Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī

‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that ‘Umar, when his daughter Hafsah became a widow, said: "I met ‘Uthmān ibn ‘Affān (may Allah be pleased with him) and offered Hafsah for marriage to him.

I said: 'If you wish, I shall give you Hafsah bint ‘Umar in marriage.' ‘Uthmān said: 'I shall think over the matter.' I waited for a few days and then ‘Uthmān met me and said: 'It occurred to me that I should not marry at present.' Then I met Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him: 'If you wish, I shall marry Hafsah bint ‘Umar to you.' Abu Bakr remained silent and did not give me any reply! I was more upset with him than with ‘Uthmān.

A few days later, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) asked for her hand in marriage and I married her to him.

Thereafter, I met Abu Bakr who said: 'Perhaps you were angry with me when you offered Hafsah to me and I said nothing in reply?' I said: 'Yes, that is so.' He said: 'Nothing stopped me from responding to your offer except that I knew that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) had mentioned her, and I could not disclose the secret of the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him).

Had the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) not proposed to her, I would have accepted (to marry) her.'"