مسند أحمد بن حنبل
3  
Musnad Ahmad ibn Hanbal
(2)
Chapter: Musnad of Jābir ibn ʿAbdillāh al-Anṣārī (may Allāh be pleased with him)
(2)
مُسْنَدُ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ
Three-Narrator Ahadith 32
Jābir (رضي الله عنه) reported:
“The Messenger of Allāh (ﷺ) asked me: ‘Have you married, Jābir?’ I said: ‘Yes.’ He asked: ‘A virgin or a previously married woman?’ I said: ‘A previously married woman.’ He said: ‘Why not a virgin, so you could play with her and she could play with you (i.e., closer in age to you)?’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allāh, my father was killed on the day of Uḥud and left behind nine daughters. I did not want to add to them one who was immature like themselves; rather I wanted a woman who could comb their hair and look after them.’ He said: ‘You have done rightly.’” Reference: Musnad Aḥmad 32
حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، قَالَ عَمْرٌو: سَمِعْتُ جَابِرًا يَقُولُ: قَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «هَلْ نَكَحْتَ؟» قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ. قَالَ: «أَبِكْرًا أَمْ ثَيِّبًا؟» قُلْتُ: ثَيِّبًا. قَالَ: «فَهَلَّا بِكْرًا تُلَاعِبُهَا وَتُلَاعِبُكَ؟» قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، قُتِلَ أَبِي يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ وَتَرَكَ تِسْعَ بَنَاتٍ، فَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أَجْمَعَ إِلَيْهِنَّ خَرْقَاءَ مِثْلَهُنَّ، وَلَكِنِ امْرَأَةً تُمَشِّطُهُنَّ وَتَقُومُ عَلَيْهِنَّ. قَالَ: «أَصَبْتَ.»
Grade: Ṣaḥīḥ
Reference : Three-Narrator Ahadith 32