As-salaamu'alaykum,
Umar (radiyAllahu anh) was exceptionally kind towards the Prophet's
wives, caring for them more than one might care for one's mother, sister, or daughter. Whenever he had food, he would send some of it to them. Recalling Umar's generosity towards her and towards the other wives of the Prophet, Aa'ishah said,
"When Umar ibn al-Khattaab would send us our share of food, he would send us the heads and calves (of slaughtered animals (i.e., he would send us the best parts of slaughtered animals)."
(This is an authentic narration that is related by Ibn Sa'ad, 3/303)
And, in general, whenever Umar would distribute wealth, he would not forget the right that the Mothers of the Believers had over him; he would send them generous amounts of wealth, always concerned for their well being, and always making sure they were well taken care of.
If Umar was generous towards the Mothers of the Believers, he was also very protective of them. The Prophet's wives were all very innocent and pious, and yet, Umar surely remembered, that did not stop the hypocrite Abdullah ibn Ubai from slandering Aa'ishah. Thus Umar would do everything in his power to safeguard the honour of the Prophet's wives. So when the Prophet's wives asked Umar to grant them permission to perform Hajj, he denied their request.
Then, when they continued to implore him for permission, he met them halfway, saying to them,
"I will grant you permission to go the following year, and yet even that is something I do not truly agree with."
The following year, Umar sent Uthmaan ibn Affaan (radiyAllahu anh) and Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Awf (radiyAllahu anh) to accompany the Mothers of the Believers during their pilgrimage. And Umar gave both of them strict orders: One of them was to walk ahead of the Prophet's wives and the other was to walk behind them; they were not to allow anyone to walk alongside the Prophet's wives; when they had to stop to make camp, they were to make camp in a mountain pass (an enclosed area); as long as the Prophet's wives rested inside of the mountain pass, they were to stand guard at the entrance of the mountain pass; they were to allow no one to enter the Prophet's wives; and, when the Prophet's wives performed Tawaaf around the Ka'bah, they were to forbid all men from performing Tawaaf at the same time.
(Al-Idaarah fee ahd Umar ibn al-Khattaab, pg. 126; refer also to Al-Fath, 4/87)
The following is the story of an incident which took place with the Mother of the Believers Zaynab bint Jahsh (radiyAllahu anha). When he had worked out the shares of the Muslims, Umar sent to the Mother of the Believers Zaynab bint Jahsh her share. When it was brought to her, she said:
"May Allah forgive Umar; my sisters are better able to handle a share like that than me."
They said,
"This is all for you."
She said,
"SubhaanAllah."
The she hid herself from him behind a curtain, and said,
"Put it down and cover it with a cloak."
Then she said to Barzah bint Rafi:
"Put your hand in and take a handful, and give it to Banu So and so (among her relatives and orphans under her care)."
She shared it out until there was a little left under the cloak, then Barzah said:
"May Allah forgive you, O' Mother of the Believers, by Allah we have a right to that."
She said,
"You may have whatever is beneath this cloak."
She lifted up the cloak and found eighty-five dirhams. Then she raised her hands towards heaven and said:
"O' Allah, do not let me live until the next time ‘Umar distributes shares."
Then she died, and she was the first of the Prophet's wives to join him may Allah be pleased with her.
(A hasan report narrated by Ibn Sa'd, 8/190; Akhbar Umar p. 100)
Umar (radiyAllahu anh) was exceptionally kind towards the Prophet's
wives, caring for them more than one might care for one's mother, sister, or daughter. Whenever he had food, he would send some of it to them. Recalling Umar's generosity towards her and towards the other wives of the Prophet, Aa'ishah said,"When Umar ibn al-Khattaab would send us our share of food, he would send us the heads and calves (of slaughtered animals (i.e., he would send us the best parts of slaughtered animals)."
(This is an authentic narration that is related by Ibn Sa'ad, 3/303)
And, in general, whenever Umar would distribute wealth, he would not forget the right that the Mothers of the Believers had over him; he would send them generous amounts of wealth, always concerned for their well being, and always making sure they were well taken care of.
If Umar was generous towards the Mothers of the Believers, he was also very protective of them. The Prophet's wives were all very innocent and pious, and yet, Umar surely remembered, that did not stop the hypocrite Abdullah ibn Ubai from slandering Aa'ishah. Thus Umar would do everything in his power to safeguard the honour of the Prophet's wives. So when the Prophet's wives asked Umar to grant them permission to perform Hajj, he denied their request.
Then, when they continued to implore him for permission, he met them halfway, saying to them,
"I will grant you permission to go the following year, and yet even that is something I do not truly agree with."
The following year, Umar sent Uthmaan ibn Affaan (radiyAllahu anh) and Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Awf (radiyAllahu anh) to accompany the Mothers of the Believers during their pilgrimage. And Umar gave both of them strict orders: One of them was to walk ahead of the Prophet's wives and the other was to walk behind them; they were not to allow anyone to walk alongside the Prophet's wives; when they had to stop to make camp, they were to make camp in a mountain pass (an enclosed area); as long as the Prophet's wives rested inside of the mountain pass, they were to stand guard at the entrance of the mountain pass; they were to allow no one to enter the Prophet's wives; and, when the Prophet's wives performed Tawaaf around the Ka'bah, they were to forbid all men from performing Tawaaf at the same time.
(Al-Idaarah fee ahd Umar ibn al-Khattaab, pg. 126; refer also to Al-Fath, 4/87)
The following is the story of an incident which took place with the Mother of the Believers Zaynab bint Jahsh (radiyAllahu anha). When he had worked out the shares of the Muslims, Umar sent to the Mother of the Believers Zaynab bint Jahsh her share. When it was brought to her, she said:
"May Allah forgive Umar; my sisters are better able to handle a share like that than me."
They said,
"This is all for you."
She said,
"SubhaanAllah."
The she hid herself from him behind a curtain, and said,
"Put it down and cover it with a cloak."
Then she said to Barzah bint Rafi:
"Put your hand in and take a handful, and give it to Banu So and so (among her relatives and orphans under her care)."
She shared it out until there was a little left under the cloak, then Barzah said:
"May Allah forgive you, O' Mother of the Believers, by Allah we have a right to that."
She said,
"You may have whatever is beneath this cloak."
She lifted up the cloak and found eighty-five dirhams. Then she raised her hands towards heaven and said:
"O' Allah, do not let me live until the next time ‘Umar distributes shares."
Then she died, and she was the first of the Prophet's wives to join him may Allah be pleased with her.
(A hasan report narrated by Ibn Sa'd, 8/190; Akhbar Umar p. 100)
