Sunan an-Nasa'i
Sunan an-Nasa'i 3199
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ الْمُخَرِّمِيُّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ كُنْتُ أَغَارُ عَلَى اللاَّتِي وَهَبْنَ أَنْفُسَهُنَّ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَقُولُ أَوَتَهَبُ الْحُرَّةُ نَفْسَهَا فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ { تُرْجِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ مِنْهُنَّ وَتُؤْوِي إِلَيْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ } قُلْتُ وَاللَّهِ مَا أَرَى رَبَّكَ إِلاَّ يُسَارِعُ لَكَ فِي هَوَاكَ .
Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn al-Mubarak al-Mukarrimi reported to us; he said: Abu Usamah narrated to us, from Hisham ibn Urwah, from his father, from Aishah, who said: I used to feel jealous of the women who offered themselves to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and I would say, ‘Would a free woman offer herself?’ Then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, revealed: ‘You may defer whom you will of them and receive to yourself whom you will.’ I said: ‘By Allah, I see that your Lord hastens to fulfill your desire.’
Translation notes
The quoted words are from Quran 33:51. Aishah’s final remark is a pointed, jealous comment about the verse’s accommodation of the Prophet.
قَالَتْ كُنْتُ أَغَارُ عَلَى اللاَّتِي وَهَبْنَ أَنْفُسَهُنَّ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَقُولُ أَوَتَهَبُ الْحُرَّةُ نَفْسَهَا فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ { تُرْجِي مَنْ تَشَاءُ مِنْهُنَّ وَتُؤْوِي إِلَيْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ } قُلْتُ وَاللَّهِ مَا أَرَى رَبَّكَ إِلاَّ يُسَارِعُ لَكَ فِي هَوَاكَ .
The final expression فِي هَوَاكَ is a pointed remark about the Prophet’s desire or preference; the tone is conveyed here directly.
Does “hastens to fulfill your desire” capture the force of Aishah’s comment without overstating it?