|
Hafsa bint Umar was the daughter of Umar ibn al-Khattab and wife of Muhammad. She became a widow when she was eighteen. According to Islamic tradition, after Abu Bakr and Uthman ibn Affan refused to marry her, Umar went to Muhammad to complain about their behavior, and Muhammad replied, "Hafsa will marry one better than Uthman and Uthman will marry one better than Hafsa." Muhammad married her after the battle of Badr. Hafsa was around twenty years old and Muhammad fifty-six at the time of marriage. By this marriage, Muhammad strengthened ties between him and two of his closest friends. He was now married to the daughter of Abu Bakr, Aisha, and to the daughter of Umar.
Uthman, another close companion of Muhammad, was married to the daughter of Muhammad, Ruqayya. She died around 2 A.H. Uthman then married Umm Khulthum, also the daughter of Muhammad.
According to Islamic tradition, Hafsa had memorized the Qur'an. The copy of Zayd ibn Thabit which was recorded by the instructions of Abu Bakr was given to Hafsa. Uthman, when he became a Caliph, used Hafsa's copy when he attempted to develop a definitive text of the Qur'an.
|
