How the Choice originally was

“I once heard abu Ja‘far (a.s.), saying, ‘Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, disdained and rejected the words of certain ones of his wives against the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, and sent revelation about choice. The Messenger of Allah stayed away from his wives for twenty-nine days in the mashrabah (a place for water containers) of ‘Umm Ibrahim. He then called them and gave them the choice. They chose him (the Messenger of Allah) then nothing happened. Had they chosen themselves it would have been one final divorce which made them all become strangers to him (the Messenger of Allah).’ I then asked him (the Imam) about the word of the woman and who she was?’ He (the narrator) has said that he (the Imam) said, ‘She said, “Muhammad thinks that if he divorces us no one of our match from our tribes will marry us.’””

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that Zaynab said, ‘You are not fair and you are the Messenger of Allah.’ Hafsah said, ‘If you divorce us we will find our match in our people.’ Revelation stopped coming to the Messenger of Allah for twenty days. He (the Imam) said that Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, disdained and rejected the words of these women against His Messenger and sent revelation that said, ‘O Prophet, say to your wives, “If you want the worldly life and its beauty become prepared . . . great reward.’” He (the Imam) said that they chose the Messenger of Allah. Had they chosen themselves they would have become stranger to him (the Messenger of Allah) and they chose the Messenger of Allah, then not anything else happened.’”

“I once heard abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), saying, ‘Certain ones of the wives of the Holy Prophet, had said, ‘Does Muhammad think that if he divorces us, no one from our people will marry us?’ He (the Imam) said that Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, became angry from above the seven heavens and commanded him (the Messenger of Allah) and he gave them the choice until it was the turn of Zaynab bint Jahash. She stood and kissed him (the Messenger of Allah) and accepted, saying, “I choose Allah and His Messenger.’””

“Abu ‘Abd Allah (a.s.), has said that Zaynab bint Jahash once said, ‘Does the Messenger of Allah think that if he divorces us we will not find anyone other than him to marry us?’ He had stayed away from his wives for twenty-nine days. When Zaynab said this Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, sent Jibril to Muhammad (SAW). He said, ‘Say to your wives, “If you want the worldly life and its beauty, then be prepared he will benefit you . . .” They said, ‘We choose Allah and His Messenger and the house in the hereafter.’”

“Abu Ja‘far (a.s.), has said that once Zaynab bint Jahash said to the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, ‘You are not fair and you are the Prophet.’ He (the Messenger of Allah) replied, ‘May your hands become soiled, ‘If I am not fair then who is fair?’ She then asked, ‘O Messenger of Allah, did you pray that my hands get cut off?’ He (the Messenger of Allah) replied, ‘No, but they become soiled.’ She then said, ‘If you divorce us we will find in our people men as our match who will marry us.’ Revelation stopped coming for twenty-nine nights.’ Abu Ja‘far, Alayhi al-Salam, then said, ‘Allah, most Majestic, most Glorious, disdained and rejected her words and sent revelation that said, ‘O Prophet, say to your wives, “If you want the worldly life and its beauty . . .” to the end of the two verses. They chose Allah and His Messenger then further things did not happen. Had they chosen themselves they would have become stranger to him (the Messenger of Allah).”’ (‘Your hands become soiled’ may mean poverty and it may also mean wealth)

“About the case of a man who gives his wife the choice abu ‘Abd Allah, Alayhi al-Salam, has said, ‘The choice is only for us and not for anyone else. The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, gave the choice because of the words of ‘A’ishah. They then chose Allah and His Messenger and they must not have chosen anyone other than the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause.’”