Musnad Ahmad 1153:1751

Muhammad ibn Bishr narrated to us, he said: Muhammad ibn ‘Amr narrated to us, he said: Abu Salamah and Yahya narrated to us, they said: When Khadijah died, Khawlah bint Hakim, the wife of ‘Uthman ibn Maz’un, came and said: "O Messenger of Allah, will you not marry?" He said: "Who?" She said: "If you wish, a virgin, and if you wish, a previously married woman." He said: "Who is the virgin?" She said: "The daughter of the most beloved of Allah’s creation to you, ‘Aishah bint Abi Bakr." He said: "And who is the previously married woman?" She said: "Sawdah bint Zam’ah; she has believed in you and followed you in what you say." He said: "Go and mention them to me." She entered the house of Abu Bakr and said: "O Umm Ruman, what good and blessing has Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, brought upon you?" She said: "What is that?" She said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sent me to propose to ‘Aishah on his behalf." She said: "Wait for Abu Bakr until he comes." Abu Bakr came, and she said: "O Abu Bakr, what good and blessing has Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, brought upon you?" He said: "What is that?" She said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sent me to propose to ‘Aishah on his behalf." He said: "Is she suitable for him? She is only the daughter of his brother." She returned to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and mentioned that to him. He said: "Return to him and say to him: 'I am your brother, and you are my brother in Islam, and your daughter is suitable for me.'" She returned and mentioned that to him. He said: "Wait," and he went out. Umm Ruman said: "Mut’im ibn ‘Adi had already mentioned her for his son, and by Allah, he never made a promise to Abu Bakr and broke it." Abu Bakr entered upon Mut’im ibn ‘Adi, and his wife, the mother of the youth, was with him. She said: "O son of Abu Quhafah, perhaps you will make our companion a renegade, bringing him into your religion that you are upon, if he marries into your family." Abu Bakr said to Mut’im ibn ‘Adi: "Does she say what she is saying?" He said: "She says that." He left him, and Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, had removed from his heart what he had in mind regarding the promise he had made to him. He returned and said to Khawlah: "Call the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) for me." She called him, and he married her to him, and ‘Aishah was at that time six years old. Then she went out and entered upon Sawdah bint Zam’ah and said: "What good and blessing has Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, brought upon you?" She said: "What is that?" She said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sent me to propose to you on his behalf." She said: "I would love that. Enter to my father and mention that to him." He was a very old man who had reached an advanced age and had stayed behind from the Hajj. She entered upon him and greeted him with the greeting of the Jahiliyyah. He said: "Who is this?" She said: "Khawlah bint Hakim." He said: "What is your business?" She said: "Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah sent me to propose to Sawdah on his behalf." He said: "A noble match. What does your companion say?" She said: "She loves that." He said: "Call her to me." She called her, and he said: "O my daughter, this woman claims that Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib has sent to propose to you, and he is a noble match. Do you love for me to marry you to him?" She said: "Yes." He said: "Call him for me." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came to him, and he married her to him. Her brother, ‘Abd ibn Zam’ah, came from the Hajj and began throwing dust upon his head. After he became a Muslim, he said: "By your life, I was a fool the day I threw dust on my head because the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) married Sawdah bint Zam’ah." ‘Aishah said: "We arrived in Medina and stayed among the Banu al-Harith ibn al-Khazraj in al-Sunh. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came and entered our house, and men and women of the Ansar gathered around him. My mother came to me while I was on a swing between two palm trees, swinging. She took me down from the swing, and I had a small tuft of hair, so she combed it and wiped my face with some water. Then she came leading me until she stood with me at the door, and I was panting until my breathing calmed down. Then she entered with me, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was sitting on a bed in our house, and with him were men and women of the Ansar. She seated me on his lap and said: 'These are your family, so may Allah bless you in them, and bless them in you.' The men and women stood up and left, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) consummated the marriage with me in our house. No camel was slaughtered for me, nor was a sheep sacrificed for me, until Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah sent us a large bowl that he used to send to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) when he went around to his wives. And I was at that time nine years old."