Abu Salama and Yahya reported,

When Khadijah passed away, Khawla bint Hakeem, the wife of Uthman bin Mazun, came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said, "Messenger of Allah, will you not marry?"He asked, "Whom?"She replied, "If you wish, a virgin, and if you wish, a previously married woman."He asked, "Who is the virgin?"She said, "The daughter of the most beloved of Allah's creation to you, Ayesha Bint Abu Bakr."He asked, "And who is the previously married woman?"She said, "Sawda bint Zama. She has believed in you and followed what you say."He said, "Then go and mention me to them both."So she entered the house of Abu Bakr and said, "Umm Ruman, what good and blessing has Allah, Mighty and Majestic, brought into your home?"Umm Ruman asked, "What is it?"Khawla said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has sent me to ask for Ayesha's hand in marriage on his behalf."She said, "Wait for Abu Bakr until he comes."Abu Bakr came, and she said, "Abu Bakr, what good and blessing has Allah, Mighty and Majestic, brought into your home?"He asked, "What is it?"She said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has sent me to ask for Ayesha's hand in marriage on his behalf."He said, "But is she suitable for him? She is the daughter of his brother."So she went back to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and mentioned that to him.He said, "Go back to him and tell him, 'I am your brother and you are my brother in Islam, and your daughter is suitable for me.'"She went back and mentioned that to him.He said, "Wait," and went out.Umm Ruman said, "Mutim bin Adi had previously asked for her hand for his son, and by Allah, Abu Bakr never made a promise that he broke."Abu Bakr entered upon Mutim bin Adi, and his wife, the mother of the young man, was with him. She said, "Son of Abu Quhafa, perhaps you wish to lead our companion astray, drawing him into the religion you follow, if he marries into your family."Abu Bakr said to Mutim bin Adi, "Do you say what she says?"He replied, "She does say that."So Abu Bakr left him, and Allah, Mighty and Majestic, had removed from his heart the concern over the promise he had made. He returned and said to Khawla, "Call the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for me."She called him, and Abu Bakr married Ayesha to him. Ayesha was at that time six years old.Then Khawla went out and entered upon Sawda bint Zama and said, "What good and blessing has Allah, Mighty and Majestic, brought to you?"She asked, "What is it?"Khawla said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has sent me to ask for your hand in marriage on his behalf."She said, "I would love that. Go in to my father and mention it to him."He was a very old man who had stayed behind from the pilgrimage due to his age. She entered upon him and greeted him with the greeting of the pre-Islamic era.He asked, "Who is this?"She said, "Khawla bint Hakeem."He asked, "What is your business?"She said, "Muhammad bin Abdullah has sent me to ask for Sawda's hand in marriage on his behalf."He said, "A noble match. What does your companion say?"She replied, "She wants that."He said, "Call her for me."She called her, and he said, "My daughter, this woman claims that Muhammad bin Abdullah bin Abdul-Muttalib has sent asking for your hand, and he is a noble match. Would you like me to marry you to him?"She said, "Yes."He said, "Call him for me."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to him, and he married her to him. Then her brother Abd bin Zama came back from the pilgrimage and began pouring dust on his head. After he embraced Islam, he said, "By your life, I was foolish the day I poured dust on my head because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had married Sawda bint Zama."Ayesha said, "We arrived in Medina and stayed among Banu Harith of Khazraj at Sunh. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came and entered our house, and some men and women of the Ansar gathered around him. My mother brought me while I was on a swing between two date-palm branches being swung back and forth. She brought me down from the swing. I had locks of hair, which she parted, and she wiped my face with a little water. Then she came leading me until she stopped me at the door, and I was panting until my breath calmed down. Then she brought me in, and there was the Messenger of Allah ﷺ sitting on a couch in our house, with men and women of the Ansar around him. She seated me on his lap, then said, 'These are your family. May Allah bless you in them and bless them in you.' The men and women sprang up and left. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ consummated the marriage with me in our house. No camel was slaughtered for me, nor was any sheep, until Saad bin Ubada sent us a large bowl of food, which he used to send to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he made his rounds among his wives. I was nine years old at that time."

عن أبي سلمة ويحيى قالا

لما هلكت خديجة، جاءت ويحيى خولة بنت حكيم امرأة عثمان بن مظعون قالت: يا رسول الله، ألا تزوج؟ قال: من؟ قالت: إن شئت بكرا، وإن شئت ثيبا، قال: فمن البكر؟ قالت: ابنة أحب خلق الله عز وجل إليك: عائشة بنت أبي بكر. قال: ومن الثيب؟ قالت سودة بن زمعة، آمنت بك واتبعتك على ما تقول، قال: فاذهبي فاذكر يهما علي فدخلت بيت أبي بكر، فقالت: يا أم رومان، ماذا أدخل الله عزوجل عليكم من الخير والبركة؟ قالت: وما ذاك؟ قالت: أرسلني رسول الله ﷺ أخطب عليه عائشة، قالت: انتظري أبا بكر حتى يأتي، فجاء أبو بكر، فقالت: يا أبا بكر، ما ذا أدخل الله عزوجل عليكم من الخير والبركة؟ قال: وما ذاك؟ قالت: أرسلني رسول الله ﷺ أخطب عليه عائشة قال: وهل تصلح له، إنما هي ابنة أخيه، فرجعت إلى رسول الله ﷺ فذكرت ذلك له. قال: ارجعي إليه فقولي له: أنا أخوك وأنت أخي في الإسلام، وابنتك تصلح لي فرجعت، فذكرت ذلك له. قال انتظري، وخرج قالت أم رومان: إن مطعم بن عدي قد كان ذكرها على ابنه، فو الله ما وعد وعدا قط فأخلفه لأبي بكر، فدخل أبو بكر على مطعم بن عدي، وعنده امرأته أم الفتى، فقالت: يا ابن أبي قحافة، لعلك مصبيء صاحبنا، مدخله في دينك الذي أنت عليه، إن تزوج إليك. قال أبو بكر للمطعم بن عدي: أقول هذه تقول؟ قال: إنها تقول ذلك، فخرج من عنده، وقد أذهب الله عزوجل ما كان في نفسه من عدته التي وعده، فرجع، فقال لخولة: ادعي لي رسول الله ﷺ، فدعته، فزوجها إياه، وعائشة يومئذ بنت ست سنين. ثم خرجت، فدخلت على سودة بنت زمعة، فقالت: ماذا أدخل الله عزوجل عليك من الخير والبركة؟ قالت: وما ذاك؟ قالت: أرسلني رسول الله ﷺ أخطبك عليه قالت: وددت، ادخلي إلى أبي، فاذكري ذاك له، وكان شيخا كبيرا قد أدركته السن، قد تخلف عن الحج، فدخلت عليه، فحيته بتحية الجاهلية، فقال من هذه؟ فقالت: خولة بنت حكيم، قال: فما شأنك؟ قالت: أرسلني محمد بن عبد الله، أخطب عليه سودة، قال كفء كريم، ماذا تقول صاحبتك؟ قالت: تحب ذاك، قال: ادعها لي، فدعتها فقال: أي بنية، إن هذه تزعم أن محمد بن عبد الله بن عبد المطلب، قد أرسل يخطبك وهو كفء كريم، أتحبين أن أزوجك به؟ قالت نعم قال: ادعيه لي، فجاء رسول الله ﷺ إليه، فزوجها إياه، فجاءها أخوها عبد بن زمعة من الحج، فجعل يحثي على رأسه التراب، فقال بعد أن أسلم: لعمرك إني لسفيه يوم أحثي في رأسي التراب أن تزوج رسول الله ﷺ سودة بنت زمعة. قالت عائشة: فقدمنا المدينة، فنزلنا في بني الحارث من الخزرج في السنح، قالت: فجاء رسول الله ﷺ فدخل بيتنا، واجتمع إليه رجال من الأنصار ونساء، فجاءت بي أمي، وإني لفي أرجوجة بين عذقين ترجح بي، فأنزلتني من الأرجوحة، ولي جميمة، ففرقتها، ومسحت وجهيي بشيء من ماء، ثم أقبلت تقودني حتى وقفت بي عند الباب، وإني لأنهج، حتى سكن من نفسي، ثم دخلت بي، فإذا رسول الله ﷺ جالس على سرير في بيتنا، وعنده رجال ونساء من الأنصار، فأجلستني في حجره، ثم قالت: هؤلاء أهلك، فبارك الله لك فيهم، وبارك لهم فيك، فوثب الرجال والنساء، فخرجوا وبنى بي رسول الله ﷺ في بيتنا، ما نحرت علي جزور، ولا ذبحت علي شاة حتى أرسل إلينا سعد بن عبادة بجفنة كان يرسل بها إلى رسول الله ﷺ إذا دار إلى نسائه، وأنا يومئذ بنت تسع سنين.