A’ishah said that the prophet ﷺ used to stay with Zainab, daughter of Jahsh, and drink honey. I and Hafsah counseled each other that if the Prophet ﷺ enters upon any of us, she must say:

I find the smell of gum (maghafir) from you. He then entered upon one of them; she said that to him. Thereupon he said : No, I drank honey at (the house of) Zainab daughter of jahsh, and I will not do it again. Then the following verse came down :’’O Prophet !why holdest thou to be forbidden that which Allah has made lawful to thee ? ‘’Thou seekest. . . If you two turn in repentance to Allah ‘’ refers to Hafsah and A’ishah , and the verse: ‘’When the Prophet disclosed a matter in confidence to one of his consorts’’ refers to the statements of the Prophet ﷺ disclosed a matter in confidence to one of his consorts’’ refers to the statement of the Prophet ﷺ :No, I drank honey.

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عُبَيْدَ بْنَ عُمَيْرٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَائِشَةَ، - رضى الله عنها - زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ تُخْبِرُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ يَمْكُثُ عِنْدَ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ جَحْشٍ فَيَشْرَبُ عِنْدَهَا عَسَلاً فَتَوَاصَيْتُ أَنَا وَحَفْصَةُ أَيَّتُنَا مَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَلْتَقُلْ إِنِّي أَجِدُ مِنْكَ رِيحَ مَغَافِيرَ فَدَخَلَ عَلَى إِحْدَاهُنَّ فَقَالَتْ لَهُ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ " بَلْ شَرِبْتُ عَسَلاً عِنْدَ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ جَحْشٍ وَلَنْ أَعُودَ لَهُ " . فَنَزَلَتْ { لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَكَ تَبْتَغِي } إِلَى { إِنْ تَتُوبَا إِلَى اللَّهِ } لِعَائِشَةَ وَحَفْصَةَ رضى الله عنهما { وَإِذْ أَسَرَّ النَّبِيُّ إِلَى بَعْضِ أَزْوَاجِهِ حَدِيثًا } لِقَوْلِهِ " بَلْ شَرِبْتُ عَسَلاً " .