Hazrat Aisha bint Abi Bakr r.a.

Hazrat Aisha bint Abi Bakr r.a.
“The greatness of Aisha^ra over the rest of the wives is like thareed”, i.e. the superiority that meat has over ordinary food. (The Holy Prophet^sa)
Full name: Aisha bint Abi Bakr
Father: Abdullah bin Abi Qahafa (Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq^ra)
Mother: Umme Ruman Zainab bint Amir Appellation (kuniyat): Umme Abdullah
Ahadith Narrated: 2,210

Introduction

Hazrat Aisha^ra was the daughter of Hazrat Abu Bakr Siddiq^ra, who was the closest companion of the Holy Prophet^sa and the first Khalifa of the Holy Prophet^sa.

Her life is proof of Islam’s progressive stance on women. She was a prominent figure who challenged the prevalent stereotypes and taboos of society. She is proof that women share egalitarian rights in Islam. Her life ascertains that Islam does not discriminate between sexes, nor does it mandate marginalisation of women. A wife, stateswoman, scholar and an enlightened thinker; she was an astute woman who exhibited exemplary moral qualities and became one of the most influential persons of the Islamic history.

A divine marriage

After the demise of Hazrat Khadija^ra, the Holy Prophet^sa carried on with his mission and did not pursue to marry anyone for a while. However, he had dreamt that an angel had presented something to him wrapped in silk. He was told that it was his wife in this life and the Hereafter. When he unveiled the silk cover, he saw it was Hazrat Aisha^ra.
When Hazrat Khaulah bint Hakim^ra advised him to remarry and offered Aisha’s^ra name, the Messenger^sa of Allah took it as a divine sign and asked her to send the proposal.
Hazrat Aisha^ra was first betrothed to Jubair, son of Mutim bin Adi, a non-Muslim friend of Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra. Hazrat Abu Bakr^ra went to his house and enquired if Jubair wished to continue with the marriage. However, Mutim nullified the engagement citing that they would not marry a Muslim.
Hazrat Aisha^ra was then married to the Holy Prophet^sa, though the union would not be consummated for several years.

A question briefly answered

Her age at the time of her marriage has been a controversial topic of debate. There is only one hadith narrated by Hisham which suggests that Hazrat Aisha^ra was nine years old. With reference to her age, the Promised Messiah^as stated in one of his writings:

“It has been written that she was nine years of age. Firstly, there is no evidence that the Holy Prophet^sa stated this, nor has there been any revelation in regard to this, nor is it substantiated from the Akhbare-Mutawatirah, [sayings of the Prophet 

Muhammad^sa reported by a large number of people] that she was certainly nine years old. It has only been taken from one narrator.” (Nur-ul-Quran, No. 2, Ruhani Khazain, Vol. 9, pp. 377-378)
Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad^ra also discoursed in The Life and Character of the Seal of the Prophets that she may have been 12 years old.

Modern researchers have debated on the veracity of this Hadith and inferred that she was much older. According to one of the scholars, Hisham mistakenly left out the word “ashara” i.e. “ten”, after the word “tis‘ah”, which means “nine” in Arabic; insinuating that she was 19 years old when she entered the household of her husband.

Moreover, it is narrated by Hazrat Anas^ra that in the Battle of Uhud, Hazrat Aisha^ra and Hazrat Umm-e-Sulaim^ra would carry water and tend to the wounded on the field. The Holy Prophet^sa specifically forbade young boys or girls to partake in the battle. The Battle of Uhud took place in 3 AH, and Hazrat Aisha^ra bade farewell to her parents’ home in the second year of Hijrah. If it is to be presumed that she was only 11 years old at the Battle of Uhud, it is incongruous with the command of the Holy Prophet^sa.

The fact of the matter is, the Holy Prophet^sa did not marry Hazrat Aisha^ra out of lasciviousness or carnal passion (God forbid) as certain orientalists imply; rather, he saw in Hazrat Aisha^ra the future religious scholar who, owing to her young age, would receive a longer opportunity to educate and train Muslim men and women alike. And as the history would later unfold, she became one of the most prolific scholars of her time.

A source of blessings

Her abode was a treasure house of blessings. The Holy Prophet^sa used to say that among all his wives, it was only in her abode that he received revelation. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith no. 3775)
Their union was a product of divine inspiration and the angels would descend upon her and convey their salutations to her. Hazrat Abu Salama narrates the Holy Prophet^sa said to Aisha^ra:

“Aisha, Gabriel conveys his Salam to you” to which she returned his greetings. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith no. 3217)
It is reported by Ibn-e-Abbas^ra that once, the Holy Prophet^sa enquired from Gabriel^as as to why he did not visit him more often. To this, the following verse was revealed, “We [angels] do not come save by the command of thy Lord. [Surah Maryam, Ch.19: V.65]” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith no. 3218)

It can be deduced from the aforementioned ahadith that it was under the command of God Almighty that angels would relate their salutations to her. This further sheds light on the lofty status she held in the eyes of God and the Prophet^sa of Islam. It is owing to this that the Holy Prophet^sa used to say:

“The greatness of Aisha^ra over the rest of the wives is like thareed”, i.e. the superiority that meat has over ordinary food. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith no. 3769)
Once Hazrat Aisha^ra lost her necklace and the Muslim army had to camp at a place where there was no water. At the moment, God conferred upon the Muslims the convenience of tayammum. Hazrat Uzair^ra bin Huzair told her:

“Whenever you encounter a difficulty, Allah took you out of it and brought with it a blessing for the Muslims.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith no. 3773)

The last companion

A unique distinction she holds over the rest of the Prophet’s^sa wives is that the Holy Prophet^sa spent his last days and hours at her house. The wives of the Messenger^sa of Allah had unanimously agreed that considering his illness, it was in his best interest to live the rest of his days in Hazrat Aisha’s^ra house.
His last words were, “[I now go to] Allah, the Most Noble Companion” as his head rested on the bosom of his beloved wife, Aisha^ra. (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith no. 4463)

Knowledge

After the Messenger^sa of Allah passed away, she played a critical role in the transmission of  knowledge she acquired from her husband. She is the narrator of more than 2,200 ahadith, which today shape the Islamic legal traditions. She is one of the most compelling figures in the mainstream of Islamic intellectual history. She helped the companions of the Holy Prophet^sa in resolving intricate issues and the Holy Prophet^sa instructed the believers to learn half of religious knowledge from her. Her nephew, Hazrat Urwa^ra bin Zubair attested to her knowledge in the following words:

“I have never met anyone whose knowledge surpassed Hazrat Aisha’s^ra. She was the most scholarly person of her time in the Quran, fundamentals of religion, fiqh, poetry, medicine, Arabian history and genealogy.”
Scholars believe that one fourth of Islamic jurisprudence is based on her accounts. Such was her knowledge, which she passed on to the Muslim world.

Demise

Hazrat Aisha^ra passed away in 678 AD. In accordance with her wishes, she was buried in Jannat-ul-Baqi alongside the rest of the noble wives of the Holy Prophet^sa. It is narrated on the authority of Hazrat Amr bin Al ‘As^ra:
“I came to the Holy Prophet^sa and asked, ‘Who is the most beloved to you?’ He replied ‘Aisha.’ ‘And who among men?’ I asked. He replied, ‘Her father.’” (Sahih al Bukhari, Hadith no. 3662)

One of the wives of Prophet Muhammad, Aisha bint Abi Bakr, is known as the beloved wife of the prophet who led society in religious and political matters as the closest witness of the revelations

The Quran describes the wives of Prophet Muhammad as "the mothers of the believers." This has two meanings. One is that nobody could marry any of them after the prophet. The second meaning, which is also explained in some other lines of the Quran, is that the wives of Muhammad were "not like other women" and would be double awarded or punished for their good or bad deeds.

Among Muhammad's wives, Khadija bint Khuwaylid and Aisha bint Abi Bakr are the most famous. Khadija is considered the first of the believers. Besides, she was the beloved of Muhammad, which we are certain of since the prophet never married another woman during her lifetime.

Aisha comes next. Yet, she was very close to the prophet. There was a mutual affection between them. They played, bathed and swam together. Moreover, there was a close intellectual relationship between them. They had serious talks. Aisha never hesitated to say what she thought before Muhammad. Besides, she became one of the wisest people within the Muslim community after the prophet's death. She was involved in religious matters and political events as well.

Early life
Aisha was born in 613, three years after Muhammad received the initial revelations of the Quran, as the daughter of Abi Bakr, Muhammad's closest friend. Her mother, Umm Ruman, was from the Bani Kenane tribe of Mecca.


Some modern commentators argue that Aisha was older, but Aisha herself said: "I found my parents as Muslims already," which means that she cannot be older than the initial revelations. Aisha's age has been a problem for some modern Muslim historians since they try to show that she was more than 18 years old when she married Muhammad. Yet, the historical sources (the original hadiths) apparently show that she was younger than the modernist commentators want her to be.
Marrying the prophet
Aisha became engaged to Muhammad before the great pilgrimage to Medina after Khadija's death. She went to Medina with both her and Muhammad's family members to unite with the other Muslims and the prophet.
Sources tell us that Aisha could not get accustomed to the weather in Medina and fell sick. After she recovered, she married Muhammad, which was in the second year of the great pilgrimage.

Though we do not have much information about her childhood, we are sure that she was a very brilliant and active young woman after marrying the prophet. She served Muslim fighters in the Battle of Uhud by giving them water, collecting necessary information and treating wounded soldiers. She participated in some other battles, too. She accepted war prizes after the capture of Khaybar Castle from the Jews. Muhammad asked her if she wanted land or crops as spoils of war, and she chose land, which shows her intelligence in material subjects.
Accusation of adultery
The "Nur" (Light) chapter of the Quran tells us that Aisha was falsely accused by some people of adultery, who would be punished as God ascertained her innocence. According to the related hadiths, during a trip with the prophet and other Muslims, Aisha left her camel to relieve herself. Her slaves mounted the camel and prepared it for travel without noticing any difference in weight without Aisha's presence. 

Hence the caravan accidentally departed without her. She remained at the camp until the next morning when Safwan ibn al-Muattal, a nomad and member of Muhammad's army, found her and brought her back to Muhammad at the army's next camp. Rumors that Aisha and Safwan had committed adultery were spread, particularly by Abd-Allah ibn Ubayy, 

Hassan ibn Thabit, Mistah ibn Uthatha and Hammanah bint Jahsh (sister of Zaynab bint Jahsh, another of Muhammad's wives). Usama ibn Zayd, son of Zayd ibn Harithah, defended Aisha's reputation, while Ali ibn Abi Talib advised: "Women are plentiful, and you can easily change one for another." Muhammad came to speak directly with Aisha about the rumors. He was still sitting in her house when he announced that he had received a 

revelation from God confirming Aisha's innocence. Surah 24 details the Islamic laws and punishment regarding adultery and slander. Aisha's accusers were subjected to punishment of 80 lashes.
After the prophet's death
Muhammad died in Aisha's apartment as his head was lying on her knees. Aisha lived 47 years more after her beloved husband's death. She acted as a wise person of the ummah in Medina. Many hadiths come from her. The prophet loved her much and called her "Humayra" (White Face). Ali ibn Abu Talib refers to her as "the darling of Muhammad."

Although she remained silent politically during her father Abu Bakr's caliphate and also under Umar ibn al-Khattab's rule, Aisha became a political figure during the Uthman and Ali periods. She opposed some decisions of Uthman and she openly acted against Ali. For some years, she was like a leader of the opposition. She even fought two battles against Ali's forces and lost against him. After that, Aisha kept silent as a political figure until her death in 678. However, she criticized Muawiyah, too, from time to time, though she lived in tranquility in Medina.

Aisha was also a religious leader. Women always asked her what to do or what the prophet did in his life. Umar ibn al-Khattab also asked her advice, especially for women's matters.
Aisha knew the Quran and Sunnah (sayings and actions of Muhammad) very well. She was an intelligent person with a deep memory and good, sharp judgment.

Aisha loved poetry and said: "Teach poetry to your children and let them have taste in their tongue." She knew many poems of the greatest poets of her time, including Labid, Kaab ibr Malik, Hassan ibn Thabit and Abdullah ibn Rawahah, by heart. Thanks to her knowledge of poetry and brilliance, she was an effective orator as well.

She was called the “most truthful daughter of the most truthful one.”

She was most devout. Most beautiful. And she was wed to the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in the latter part of his lifetime.

The story of Aisha bint Abu Bakr (may God be pleased with her) is one of divinity, fortitude, knowledge and love. She contributed more than 2,000 hadith (sayings of the Prophet) to mankind- and is one of the most extraordinary figures in Islamic history.

The Prophet’s first wife, Khadija, supported him in the beginning of his Prophet hood in Mecca and through his most difficult days up until her death. Aisha supported the Prophet after his migration to Medina, through various battles and divine revelations up until his death.

Contextualizing the societal constructs of the Prophet’s time is critical when discussing Aisha. Her story is one that is used and abused to discredit the Prophet - at the hand of challengers insisting she was a child bride.

What is the real story of Aisha?

Some incredible facts about Aisha, may God be pleased with her:

Her Existence Was Divine “Marry her, since she is your wife,” Angel Gabriel revealed during the time the Prophet’s mosque was established in Medina and civilization was thriving.

The marriage of Aisha to the Prophet was divinely decreed. It was quite literally “a match made in heaven.”

Muhammad saw Aisha in a dream. Her father, companion to the Prophet, Abu Bakr, was delighted about the marriage. As an esteemed “Mother of the Believers,” he treated her with great honor. Muhammad had other wives (previously divorced or widowed) which was customary since women did not hold rights in pre-Islamic times. Women were treated like property; marriage was about survival. Aisha was his only pure wife who never married before or after him.

She Helped Establish a Woman’s Right to Choose Her Husband Pre-Islamic times were referred to as the Era of Jahiliyya or the Age of Ignorance. It was common practice for women to have no say in who they could marry, forced by their fathers and societal predilections. Women turned to Aisha for issues in their lives as well as marital advice. When a girl came to Aisha unhappy that her father was forcing an arranged marriage upon her, Aisha brought the matter to the Prophet who for the first time- established that a woman’s choice in marriage was hers to make. Though arranged marriages exist still today in many cultures of various faiths with both good and bad outcomes, it is this period in time that forced marriage became prohibited in Islam.

Her Life Experiences Resulted in Quranic Decrees Favoring Women Aisha combats slander in her death as she did in life. During an army caravan journey back to Medina from a campaign hailed Banu Mustaliq, Aisha was unwittingly left behind as she was off searching for her sister’s lost necklace. Rescued by a male army member, rumors soon spread that she was adulterous. Aisha reportedly fainted from grief upon realizing the magnitude of slander against her. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) received divine revelation- today known as surah an-Nur, that not only confirmed Aisha’s purity, it admonished those that took part in the slander. It also established that in Islam, one could not be accused of adultery unless there are four witnesses to the effect:

“Why did they not produce four witnesses (in support of the accusation?) Now that they have not produced witnesses, it is indeed they who are the liars in God’s sight. (an-Nur 24:13)

The way Mary and Joseph were slandered in the time of Jesus, so was Aisha. Her travail resulted in the Qu’ranic protection of false accusations against women from God Himself.

She Braved the Front Line in Battles Befitting the title of the Mother of the Believers, Aisha was courageous, braving the front line of the battlefield alongside her husband without a second thought. She famously took part in the Battles of Uhud, al-Khandaq, Banu Qurayza, Banu Mustaliq, Hudaybiya and the Meccan conquest.

She cared for the wounded and brought water to the armies. Aisha is attributed to the Qur’anic revelations of surah an-Nisa involving tayammum or the use of sand or dirt in the absence of water to perform wudu (ritual ablution before prayer.)

She Ran Circles Around Scholars of Her Time Aisha was the anti-sheep! She was feisty, questioning everything- believing nothing- unless it was proven to her beyond a shadow of a doubt. Her keen intuition allowed her to astutely understand the motivation that lie behind what people said and did. 

Aisha prayed with the Messenger himself, learning Islam from his most intimate and personal moments. She was in attendance at his famous last sermon. Graced with eidetic memory, she was a wealth of knowledge issuing justice so squarely- it didn’t matter who it was for or against. She even issued fatwas (rulings on dubious matters)

Poetic and superbly eloquent, scholars clamored to attend Aisha’s lectures. She was a teacher like no other teacher - with a God given gift for speaking.

A True Love Story
There was never hesitation from Aisha to become the wife of the Prophet of Islam. She loved him so much; she wanted him all to herself. It was a personal struggle for her to relinquish him to his other wives (who he was fair in dividing his time for) and to the people. Aisha shared tender moments with her husband and they lovingly teased each other. She even harbored some jealousy of her husband’s love for his first wife, Khadija, with good reason. Khadija was his ultimate love because of how she was the only person he could rely on during his darkest days. His love for Aisha, however, was so deep- it made him truly happy. The Prophet died on Aisha’s bosom. Upon his death, Aisha mourned intensely for her loss- never marrying again.

She Witnessed thousands of Miracles and Saw The Angel Gabriel Aisha was the only wife to witness the Messenger receiving revelation. She twice saw the Angel Gabriel in human form and received salaams (greetings of peace) directly from him.

She Was Not a Child Bride Though the controversy of Aisha’s age at her engagement, marriage and marital consummation will always persist, historical back-tracking of her age at death as well as key historical events that took place in her life most likely makes her age at engagement 14 or 15- while her age at marriage was most likely 17 or 18. For marriage customs dating back 1,400 years- she was actually getting “up there” in age!

Aisha the Champion Aisha spent her entire life as a champion for Islam. She lived a highly spiritual life knowing she was an example to mankind with the quest to reunite with her husband in the afterlife. Her days were spent in charity and fast, living modestly while spreading knowledge at every turn. People of all walks of life turned to her for advice all throughout her lifetime. Aisha remains a shining example in Islamic history, a gift to mankind.

Much credit for the information I learned for this article goes to the book, Aisha; The Wife, the Companion, the Scholar by: Resit Haylamaz. This is not an official endorsement or paid book review of any kind.