Some cells (ḥujra, private chambers) were built around the Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid al-Nabawi) to serve as dwellings for the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) and his family members. The construction of these cells was low, and their courtyards were narrow. Ḥasan b. Abī al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī—when he was a child in the care of his mother Khayra, who was the freedwoman of Umm Salama—said: "I was able to reach up and touch the ceiling of the highest of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) cells with my hand."
I say: Ḥasan al-Baṣrī was a large-bodied, tall man—may Allah have mercy on him. Because of this, he was able to reach up and touch the ceilings of the cells.
In the work entitled "Rawḍ," Suhaylī stated: The Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) cells were constructed from palm branches, which were then plastered with clay. Some of them were built from white stones. Nevertheless, all of their roofs were covered with palm branches.
It is also transmitted that, in addition to the above statement, Ḥasan al-Baṣrī said: The Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) cells were constructed from interlinked pieces of arar wood.
As narrated in al-Bukhārī’s history, the doors of the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) cells were knocked on with fingernails. This shows that there were no rings on the doors for knocking. After the death of the wives of the Messenger of God (peace be upon him), the cells were incorporated into the Prophet’s Mosque.
Wāqidī, Ibn Jarīr, and others said: When ʿAbdullāh b. Urayqiṭ al-Dilī was returning to Mecca, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) and Abū Bakr sent with him the Prophet’s freedmen Zayd b. Ḥāritha and Abū Rāfiʿ to bring their families from Mecca. They sent with them 500 dirhams and two camels to purchase camels at Kudayd (or Kadid). They went to Mecca and brought the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) daughters Fāṭima and Umm Kulthūm, as well as his wives Sawda and ʿĀʾisha, and ʿĀʾisha’s mother Umm Rūmān. During the journey, the camels of ʿĀʾisha and her mother Umm Rūmān became frightened and started to run off. Umm Rūmān began to cry out: "Oh my daughter, oh my dear one!"
ʿĀʾisha said: I heard a voice from the unseen saying: "Let go of the camel’s rein." So I let go of the rein, and by Allah’s permission, the camel stopped. The Exalted Allah protected us from harm.
The caravan set out and continued on its way. They reached a place called Sunḥ. Later, as will be explained, the Messenger of God (peace be upon him) consummated his marriage with ʿĀʾisha in the month of Shawwāl, eight months later.
Abū Bakr’s daughter Asmāʾ also came with this caravan. Asmāʾ was the wife of Zubayr b. al-ʿAwwām and was pregnant with Zubayr’s son ʿAbdullāh, whose birth was near. Further explanation regarding this will be given at the appropriate place in the latter part of this year of the Hijra.