Dividing (Fairly) Between One's Wives

Narrated AbuHurayrah:

The Prophet ﷺ said: When a man has two wives and he is inclined to one of them, he will come on the Day of resurrection with a side hanging down.

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْوَلِيدِ الطَّيَالِسِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، حَدَّثَنَا قَتَادَةُ، عَنِ النَّضْرِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ بَشِيرِ بْنِ نَهِيكٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ " مَنْ كَانَتْ لَهُ امْرَأَتَانِ فَمَالَ إِلَى إِحْدَاهُمَا جَاءَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَشِقُّهُ مَائِلٌ " .

Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to divide his time equally and said: O Allah, this is my division concerning what I control, so do not blame me concerning what You control and I do not.

Abu Dawud said: By it meant the heart.

حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ أَبِي قِلاَبَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ الْخَطْمِيِّ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقْسِمُ فَيَعْدِلُ وَيَقُولُ " اللَّهُمَّ هَذَا قَسْمِي فِيمَا أَمْلِكُ فَلاَ تَلُمْنِي فِيمَا تَمْلِكُ وَلاَ أَمْلِكُ " . يَعْنِي الْقَلْبَ .

Narrated Hisham b. 'Urwah:
On the authority of his father that 'Aishah said: O my nephew, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not prefer one of us to the other in respect of his division of the time of his staying with us. It was very rare that he did not visit us any day (i.e. he visited all of us every day). He would come near each of his wives without having intercourse with her until he reached the one who had her day and passed his night with her. When Saudah daughter of Zam'ah became old and feared that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would divorce her, she said: Messenger of Allah, I give to 'Aishah the day you visit me. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ accepted it from her. She said: We think that Allah, the Exalted, revealed about this or similar matter the Qur'anic verse: "If a wife fears cruelty or desertion on her husband's part...." [4:128]

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ - عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ يَا ابْنَ أُخْتِي كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ يُفَضِّلُ بَعْضَنَا عَلَى بَعْضٍ فِي الْقَسْمِ مِنْ مُكْثِهِ عِنْدَنَا وَكَانَ قَلَّ يَوْمٌ إِلاَّ وَهُوَ يَطُوفُ عَلَيْنَا جَمِيعًا فَيَدْنُو مِنْ كُلِّ امْرَأَةٍ مِنْ غَيْرِ مَسِيسٍ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ إِلَى الَّتِي هُوَ يَوْمُهَا فَيَبِيتُ عِنْدَهَا وَلْقَدْ قَالَتْ سَوْدَةُ بِنْتُ زَمْعَةَ حِينَ أَسَنَّتْ وَفَرِقَتْ أَنْ يُفَارِقَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ يَوْمِي لِعَائِشَةَ . فَقَبِلَ ذَلِكَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْهَا قَالَتْ نَقُولُ فِي ذَلِكَ أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى وَفِي أَشْبَاهِهَا أُرَاهُ قَالَ { وَإِنِ امْرَأَةٌ خَافَتْ مِنْ بَعْلِهَا نُشُوزًا } .

Narrated 'Aishah:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to aske our permission on the day he had to stay with one of his wives (by turns) after the following Qur'anic verse was revealed: "You may distance those whom you like, and draw close to those whom you like" [33:51]. The narrator Mu'adhah said: I said to her: What did you say to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ ? She said: I used to say: If had an option for that, I would not preferred anyone to myself.

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ مَعِينٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عِيسَى، - الْمَعْنَى - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبَّادُ بْنُ عَبَّادٍ، عَنْ عَاصِمٍ، عَنْ مُعَاذَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَسْتَأْذِنُنَا إِذَا كَانَ فِي يَوْمِ الْمَرْأَةِ مِنَّا بَعْدَ مَا نَزَلَتْ { تُرْجِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ مِنْهُنَّ وَتُؤْوِي إِلَيْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ } قَالَتْ مُعَاذَةُ فَقُلْتُ لَهَا مَا كُنْتِ تَقُولِينَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ كُنْتُ أَقُولُ إِنْ كَانَ ذَلِكَ إِلَىَّ لَمْ أُوثِرْ أَحَدًا عَلَى نَفْسِي .

A’ishah said The Apostle of Allah ﷺ sent for his wives during his illness. When they got together, heﷺ said “I am unable to visit all of you. If you think to permit me to stay with A’ishah you may do so.” So they permitted him (to stay with A’ishah).

حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا مَرْحُومُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ الْعَطَّارُ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو عِمْرَانَ الْجَوْنِيُّ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ بَابَنُوسَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعَثَ إِلَى النِّسَاءِ - تَعْنِي فِي مَرَضِهِ - فَاجْتَمَعْنَ فَقَالَ " إِنِّي لاَ أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أَدُورَ بَيْنَكُنَّ فَإِنْ رَأَيْتُنَّ أَنْ تَأْذَنَّ لِيَ فَأَكُونَ عِنْدَ عَائِشَةَ فَعَلْتُنَّ " . فَأَذِنَّ لَهُ .