Compiled by Imam Muhammad al-Bukhari
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى، عَنْ أَبِي عَوَانَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا فِرَاسٌ، عَنْ عَامِرٍ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، حَدَّثَتْنِي عَائِشَةُ أُمُّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ، قَالَتْ إِنَّا كُنَّا أَزْوَاجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عِنْدَهُ جَمِيعًا، لَمْ تُغَادَرْ مِنَّا وَاحِدَةٌ، فَأَقْبَلَتْ فَاطِمَةُ ـ عَلَيْهَا السَّلاَمُ ـ تَمْشِي، لاَ وَاللَّهِ مَا تَخْفَى مِشْيَتُهَا مِنْ مِشْيَةِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمَّا رَآهَا رَحَّبَ قَالَ " مَرْحَبًا بِابْنَتِي ". ثُمَّ أَجْلَسَهَا عَنْ يَمِينِهِ أَوْ عَنْ شِمَالِهِ، ثُمَّ سَارَّهَا فَبَكَتْ بُكَاءً شَدِيدًا، فَلَمَّا رَأَى حُزْنَهَا سَارَّهَا الثَّانِيَةَ إِذَا هِيَ تَضْحَكُ. فَقُلْتُ لَهَا أَنَا مِنْ بَيْنِ نِسَائِهِ خَصَّكِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِالسِّرِّ مِنْ بَيْنِنَا، ثُمَّ أَنْتِ تَبْكِينَ، فَلَمَّا قَامَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَأَلْتُهَا عَمَّا سَارَّكِ قَالَتْ مَا كُنْتُ لأُفْشِيَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سِرَّهُ. فَلَمَّا تُوُفِّيَ قُلْتُ لَهَا عَزَمْتُ عَلَيْكِ بِمَا لِي عَلَيْكِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ لَمَّا أَخْبَرْتِنِي. قَالَتْ أَمَّا الآنَ فَنَعَمْ. فَأَخْبَرَتْنِي قَالَتْ أَمَّا حِينَ سَارَّنِي فِي الأَمْرِ الأَوَّلِ، فَإِنَّهُ أَخْبَرَنِي أَنَّ جِبْرِيلَ كَانَ يُعَارِضُهُ بِالْقُرْآنِ كُلَّ سَنَةٍ مَرَّةً " وَإِنَّهُ قَدْ عَارَضَنِي بِهِ الْعَامَ مَرَّتَيْنِ، وَلاَ أَرَى الأَجَلَ إِلاَّ قَدِ اقْتَرَبَ، فَاتَّقِي اللَّهَ وَاصْبِرِي، فَإِنِّي نِعْمَ السَّلَفُ أَنَا لَكَ ". قَالَتْ فَبَكَيْتُ بُكَائِي الَّذِي رَأَيْتِ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى جَزَعِي سَارَّنِي الثَّانِيَةَ قَالَ " يَا فَاطِمَةُ أَلاَ تَرْضَيْنَ أَنْ تَكُونِي سَيِّدَةَ نِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ـ أَوْ ـ سَيِّدَةَ نِسَاءِ هَذِهِ الأُمَّةِ ".
Mother of the Believers: We, the wives of the Prophet (ﷺ) were all sitting with the Prophet (ﷺ) and none of us had left when Fatima came walking, and by Allah, her gait was very similar to that of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) .' When he saw her, he welcomed her, saying, "Welcome, O my daughter!" Then he made her sit on his right or his left, confided something to her, whereupon she wept bitterly. When he noticed her sorrow, he confided something else to her for the second time, and she started laughing. Only I from among the Prophet's wives said to her, "(O Fatima), Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) selected you from among us for the secret talk and still you weep?" When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) got up (and went away), I asked her, "What did he confide to you?" She said, "I wouldn't disclose the secrets of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)" But when he died I asked her, "I beseech you earnestly by what right I have on you, to tell me (that secret talk which the Prophet had with you)" She said, "As you ask me now, yes, (I will tell you)." She informed me, saying, "When he talked to me secretly the first time, he said that Gabriel used to review the Qur'an with him once every year. He added, 'But this year he reviewed it with me twice, and therefore I think that my time of death has approached. So, be afraid of Allah, and be patient, for I am the best predecessor for you (in the Hereafter).' " Fatima added, "So I wept as you (`Aisha) witnessed. And when the Prophet (ﷺ) saw me in this sorrowful state, he confided the second secret to me saying, 'O Fatima! Will you not be pleased that you will be chief of all the believing women (or chief of the women of this nation i.e. my followers?")