The story of the Hajj of our Mother ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her.
Asma’ bint Abi Bakr exits her state of ihram for ‘Umrah.
The Companions responded to the command of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
to exit the state of ihram.
He told them to convert it into an ‘Umrah for those who had not brought the sacrificial animals (hady).
Among the female Companions who exited ihram, having not brought the sacrificial animals, was
Asma’ bint Abi Bakr al-Siddiq,
the wife of al-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwam.
Asma’, may Allah be pleased with her, says:
"We set out in a state of ihram."
Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"Whoever has the sacrificial animal with him, let him remain in his state of ihram,
and whoever does not have the sacrificial animal with him, let him exit ihram."
"I did not have the sacrificial animal with me, so I exited ihram."
"Al-Zubayr had the sacrificial animal with him, so he did not exit ihram."
She said: "So I put on my clothes,
then I went out and sat next to al-Zubayr."
He said: "Move away from me."
I said: "Are you afraid that I might jump on you?"
What occurred from Asma’, may Allah be pleased with her,
was that she exited ihram and applied perfume,
and wore her beautiful clothes,
and sat beside her husband.
However, he did not exit ihram because he had brought the sacrificial animal.
Al-Zubayr feared for himself that he might commit
one of the prohibitions of ihram.
So he said to her: "Move away from me."
In this is a reminder for the woman performing Hajj
that she should not perform any action while in ihram
that affects her husband, tempts him, or seduces him,
such as holding hands,
or pressing against his body,
or any movement that could arouse him while in the state of ihram.
As for after exiting ihram,
she may adorn herself for her husband,
and she may entice him.
Fatimah, daughter of the Messenger of Allah,
adorns herself to welcome her husband.
Fatimah, daughter of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
may Allah be pleased with her,
was with our Prophet during the Farewell Pilgrimage.
She was among the members of his household who had not brought the sacrificial animal.
When the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, commanded them
to convert it into an ‘Umrah,
she responded to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Her husband, ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him,
had gone to Yemen
at the request of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
When he returned from Yemen,
he caught up with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
while he was in Makkah,
after the people had exited their ‘Umrah
and before they entered into the state of Hajj.
When his wife, Fatimah, daughter of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
may Allah be pleased with her,
learned of his arrival from his journey,
she adorned herself for him,
and perfumed her tent to welcome him.
So ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib came to her tent,
and found that Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her, had exited ihram,
and had put on dyed garments and applied kohl.
He disapproved of this action.
‘Ali ibn Abi Talib says:
"I found Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her,
had put on dyed garments,
and had perfumed the house."
A wife in such a state, having prepared herself
to welcome her husband,
expects something different from what the Lady of the Women of Paradise, may Allah be pleased with her, saw.
She saw disapproval of her action on his face,
so she initiated the conversation and said:
"What is the matter with you? The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
commanded his Companions, and they exited ihram."
The reason for ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib’s, may Allah be pleased with him, disapproval
was what had become firmly rooted in the minds of the Arabs:
that ‘Umrah should not be performed during the months of Hajj,
and that the pilgrim should perform only one ritual,
from which he does not exit until the Day of Sacrifice.
This is what the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, addressed
and clarified as invalid during this pilgrimage of his.
He found some hesitation among the Companions in complying with his implementation.
When ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, disapproved of Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her,
she said to him:
"My father commanded me to do this."
But he was not convinced by that,
so he went to inquire from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, himself.
‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, says:
"I went to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
complaining about Fatimah for what she had done,
seeking a legal ruling from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, regarding what she mentioned from him."
I informed him that I had disapproved of that action of hers.
He said:
"She spoke the truth.
I am the one who commanded her to do it."
In this is the etiquette of a woman welcoming her husband,
especially if he is returning from a journey.
It also includes adorning oneself for one’s husband while traveling,
even if it is during the journey of Hajj.
In these etiquettes
lies the well-being of the spouses and happiness in both worlds.
The dialogue of our Mother Hafsah, may Allah be pleased with her,
with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Just as the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, commanded
the people to exit their ihram
and convert it into an ‘Umrah,
he likewise commanded his wives to exit their ihram.
As our Mother Hafsah, may Allah be pleased with her, said:
"The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
commanded his wives to exit ihram in the year of the Farewell Pilgrimage."
But despite his command, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
for his wives to exit their ihram,
he himself did not exit his ihram.
So our Mother Hafsah, may Allah be pleased with her, wondered,
and said to him:
"What is the matter with the people? They have exited ihram for ‘Umrah,
yet you have not exited your ‘Umrah.
What is preventing you?"
He said:
"I have matted my hair and brought the sacrificial animal,
so I will not exit ihram until I sacrifice my animal."
Matting (talbid)
is to apply something to the hair so that it sticks together.
This question came from our Mother Hafsah, may Allah be pleased with her,
because she had learned from the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
not to command them to do something while he himself does the opposite,
unless he has a specific reason for doing so.
So she wanted to clarify the secret behind his contradiction
of what he had commanded his wives and the Companions to do.
In this is a lesson for the man
that he should not command his wife to do something while he does the opposite,
unless there is a legal justification.
Just as it is a reminder for the woman
to inquire from her husband or guardian
about the actions she sees that contradict his words,
for perhaps he has a legal justification for that
which she does not know.
It is apparent from the event that our Mother Hafsah, may Allah be pleased with her,
had not heard the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
while he was clarifying and explaining to the people the reason for his refraining
from exiting his ihram,
which was that he had brought the sacrificial animal.
And she did not hear him express his wish that he had not brought the sacrificial animal,
and that he would have converted it into an ‘Umrah.
There is no surprise in that,
for the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
directed his words primarily in the gatherings of men.
Not all of the wives of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
had the same eagerness to acquire knowledge
as our Mother ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her,
who surpassed the rest of his wives in knowledge,
and no one competed with her in that except the Mother of the Believers,
Umm Salamah, may Allah be pleased with her.