Narrated Amr bin Al-As: I came to the Prophet SAW and said, “Who is
the most beloved person to you?” He said, “Aisha.” I asked, “Among the
men?” He said, “Her father.” I said, “Who then?” He said, “Then Umar bin
Al-Khattab.” He then named other men [Bukhari].
Who is Aisha ibn Abu Bakr?
Out of the wives of the Prophet Muhammad SAW, two have received
prominence above the others. The first was Khadija, and the second was
Aisha. Aisha was the favourite daughter of one of the Prophet’s
favourite companions, Abu Bakr, and was the most beloved wife of the
Prophet SAW after Khadijah.
Sawdah, the Prophet’s SAW second wife, and Aisha entered the life of
the Prophet’s SAW household after the death of Khadijah. If we recall,
the Messenger of Allah SAW never had another wife for over two decades
during the time he was married to Khadijah. He was deeply grieved by her
death, and it is acknowledged that he still felt sorrow at her passing
years later.
Those around the Prophet SAW understood the sadness that he faced,
not just for the loss of his lifetime companion, but also for the other
turbulent events that happened in what we now call the Year of Sadness.
While many were concerned and offered their support in their own
individual ways, Khawlah bint Hakeem was the one who took the initiative
and broached the subject of marriage with the Prophet SAW. Khawlah was
the wife of `Uthmaan ibn Math`oon, both of them being among the first
persons to embrace Islam. It was Khawlah who originally suggested that
Abu Bakr should offer his daughter Aisha for marriage to the Prophet
SAW. For the sake of completeness, it is worth mentioning that it was
also Khawlah who initiated the marriage of Sawdah to the Prophet SAW,
however we shall not be covering this aspect in this article.
The suggestion to marry Aisha, while well received, proved to be
diplomatically delicate for Abu Bakr, for the six year old Aisha was
already engaged to a non Muslim, Jubayr ibn Mut’im. It would have been
socially unacceptable for Abu Bakr to have broken the engagement.
However, with the will of Allah, the engagement was repudiated by the
potential groom’s family on account of their disbelief in Islam,
enabling Aisha to be engaged to the Prophet SAW.
Allegations against the marriage
We pause at this juncture to deal with a sensitive topic, which is
the age of Aisha during marriage. Of late, this has created unnecessary
controversy. However, if we look at the historical accounts of the
social structure of the time, Aisha was already engaged to another man
prior to her marriage to the Prophet SAW, indicating that it was
socially acceptable for marital alliances between families to be forged
at an early age. Also women during that time reached maturity relatively
quickly – psychologically, emotionally and physically – due to their
upbringing and surroundings. In the case of Aisha, she attained
intellectual, physical and emotional maturity exceptionally fast
compared to her peers.
If we look at the various claims made against the Prophet SAW during
his lifetime and after – he was called a madman, a liar, a magician,
possessed by the devil – yet not one of these claims, even by his own
worst enemies, touched upon his marriage to Aisha. Had the marriage been
controversial, his enemies would have scandalized and sensationalized
the event. Yet no claims of this sort were raised for hundreds and
hundreds of years, whether by the pagan Arabs, the Romans, or any of the
subsequent societies, until very recently.
If allegations were made against the Prophet SAW in respect of abuse
or impropriety during the marriage, then one would expect all these
claims to surface after his death, when Aisha was free to speak without
fear of repercussion from the Prophet SAW. Yet, even after his death,
there is not a single recorded account of any complaint or statement
about their marriage, save that the Prophet SAW was the best of husbands
and that the marriage was an extremely happy and harmonious one. In
today’s society, very few, if any, women would describe their husbands
in such unequivocal terms. Aisha was nineteen when the Prophet SAW
passed away, and until her own death over forty five years later, she
spoke of him lovingly. The aspersion cast upon the marriage by the
modern media is totally unsubstantiated, as there is not a single
recorded statement to support any of these those claims.
Although the engagement took place while Aisha was six or seven, they
were only married around three years later, shortly after she migrated
to Medina, by which time she had reached puberty. She moved into the
household of the Prophet SAW. It was not luxurious by any means, the
room was barely six feet wide, built beside the mosque out of clay and
palm trees. The ceiling was so low that a person standing upright could
touch the roof. The room was sparsely furnished with a mattress of palm
leaves which lay on a mat. It was not a room of worldly wealth, but it
was rich in spiritual treasures.
The Messenger of Allah SAW later told Aisha, “You have been shown to
me in (my) dreams on three nights. An angel was carrying you in a silken
cloth and said to me, `This is your wife.’ And when I uncovered it;
behold, it was you. I then said: `If this dream is from Allah, He will
cause it to come true.’” [Bukhari and Muslim].
Aisha said “I have been given nine (virtues) that were not given to
any woman after Maryam bint Imran (the mother of Nabi Isa AS): Jibril AS
descended with my picture in his sleep until Allah’s Messenger SAW was
commanded to marry me; he had married me when I was a virgin and he
never married any virgin besides me; his soul was taken while his head
was on my lap and he was buried in my house. The angels had surrounded
my house, I am the daughter of his Khalifah and his Siddiq; my excuse
was revealed from the heaven. I was created pure. I have been promised
forgiveness (of sins) and noble provision.”
Thus, this was a marriage between two exceptional people – the last
of the Prophets who was nearing the end of his life, and a woman still
at the beginning of hers. Aisha was a very intelligent and observant
young girl with an extremely sharp memory. Due to her proximity with
the Prophet Muhammad SAW, she was able to recount and educate the ummah
on intimate details regarding marital relationships, personal grooming,
medical prescriptions and behaviour within the household.
Aisha spent approximately nine or ten years of her life with the
Prophet SAW. Her greatest asset was not her youth or beauty, but her
piety, extraordinary generosity, ability to record the sayings and
behaviour of the Prophet SAW, her accurate memory, and her intimate
knowledge of the Qur’an. She absorbed knowledge like a sponge and this
ability made her the educator and transmitter of the sacred knowledge to
men and woman. A great deal of the knowledge that we still have today,
about how our beloved Prophet SAW lived and behaved, was first
remembered and then taught to others by Aisha.
Aisha became so wise that one of her contemporaries used to say that
if the knowledge of Aisha was placed on one side of the scales and that
of all other women on the other, Aisha’s side would outweigh the other.
She used to sit with the other women and transmit the knowledge that she
had received from the Prophet SAW long after he had died. As long as
she lived, she was a source of knowledge and wisdom for both women and
men. Abu Musa once said, “Whenever a report appeared doubtful to us, the
Companions of the Prophet SAW, and we asked Aisha about it, we always
learned something from her about it.”
As the prophetic guidance continued to be revealed through Prophet
Muhammad SAW during the years of their marriage, Aisha’s way of life –
along with that of all the Muslims – was gradually reshaped and refined.
It was during this time that Islamic jurisprudence was established and
when the rites of worship in Islam were finalised and clarified. In
other words, it was during their marriage that the teachings of the
religion of Islam were perfected.
Aisha was once asked to describe the Prophet SAW, and she replied
that he was ‘the Qur’an walking’, meaning that his behaviour was the
Qur’an translated into action. She did all that she could to do
likewise. Thus she not only knew and embodied the Sunnah, but also she
memorized the Qur’an by heart, understood it and lived it. Such
knowledge was eventually compiled in various Islamic literature,
providing an encyclopaedia for generations to come, supporting the
Muslims and even the Caliphs of the later generations.
It was during the course of their marriage that, amongst others, the
battles of Badr, and Uhud, and Al-Khandaq (the Ditch) were fought. These
were the three major battles against the Quraish, that shifted the
balance of power out of the hands of the disbelievers and into the hands
of the Muslims. Although she was still very young, Aisha participated
in them all, bringing water for the Muslims warriors, and helping to
look after the wounded. She witnessed life, and she witnessed death –
both in the way of Allah and in the way of the disbelievers – and she
understood both. Indeed one of the meanings of her name, Aisha, is
‘life’.
Aisha’s knowledge was like a beacon that illuminated the hearts and
minds of Muslims for generations to come. This is not surprising, for
she is one of the four people who have transmitted more than two
thousand hadiths, the others being Abu Huraira, Abdullah ibn Umar, and
Anas ibn Malik RA. Al-Haakim said in his book, Al-Mustadrak. “One fourth
of the rule of Sharee`ah was narrated on the authority of Aisha.” Umar
Ibn Al Khattab, during his own Caliphate said that without Aisha, he
would be lost and destroyed, in every small and big issue, he used to
ask her for advice and consultation. How many Muslim men today seek
consultation from a woman if she has more piety and knowledge than them?
How many Muslim men today respect their wives, spouses, or daughters or
anyone in society for their knowledge and calibre, regardless of their
gender? How many Muslim women today are authorities on religious
knowledge and texts?
If there was a dark cloud in Aisha’s life, it was when the hypocrites
conspired against her and made accusations regarding her honour and
fidelity to the Prophet SAW. An accusation of adultery is a very serious
charge, and this slander created a huge deal of strife and discord in
the household. The details of her personal anguish and the events that
transpired can be found in all reliable biographies of her life. Suffice
to say, however, that Aisha remained steadfast in the belief that Allah
would reveal the truth, and she was eventually acquitted, not though a
trial of men, but by Allah Himself in the clearest terms, through the
following revelation:
Surely those who fabricate the lie are a group from among you. Do not
think it is bad thing for you; no it is good for you. Every man will
receive what he has earned for this sin, and whoever had the greater
part in it will have a great punishment. Why did the men and women
believers, when they heard it, not think good in their selves and say:
‘This is clearly a lie?’ Why did they not produce four witnesses? Since
they did not produce witnesses, they are certainly liars in the sight of
Allah. If it were not for the grace of Allah, and His mercy on you in
this world and in the next world, an awful doom would have overtaken you
for what you repeated. Since you received it with your tongues, and
repeated what you did not know anything about with your mouths, you
thought it was a trifle, but in the sight of Allah it is serious. Why,
when you heard it, did you not say: ‘It is not for us to repeat this,
Glory be to You (O Allah), this is a serious rumour.’ Allah warns you to
never repeat anything like this again, if you are indeed believers and
Allah makes the signs clear to you; and Allah is Knowing, Wise. Surely
those who love to spread around slander about those who believe will
have a painful punishment in this world and in the next world; and Allah
knows and you do not know. (Qur’an 24:11-19).
The fact that Aisha’s honour and reputation had been protected by a
revelation from Allah could not be ignored by anyone, and from then on
everyone was more aware of her high station with Allah.
Her Generosity and Simple Lifestyle
Aisha endured poverty and hunger with the Prophet SAW. It is
authentically related that months went by without the fire in the hearth
being lit, i.e. without any food being cooked, during which time they
simply survived on dates and water.
Once the Prophet SAW stayed away from his wives for a month because
they had distressed him by asking of him that which he did not have.
This was after the Khaybar expedition when an increase of riches whetted
the appetite for presents. Returning from his self-imposed retreat, he
went first to Aisha’s apartment. She was delighted to see him but he
said he had received revelation which required him to put two options
before her. He then recited the verses:
O Prophet, say to your wives: ‘If you desire the life of this world
and its adornments, then come, and I will make you content, and I will
release you with a fair release. But if you desire Allah and His
Messenger and the abode of the next world, then truly Allah has prepared
an immense reward for those of you who do good.’ (Qur’an 33:28-29)
Her reply was: “Indeed I desire God and His Messenger and the abode
of the Hereafter,” and her response was followed by all the other wives.
Once, when the Muslims were favoured with great wealth, she has given
a gift of one hundred thousand Dirhams. She was fasting when she
received the money, and distributed it to the poor and needy, even
though she had no provisions in her house. Shortly after that, her maid
servant said to her, “Couldn’t you have brought a dirham’s worth of meat
with which to break your fast?” “If I had thought of it,” she replied,
“I would have done so!”
She developed the nickname the Mother of Fragrance, for every time a
beggar knocked on her door, she would touch the money with perfume
before giving it to him. When asked why, she explained that the charity
would reach Allah before it reached the beggar’s hands, and she wanted
the charity to be given to Allah in a fragrant condition.
In another report, a needy person knocked on the door. She only had
one grape, and gave it to him. When asked what the value of a single
grape was as a charity, she quoted the following verses from the Qur’an:
“So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, And whoever
does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.” (Qur’an 99:7 – 99:8)
She rationalised – how many atoms are there in a grape?
How many of us are of such a status, where our vigilance, thinking
and even the smallest action is completely for the pleasing of Allah,
and reflected by the Qur’an and teaching of the Prophet SAW.
The death of Muhammad SAW and after
While the Prophet SAW was fair in the treatment of his wives and
loved all of them, Allah is the owner of the hearts, and the Prophet’s
SAW heart was inclined towards loving Aisha the most.
There are many accounts which indicate that Aisha was the favourite
wife of the Prophet SAW after Khadija. The Companions noticed this and
reserved their presents to the Prophet SAW when it was his turn with
her. Naturally this inspired some jealousy amongst the other wives,
however, Aisha was gracious and never belittled them, nor did she view
them as her rivals. The only wife that she was truly jealous of was
Khadija, the Prophet SAW’s first wife, who had passed away before she
was married to him.
Aisha said: “The Prophet’s SAW wives sent Fatimah, the Prophet’s SAW
daughter to him. She asked permission to enter while he was lying down
with me in my woollen blanket. He permitted her to enter and she said:
`O’ Messenger of Allah, your wives sent me to you demanding for fairness
concerning (your treatment of) the daughter of Ibn Abu Quhaafah
(meaning Aisha, daughter of Abu Bakr).’ And I was there (listening but)
silent. The Messenger of Allah SAW told her, `O’ daughter, don’t you
love whatever I love?’ She said: `Yes.’ He then said: `Then you should
love this (lady).”‘
Hence, it was fitting that Allah chose for the Prophet SAW to breathe
his last when in her house. Narrated Aisha: During his sickness,
Allah’s Apostle SAW was asking repeatedly, “Where am I today? Where will
I be tomorrow?” And I was waiting for the day of my turn (impatiently).
Then, when my turn came, Allah took his soul away (in my lap) between
my chest and arms and he was buried in my house. [Bukhari]
The room in which he died is the only room of his wives which is
preserved up to today. Two years later, his Companion, Abu Bakr, Aisha’s
father, was buried beside him. Later, as Umar Al Khattab was in his
death throes, he appealed to Aisha to be buried next to Muhammad SAW.
Aisha had actually reserved that space for herself, for she wished to be
buried next to her husband. However, the love that the Prophet SAW bore
for Umar caused her to honour Umar by sacrificing her beloved burial
ground for him. Such was her generosity and nobility.
Her chaste nature was such that she used to say (before Umar was
buried there): “It is only my husband and my father that are here.” But
after Umar was buried there, she said: “I do not longer enter the room
but with my garment fastened because I was shy (of being in the
presence) of Umar.”
After the death of Prophet Muhammad SAW, Aisha was readily involved
in continuing his messages. She was present through the reigns of at
least the first four Caliphs. She continued commitment to the memory of
her husband and her firm belief about being reunited with him in the
Paradise.
In the month of Ramadhan in the year 58 A.H. Aisha had her fatal illness and she said in her will:
“Do not follow my bier with a fire nor lay a red velvet piece.”
She then surrendered her soul in the night of 17th of Ramadhan at the age of sixty six.
Aisha’s life after the death of the Prophet SAW is evidence against
all the stereotypes of how Islam treats women, and accusations of how
women in Islam have no status. We can read the detail of all the stories
of Aisha and realise the wisdom of Allah and His Messenger, to have,
for over forty years after the death of the Prophet SAW, the highest and
most authentic level of knowledge from Aisha.
Look at the ultimate wisdom of Allah. Abu Bakr sacrificed his entire
life in the path of Allah, and Allah granted him a beautiful gift which
was to let his daughter be the most beloved wife of Rasulullah SAW after
Khadija, and decorate his daughter Aisha with the charm, intelligence,
integrity and memory, and make her the library of knowledge and source
of wisdom for many generations to come. She carried the in depth legacy
and knowledge of Rasulullah’s SAW memory. One cannot open Islamic books
about the Qur’an, the biography of Muhammad SAW or jurisprudence,
without finding Aisha’s name referenced in there. What a great honour
for such a woman.
Aisha, Umm-Al-Mu’minin, even though she never had a single child, yet she is the Mother of Believers.
Ibn Kathir: Wives of the Prophet Muhammad SAW
