Arabic (Original)
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَلَمَةَ وَيَحْيَى قَالَا لَمَّا هَلَكَتْ خَدِيجَةُ جَاءَتْ خَوْلَةُ بِنْتُ حَكِيمٍ امْرَأَةُ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ مَظْعُونٍ قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَلَا تَزَوَّجُ قَالَ مَنْ قَالَتْ إِنْ شِئْتَ بِكْرًا وَإِنْ شِئْتَ ثَيِّبًا قَالَ فَمَنْ الْبِكْرُ قَالَتْ ابْنَةُ أَحَبِّ خَلْقِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِلَيْكَ عَائِشَةُ بِنْتُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ قَالَ وَمَنْ الثَّيِّبُ قَالَتْ سَوْدَةُ ابْنَةُ زَمْعَةَ قَدْ آمَنَتْ بِكَ وَاتَّبَعَتْكَ عَلَى مَا تَقُولُ قَالَ فَاذْهَبِي فَاذْكُرِيهِمَا عَلَيَّ فَدَخَلَتْ بَيْتَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ فَقَالَتْ يَا أُمَّ رُومَانَ مَاذَا أَدْخَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ الْخَيْرِ وَالْبَرَكَةِ قَالَتْ وَمَا ذَاكَ قَالَتْ أَرْسَلَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَخْطُبُ عَلَيْهِ عَائِشَةَ قَالَتْ انْتَظِرِي أَبَا بَكْرٍ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَ فَجَاءَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَقَالَتْ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ مَاذَا أَدْخَلَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ الْخَيْرِ وَالْبَرَكَةِ قَالَ وَمَا ذَاكَ قَالَتْ أَرْسَلَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَخْطُبُ عَلَيْهِ عَائِشَةَ قَالَ وَهَلْ تَصْلُحُ لَهُ إِنَّمَا هِيَ ابْنَةُ أَخِيهِ فَرَجَعَتْ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَذَكَرَتْ لَهُ ذَلِكَ قَالَ ارْجِعِي إِلَيْهِ فَقُولِي لَهُ أَنَا أَخُوكَ وَأَنْتَ أَخِي فِي الْإِسْلَامِ وَابْنَتُكَ تَصْلُحُ لِي فَرَجَعَتْ فَذَكَرَتْ ذَلِكَ لَهُ قَالَ انْتَظِرِي وَخَرَجَ قَالَتْ أُمُّ رُومَانَ إِنَّ مُطْعِمَ بْنَ عَدِيٍّ قَدْ كَانَ ذَكَرَهَا عَلَى ابْنِهِ فَوَاللَّهِ مَا وَعَدَ مَوْعِدًا قَطُّ فَأَخْلَفَهُ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ فَدَخَلَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ عَلَى مُطْعِمِ بْنِ عَدِيٍّ وَعِنْدَهُ امْرَأَتُهُ أُمُّ الْفَتَى فَقَالَتْ يَا ابْنَ أَبِي قُحَافَةَ لَعَلَّكَ مُصْبٍ صَاحِبَنَا مُدْخِلُهُ فِي دِينِكَ الَّذِي أَنْتَ عَلَيْهِ إِنْ تَزَوَّجَ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ لِلْمُطْعِمِ بْنِ عَدِيٍّ آقَوْلَ هَذِهِ تَقُولُ قَالَ إِنَّهَا تَقُولُ ذَلِكَ فَخَرَجَ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ وَقَدْ أَذْهَبَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ مَا كَانَ فِي نَفْسِهِ مِنْ عِدَتِهِ الَّتِي وَعَدَهُ فَرَجَعَ فَقَالَ لِخَوْلَةَ ادْعِي لِي رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَدَعَتْهُ فَزَوَّجَهَا إِيَّاهُ وَعَائِشَةُ يَوْمَئِذٍ بِنْتُ سِتِّ سِنِينَ ثُمَّ خَرَجَتْ فَدَخَلَتْ عَلَى سَوْدَةَ بِنْتِ زَمْعَةَ فَقَالَتْ مَاذَا أَدْخَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ عَلَيْكِ مِنْ الْخَيْرِ وَالْبَرَكَةِ قَالَتْ مَا ذَاكَ قَالَتْ أَرْسَلَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَخْطُبُكِ عَلَيْهِ قَالَتْ وَدِدْتُ ادْخُلِي إِلَى أَبِي فَاذْكُرِي ذَاكَ لَهُ وَكَانَ شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا قَدْ أَدْرَكَهُ السِّنُّ قَدْ تَخَلَّفَ عَنْ الْحَجِّ فَدَخَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ فَحَيَّتْهُ بِتَحِيَّةِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَقَالَ مَنْ هَذِهِ فَقَالَتْ خَوْلَةُ بِنْتُ حَكِيمٍ قَالَ فَمَا شَأْنُكِ قَالَتْ أَرْسَلَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ أَخْطُبُ عَلَيْهِ سَوْدَةَ قَالَ كُفْءٌ كَرِيمٌ مَاذَا تَقُولُ صَاحِبَتُكِ قَالَتْ تُحِبُّ ذَاكَ قَالَ ادْعُهَا لِي فَدَعَيْتُهَا قَالَ أَيْ بُنَيَّةُ إِنَّ هَذِهِ تَزْعُمْ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ قَدْ أَرْسَلَ يَخْطُبُكِ وَهُوَ كُفْءٌ كَرِيمٌ أَتُحِبِّينَ أَنْ أُزَوِّجَكِ بِهِ قَالَتْ نَعَمْ قَالَ ادْعِيهِ لِي فَجَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَيْهِ فَزَوَّجَهَا إِيَّاهُ فَجَاءَهَا أَخُوهَا عَبْدُ بْنُ زَمْعَةَ مِنْ الْحَجِّ فَجَعَلَ يَحْثِي فِي رَأْسِهِ التُّرَابَ فَقَالَ بَعْدَ أَنْ أَسْلَمَ لَعَمْرُكَ إِنِّي لَسَفِيهٌ يَوْمَ أَحْثِي فِي رَأْسِي التُّرَابَ أَنْ تَزَوَّجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَوْدَةَ بِنْتَ زَمْعَةَ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ فَقَدِمْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ فَنَزَلْنَا فِي بَنِي الْحَارِثِ بْنِ الْخَزْرَجِ فِي السُّنْحِ قَالَتْ فَجَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَدَخَلَ بَيْتَنَا وَاجْتَمَعَ إِلَيْهِ رِجَالٌ مِنْ الْأَنْصَارِ وَنِسَاءٌ فَجَاءَتْنِي أُمِّي وَإِنِّي لَفِي أُرْجُوحَةٍ بَيْنَ عَذْقَيْنِ تَرْجَحُ بِي فَأَنْزَلَتْنِي مِنْ الْأُرْجُوحَةِ وَلِي جُمَيْمَةٌ فَفَرَقَتْهَا وَمَسَحَتْ وَجْهِي بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ مَاءٍ ثُمَّ أَقْبَلَتْ تَقُودُنِي حَتَّى وَقَفَتْ بِي عِنْدَ الْبَابِ وَإِنِّي لَأَنْهَجُ حَتَّى سَكَنَ مِنْ نَفْسِي ثُمَّ دَخَلَتْ بِي فَإِذَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ جَالِسٌ عَلَى سَرِيرٍ فِي بَيْتِنَا وَعِنْدَهُ رِجَالٌ وَنِسَاءٌ مِنْ الْأَنْصَارِ فَأَجْلَسَتْنِي فِي حِجْرِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَتْ هَؤُلَاءِ أَهْلُكِ فَبَارَكَ اللَّهُ لَكِ فِيهِمْ وَبَارَكَ لَهُمْ فِيكِ فَوَثَبَ الرِّجَالُ وَالنِّسَاءُ فَخَرَجُوا وَبَنَى بِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي بَيْتِنَا مَا نُحِرَتْ عَلَيَّ جَزُورٌ وَلَا ذُبِحَتْ عَلَيَّ شَاةٌ حَتَّى أَرْسَلَ إِلَيْنَا سَعْدُ بْنُ عُبَادَةَ بِجَفْنَةٍ كَانَ يُرْسِلُ بِهَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا دَارَ إِلَى نِسَائِهِ وَأَنَا يَوْمَئِذٍ بِنْتُ تِسْعِ سِنِينَ.
English Translation
When Khadijah died, Khawlah bint Hakim, the wife of Uthman ibn Maz'un, came and said: "O Messenger of Allah, will you not marry?" He said: "Whom?" She said: "If you wish, a virgin, and if you wish, a previously married woman." He said: "Who is the virgin?" She said: "The daughter of the most beloved of Allah's creation to you — Aisha bint Abi Bakr." He said: "And who is the previously married woman?" She said: "Sawdah bint Zam'ah; she has believed in you and followed you in what you say." He said: "Go and mention both of them to me." So she entered the house of Abu Bakr and said: "O Umm Ruman, what goodness and blessing has Allah brought upon you!" She said: "What is that?" She said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) has sent me to propose to Aisha on his behalf." She said: "Wait for Abu Bakr until he comes." Abu Bakr came, and Khawlah told him. He said: "Is she suitable for him? She is only the daughter of his brother (in Islam)." She went back and told the Prophet, and he said: "Go back and tell him: I am your brother and you are my brother in Islam, and your daughter is suitable for me." She returned and told him. He said: "Wait," and went out. Umm Ruman said: "Mut'im ibn Adi had mentioned her for his son, and by Allah, Abu Bakr never broke a promise." So Abu Bakr went to Mut'im ibn Adi, and his wife said: "O son of Abu Quhafah, perhaps you intend to convert our companion and enter him into your religion if he marries into your family." Abu Bakr asked Mut'im: "Is this what she says?" He said: "She says that." So Abu Bakr left, and Allah removed from his heart the obligation of the promise he had made. He returned and told Khawlah: "Call the Messenger of Allah for me." She called him, and he married Aisha to him, and Aisha was six years old at that time. Then she went to Sawdah bint Zam'ah and proposed on his behalf. Her father, who was an old man, agreed, and the Prophet married her. Her brother Abd ibn Zam'ah returned from Hajj and threw dust on his head (in dismay), but after he accepted Islam, he said: "By my life, I was truly foolish the day I threw dust on my head because the Messenger of Allah married Sawdah bint Zam'ah." Aisha said: We came to Madinah and settled among Banu al-Harith ibn al-Khazraj in al-Sunh. The Messenger of Allah came and entered our house, and men and women of the Ansar gathered around him. My mother came to me while I was on a swing between two palm branches. She brought me down, tidied my hair, wiped my face with some water, and led me to the door. I was panting until I calmed down, then she took me in. The Messenger of Allah was sitting on a bed in our house with men and women of the Ansar. She placed me in his lap and said: "These are your family; may Allah bless you in them and bless them in you." The men and women got up and left. The Messenger of Allah consummated the marriage in our house. No camel was slaughtered and no sheep was sacrificed for me, until Sa'd ibn Ubadah sent a large dish that he used to send to the Messenger of Allah whenever he visited his wives. I was nine years old at the time.