I am looking for the narration wherein Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhu) offered Hafsah (radiyallahu ‘anha) in marriage to Sayyiduna ‘Uthman (radiyallahu ‘anhu) and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radiyallahu ‘anhu).
Answer:
Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) has recorded this narration. Hereunder is the complete incident:
Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) reported from ‘Umar ibnul Khattab (radiyallahu ‘anhu) that when Hafsah bintu ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) became a widow at the death of Khunays ibn Hudhafa As Sahmi (radiyallahu ‘anhu) -who was a Sahabi, a participant of Badr and passed away in Madinah-, ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhu) said, I met ‘Uthman ibn ‘Affan (radiyallahu ‘anhu) and offered him Hafsah [in marriage] and said, ‘If you wish, I will marry you to Hafsah bintu ‘Umar.’ Sayyiduna ‘Uthman (radiyallahu ‘anhu) replied, ‘Let me reflect on it.’ A few days later he said, ‘I feel that I should not marry at this time.’
Sayyiduna ‘Umar (radiyallahu ‘anhu) said, ‘Then I met Abu Bakr (radiyallahu ‘anhu) and said, ‘If you wish, I will marry you to Hafsah bintu ‘Umar.’ Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radiyallahu ‘anhu) kept silent and did not give me any reply at all. That was more painful for me than [what I felt with the reply of] Uthman (radiyallahu ‘anhu).
Some days later Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) proposed to her and I married her to him. Abu Bakr (radiyallahu ‘anhu) met me and said, ‘Perhaps you were upset when you offered me Hafsah [in marriage] and I did not reply to you?’ I replied, ‘Yes.’ Abu Bakr (radiyallahu ‘anhu) then said, ‘The only thing preventing me from replying to your offer was that I knew Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) had mentioned her and I was not going to divulge the secret of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). If he had left her, I would have accepted her.’”
(Sahih Bukhari, Hadith: 4005 and 5122)
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar