Hafsah was the daughter of Omar and among the few who were literate. When Khunays returned from his migration to Abyssinia a few years before, she had married him, however, the marriage was destined to be short lived as he was recently martyred at Badr and it grieved Omar to see his eighteen year old daughter alone.

During the second year, Othman, a friend of Omar, had lost his beloved wife Lady Rukiyah, daughter of the Prophet (sa) so Omar proposed that he might like to marry his daughter. When Othman told Omar that he did not wish to remarry for the time being he was disappointed and felt somewhat hurt by his answer.

Omar, as is the case of all fathers, was anxious to secure a good marriage for his daughter so he approached another of his dearest friends, Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr's answer was also evasive which really hurt Omar very deeply. He had offered two of his best friends his beloved daughter's hand in marriage yet neither of them were prepared to accept the proposal. A little while after, Omar went to the Prophet (sa) and told him how upset he was at the reluctance of his close friends to marry his daughter.

After the Prophet (sa) had listened to his grievance he spoke with words of indication saying, "I will show you a better son-in-law than Othman, and I will show him (Othman) a better father-in-law than you." Happiness spread over Omar's face as he realized that the Prophet (sa) after the completion of Hafsah's waiting period, would offer her his own hand in marriage; then the second realization dawned upon him that the Prophet (sa) would give another of his daughters, Lady Umm Kulthum, to Othman in marriage.

Later, when Omar met Abu Bakr, Abu Bakr told him that the reason he had not accepted his offer was that he had heard the Prophet (sa) inquiring about Lady Hafsah and that it was on this account alone that he had been evasive. After the prescribed four months of the waiting period were concluded, the Prophet (sa) asked for Lady Hafsah's hand in marriage whereupon a room was added on to the Prophet's quarters and the marriage took place.

Lady Ayesha was happy to have someone nearer her own age as a companion, whilst Lady Swaydah loved her as if she were her own daughter. Lady Hafsah was among those who was blessed to learn the entire Koran by heart.