The Prophet ﷺ proposed marriage to Umm Hani bint Abu Talib. She said, "Messenger of Allah, I have grown old and I have children to care for."The Prophet ﷺ said, "The best of women to ride camels are the women of Quraysh. They are the most affectionate to a child in his infancy and the most attentive to a husband in what he possesses."Abu Hurairah remarked, "Mary, daughter of Imran, never rode a camel."
حدثنا عبد الرزاق أخبرنا معمر عن الزهري عن ابن المسيب
ة أن النبي ﷺ خطب أم هانئ بنت أبي طالب فقالت يا رسول الله إني قد كبرت ولي عيال فقال النبي ﷺ خير نساء ركبن نساء قريش أحناه على ولد في صغره وأرعاه على زوج في ذات يده قال أبو هريرة ولم تركب مريم بنت عمران بعيرا
Its chain of transmission is sahih. Muslim narrated it, 2:270, through the route of Abdul-Razzaq, with this same chain, except that he did not mention Abu Hurairah's statement at the end, "and Mary did not ride..." He also narrated it before and after this, without the story of Umm Hani, through other routes. Bukhari likewise narrated it, in abridged form without the story, 9:107-108, from the report of Abu Zinad from Araj, from Abu Hurairah. He also narrated it, 9:448, from the report of Ibn Tawus from his father, and from the report of Abu Zinad from Araj. Bukhari also narrated it, 6:341, as a suspended report (mualaq), from the report of Ibn Wahb from Yunus, from Zuhri, from Ibn Musayab. He did not mention the story at its beginning, and mentioned Abu Hurairah's statement at the end. This suspended report was connected by Muslim, 2:269-270, from Harmalah from Ibn Wahb. See also what was mentioned earlier in the Musnad of Ibn Abbas, no. 2926.His saying "haniyah" (the tender, caring one) is from hunuww, meaning tenderness and compassion, its plural being hawani. She showed them tenderness after her husband's death, not remarrying after their father, so she is haniyah. Abu Zayd said, "But if she remarries after him, she is no longer haniyah." This is stated in Lisan al-Arab.Ibn Athir said, "The pronoun and its like are made singular here by reference to the meaning. The implied sense is, 'more tender than anyone found,' or 'created,' or 'that exists there.' It is similar to the saying, 'The most handsome of people in face, and the most excellent in character,' where 'excellent' is singular. This is common in Arabic, and among the most eloquent forms of speech."Hafiz said in Fath al-Bari, 6:341, "By analogy it should have been 'ahnahunna' (more tender than they, plural), but the tongue of the Arabs ran with the singular form." As for Abu Hurairah's statement, "and Mary did not ride," and so on, it is an indication that Mary was not included in this ranking, as though he held the view that she was the best of women absolutely.Regarding his saying "in dhati yadihi" (in what is in his possession), Hafiz said, 9:448, "Qasim bin Thabit said in al-Dalail, 'dhatu yadihi,' 'dhatu baytiha,' and similar expressions are descriptions of an omitted feminine noun, as though meaning the condition that exists among them." What is meant by "dhatu yadihi" is his wealth and his earnings.