Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا حَسَنٌ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ سَمِعَ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّهُ قَالَ إِنَّ أَزْوَاجَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَأَلْنَهُ النَّفَقَةَ فَلَمْ يُوَافِقْ عِنْدَهُ شَيْءٌ حَتَّى أَحْجَزْنَهُ فَأَتَاهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَاسْتَأْذَنَ عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يُؤْذَنْ لَهُ ثُمَّ أَتَاهُ عُمَرُ فَاسْتَأْذَنَ عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يُؤْذَنْ لَهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَأْذَنَا بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ فَأُذِنَ لَهُمَا وَوَجَدَاهُ بَيْنَهُنَّ فَقَالَ لَهُ عُمَرُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ ابْنَةَ زَيْدٍ سَأَلَتْنِي النَّفَقَةَ فَوَجَأْتُهَا أَوْ نَحْوَ ذَلِكَ وَأَرَادَ بِذَلِكَ أَنْ يُضْحِكَهُ فَضَحِكَ حَتَّى بَدَتْ نَوَاجِذُهُ وَقَالَ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ مَا حَبَسَنِي غَيْرُ ذَلِكَ فَقَامَا إِلَى ابْنَتَيْهِمَا فَأَخَذَا بِأَيْدِيهِمَا فَقَالَا أَتَسْأَلَانِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا لَيْسَ عِنْدَهُ فَنَهَاهُمَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْهُمَا فَقَالَا لَا نَعُدْ فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ نَزَلَ التَّخْيِيرُ.
English Translation
Hasan told us, Ibn Lahi'ah told us, Abu al-Zubayr told us: he heard Jabir ibn 'Abdullah say that the wives of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, asked him for maintenance money, and nothing suitable was available to him, until they pressed him hard about it. Abu Bakr came and sought permission to enter, but was not given permission; then 'Umar came and sought permission to enter, but was not given permission. Then both sought permission again afterward and were admitted, and they found him among the wives. 'Umar said to him, "O Messenger of Allah, the daughter of Zayd asked me for maintenance, and I struck her," or words to that effect, wishing to make him laugh. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, laughed until his molars showed, and said, "By the One in whose hand is my soul, nothing has detained me except that." Then the two of them went to their daughters and took them by the hand, and said, "Do you ask the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, for what he does not have?" So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade them, and they said, "We will not do it again." And at that point the verse of choice was revealed.