41. Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad from Ali ibn al-Hakam from Hisham ibn Salim who has said the following: “Abu ‘Abd Allah عليه السلام, has said that once abu Bakr and ‘Umar went to ‘Umm Salamah and asked her, ‘O ‘Umm Salamah, you lived with another man before the Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause. How is the Messenger of Allah compared to that man in matters of going to bed with his wife?’ She said, ‘He is no more than the other man.’ They left and the Holy Prophet came. She stood up frightened of the coming of something from the heaven and informed him of what had happened. The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, became angry, his face turned overcast and perspiration due to anger emerged between his eyes. He (the Messenger of Allah) came out with his gown dragging behind him until he climbed on the pulpit. Al-Ansar (people of al-Madinah) hastened to pick up arms and commanded to ready their horses. He (the Messenger of Allah) climbed on the pulpit, praised Allah and spoke of His glory, then said, ‘O people, what is the matter with certain people! They spy on me to find my faults and ask about my private matters in my absence and behind my back. By Allah, I am the most honorable among you in matters of ancestry, of more clean birth, a provider of more sincere advice for the sake of Allah in one’s absence. Whoever of you may like to ask me about who his father is I can inform him about it.’ A man then stood up and asked, ‘Who is my father?’ He (the Messenger of Allah) replied, ‘He is so and so shepherd.’ Another man stood up and asked, ‘Who is my father?’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ’He is your black slave.’ A third man stood up and asked, ’Who is my father?’ He (the Messenger of Allah) said, ‘He is the one to whom you are ascribed.’ Al- Ansar then pleaded saying, ’O Messenger of Allah, forgive us, Allah forgives you. Allah has sent you as mercy so forgive us, Allah will forgive you.’ The Holy Prophet when spoken to would seem shy and perspire and would cast down his eyes before people due to shyness when they spoke to him. He (the Messenger of Allah) then climbed down the pulpit. At dawn Jibril descended with a dish of mashed meat and wheat from paradise and said, ‘O Muhammad, this is made for you by al-Hur al-‘In. You can eat it with Ali and his children; it is not proper that people other than you eat it.’ The Messenger of Allah, O Allah, grant compensation to Muhammad and his family worthy of their services to Your cause, Ali, Fatimah, al-Hassan and al-Husayn ate it (the food that Jibril had brought from paradise) and it gave the Messenger of Allah the ability in matters of going to bed with his wives which was equal to that of forty men, thus he (the Messenger of Allah) could go to bed with all of his wives in one night if he so wanted.’”