsah was 18 years old by
that time.
Umar (RA) was depressed for his daughter's affliction who became
a widow at such a young age. Whenever he went home and saw his
sad daughter, he grieved. After a long period of thinking he
decided to choose a husband for her to provide her with what she
had lost of repose a long 6 months or more.
He first choose Abu Bakr (RA) the dearest person to the Prophet
(SAW). Umar (RA) at once went to Abu Bakr (RA) to offer him his
daughter for marriage. Umar (RA) thought that Abu Bakr (RA) would
not refuse to marry a young pious woman who was the daughter of
the man by whom Allah (SWT) supported Islam. Having
sympathetically listened to him, Abu Bakr (RA) did not respond.
Umar (RA) went back with a broken heart and almost did not
believe what had happened. He then went to Uthman Ibn Affan (RA)
whose wife, Ruqayya (RA), the daughter of the Prophet (SAW) had
recently died. Having offered him his daughter to marry, he
apologized by saying, "I think I would not like to marry at the
present time."
Umar's (RA) gloom increased by Uthman's (RA) refusal, which
followed by Abu Bakr's (RA). He became angry with his to
companions. He then went to the Prophet of Allah (SAW)
complaining about Abu Bakr and Uthman (RU). Thereupon the Prophet
(SAW) smiled and said "Hafsah will get married to someone who is
better than Uthman and Uthman will get married to someone who is
better than Hafsah." (Bukhari)
Accordingly Umar (RA) was elated to receive such a great honor
which he never thought about. He went off to tell whomever he
met. When Abu Bakr (RA) met him, he realized the source of his
joy. Therefore, he congratulated him and apologized by saying,
"Do not be angry with me ya Umar. The Prophet (SAW) has mentioned
Hafsah before and I could not disclose the Prophet's (SAW)
secret. Had he left her, I would have married her. "
All people in Madina was pleased with the Prophet's (SAW)
marriage to Hafsah bint Umar (RU). It was contracted in the month
of Sha'ban in the 3rd year of Hijrah. They blessed the marriage
of Uthman to Umm Kulthum bint Muhammad (SAW) in the month of
Jumada al-Akhirah in the same ear as well. Thus, Hafsah (RA)
joined the rank of the Prophet's (SAW) pure wives, mothers of the
faithful who were by then, Sawdah and Aisha (RU).
Among the other wives of the Prophet (SAW), Aisha (RA) was the
most intimate and closest one to Hafsah (RA). Her father, once
said to her, "How would you be like Aisha and how would your
father be like hers?
It is Hafsah and Aisha (RU) who backed up each other against the
Prophet (SAW). Consequently Allah the almighty said: "If you two
[wives of the Prophet (SAW), namely Aisha and Hafsa (RU)] turn in
repentance to Allah (it will be better for you), your hearts are
indeed so inclined [to oppose what the Prophet (SAW) likes]; but
of you help one another against him [Muhammad (SAW)], then
verily, Allah is his Maula (Lord, or Master, or Protector, etc.),
and Gabriel, and the righteous among the believers, - and
furthermore, the angels - are his helpers." (Tahrim 66:4)
It is narrated that the Prophet (SAW) divorced Hafsah once when
she backed up against him. Then he (SAW) took her back according
to Jibreel's (AS) command: "Take Hafsah back; she fasts and prays
in the night all the time." Hafsah realized the gravity of what
she had done to her noble husband when she disclosed his secret.
But after the Prophet (SAW) forgave her, she lived in tranquility
and repose again.
When the Prophet (SAW) died and Abu Bakr (RA) succeeded him, it
was Hafsah who was chosen to keepthe first copy of the Noble
Quran. She kept on worshipping Allah (SWT) devoutly, fasting,
praying,and keeping the copy of the Muslims constitution, the
immortal miracle and the source of legislation and belief.
When her father the caliph of the Muslims felt he was about to
die after he was stabbed by Abu Lu'Lu'a the Zoroastrian in the
month of Dhul-Hijjah 23 AH, Hafsah was the guard of what he left
of inheritance.
Hafsah (RA) died in Mu'awiyah ibn Sufyan's (RA) era after she
commanded her brother Abdullah (RA) with what she had been
commanded by her father.
May Allah be pleased with their guard of the
Quran, Ameen.
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