Al-Adab Al-Mufrad
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 84
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي اللَّيْثُ قَالَ: كَتَبَ إِلَيَّ هِشَامٌ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهَا قَالَتْ: قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ يَوْمًا: وَاللَّهِ مَا عَلَى وَجْهِ الأَرْضِ رَجُلٌ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ عُمَرَ، فَلَمَّا خَرَجَ رَجَعَ فَقَالَ: كَيْفَ حَلَفْتُ أَيْ بُنَيَّةُ؟ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ، فَقَالَ: أَعَزُّ عَلَيَّ، وَالْوَلَدُ أَلْوَطُ.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said one day, ‘By Allah, there is no man on the face of the earth dearer to me than ‘Umar.’ When he had gone out, he came back and said, ‘How did I swear, my daughter?’ I told him. He said, ‘He is dearer to me, though a child is closer to one’s heart.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
أَعَزُّ عَلَيَّ، وَالْوَلَدُ أَلْوَطُ
The comparative force of أعز and the idiomatic sense of ألوط are rendered by contrast; the exact nuance of closeness is uncertain.
How should the final clause be rendered to convey ألوط more precisely?