قَالَ أَبِي رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فِي رِسَالَتِهِ إِلَيَّ اعْلَمْ يَا بُنَيَّ أَنَّ أَصْلَ التَّخْيِيرِ هُوَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ تَبَارَكَ وَ تَعَالَى أَنِفَ لِنَبِيِّهِ ص فِي مَقَالَةٍ قَالَتْهَا بَعْضُ نِسَائِهِ أَ يَرَى مُحَمَّدٌ أَنَّهُ لَوْ طَلَّقَنَا لَا نَجِدُ أَكْفَاءَنَا مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ يَتَزَّوَجُونَّا فَأَمَرَ اللَّهُ نَبِيَّهُ ص أَنْ يَعْتَزِلَ نِسَاءَهُ تِسْعاً وَ عِشْرِينَ لَيْلَةً فَاعْتَزَلَهُنَّ النَّبِيُّ ص فِي مَشْرَبَةِ أُمِّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ثُمَّ نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ- يا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُلْ لِأَزْواجِكَ إِنْ كُنْتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ الْحَياةَ الدُّنْيا وَ زِينَتَها فَتَعالَيْنَ أُمَتِّعْكُنَّ وَ أُسَرِّحْكُنَّ سَراحاً جَمِيلًا وَ إِنْ كُنْتُنَّ تُرِدْنَ اللَّهَ وَ رَسُولَهُ وَ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ أَعَدَّ لِلْمُحْسِناتِ مِنْكُنَّ أَجْراً عَظِيماً فَاخْتَرْنَ اللَّهَ وَ رَسُولَهُ فَلَمْ يَقَعِ الطَّلَاقُ وَ لَوِ اخْتَرْنَ أَنْفُسَهُنَّ لَبِنَ.
My father (may Allah (swt) be pleased with him) said in his letter to me: "Know, my son, that the origin of the matter of giving the choice (to divorce) is that Allah (swt), the Blessed and Exalted, was displeased with a statement made by some of the Prophet's (peace be upon him and his family) wives. They said: 'Does Muhammad ﷺ think that if he divorces us, we will not find suitable husbands from Quraysh to marry us?' So, Allah (swt) commanded His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) to separate himself from his wives for twenty-nine nights. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) secluded himself in the chamber of Umm Ibrahim. Then this verse was revealed: 'O Prophet! Say to your wives: If you desire the life of this world and its adornment, then come, I will provide for you and release you in a gracious manner. But if you desire Allah (swt), His Messenger, and the Hereafter, then indeed Allah (swt) has prepared for the good-doers among you a great reward' (Surah Al-Ahzab 33:28-29). They chose Allah (swt) and His Messenger ﷺ, so divorce did not occur. But if they had chosen themselves, they would have been separated."
