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