Introduction

Mother of the Believers, Aisha bint Abu Bakr, the daughter of the man closest to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the third and youngest wife of the Prophet, was a woman of great importance in the advent of Islam. She was a commander, politician, women’s representative and an important Muhadditha.

In the account presented, I attempt to highlight and explain the overall significance of Aisha’s existence and the vitality of her contributions in Islam.

Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, good provision, and acceptable good deeds. (Aameen)

The Betrothal

Two years had already passed since the death of Khadija. The Messenger of God was living alone with his three daughters, all of them feeling the sadness of Khadija’s death together. One day, the wife of Uthman ibn Maz’un, Khawlah bint Hakim, came to the Messenger of God and asked him, respectfully, to get married again. Upon being asked the suitable recommendation, she put forth two names- Aisha, the daughter of Abu Bakr, and, Sawdah bint Zam’a, one of the earliest Muslims and the wife of Sakran ibn Amr who had died in Abyssinia. Both were very suitable options as former was the daughter of the friend whom the Messenger of God loved most among the people, and, the latter had accepted Islam during the most difficult times and had even migrated to Abyssinia to escape being persecuted by the Meccan pagans but due to the death of her husband in Abyssinia, she had returned. Since both of them were possibilities, the Messenger of God asked Khawlah to find out the ladies’ opinion. Khawlah was happy as she hoped to ease the Prophet’s troubles. She first approached Sawdah who was a mature and trustworthy woman. Though she still mourned for her husband in her heart, she readily agreed to the proposal as the marriage could cease her pain and also bestow blessings on her. However, her brother and some of her relatives clearly refused. Following this, Khawlah went to the house of Abu Bakr and spoke to his wife Umm Ruman. Umm Ruman was speechless with pleasure. However, she immediately remembered Abu Bakr’s promise long ago to Mut’im ibn Adiy when he had approached their residence to have Aisha as his daughter-in-law. That day, Abu Bakr had not declined the request and in those days, not declining a request was equivalent to betrothal. So, both the ladies impatiently waited for Abu Bakr to return. When Abu Bakr was given the news of the proposal, his eyes overflowed with tears as he certainly wished to become a relative of the Prophet. He immediately went to the house of Mut’im ibn Adiy to be relieved of the earlier promise. It was the month of Shawwal in the Twelfth year of revelation and an engagement was made between the Prophet and Aisha with four hundred dirham as the mahr (bridal due), quite generous in those times.

However, it so happened that Sawdah married the Messenger four years earlier than the time Aisha married him. Therefore, Sawdah became the second and Aisha the third wife of the Prophet!

The Marriage

After Hijra (the holy migration to Medina), Aisha had naturally settled in her father’s home. The Prophet’s mosque had been constructed and the civilization started to flourish in Medina. Around this time, Gabriel also brought the message of marriage (with Aisha) to the Prophet and the preparations started instantly. One bedroom house was constructed near the mosque. It was so small that when the Prophet stood up, his head nearly touched the ceiling and when Aisha laid down to rest, the remaining area was not enough for prostrating. It was small physically, but was adorned spiritually, for it later on came to be known as “the school of Prophethood” or “the house of felicity”. It was again in the month of Shawwal, Aisha was married to the Messenger of God and became the most loved among all the wives of the Prophet. Quite naturally, Aisha was nervous and frightened before. However, she felt at ease upon taking her very first step into her new home. She was accompanied by her friends and the Prophet welcomed them by offering milk which Aisha accepted very shyly, lacking the courage to look at the smiling face of the Prophet.

Thus, without any ostentation the simple wedding was finished. From then on, there was Aisha, the Mother of Believers, in the Prophet’s household who followed the Prophet closely when he was apart from the society. Hence, having opened doors that may have stayed shut, particularly about family life and women.

Her love for the Prophet

Aisha loved the Messenger of God very much. Her love was a reflection of her respect and loyalty. She wanted accompany him all the time. However, the Messenger of God had made a schedule for his wives and divided his days equally among them and Aisha’s turn came only every nine days. On her day, Aisha was sensitive to anything that interfered with their togetherness. One night she woke up and realized that the Messenger of God was not with her. She got anxious thinking that he had left to visit one of his other wives and fumbled around with agitation. Then her hand touched one of his feet and she was relieved to discover that he was prostrating. Aisha was touched when she heard his sincere supplications. God’s Messenger always understood her sensitivity and appreciated her generous motives. Inside her home with the Prophet, which was warm and full of mutual love and respect, there was not even the smallest problem that could damage their relationship. Her love for him continued even after his death. She continually kept herself far from worldly blessings.

The Prophet’s love

The love that Aisha had for the Prophet was not one-sided. The Messenger of God also loved her deeply. Of course, the Prophet represented justice, but love cannot be constrained by human will. His love for Aisha was a reflection of human nature. He never discriminated against any wife, and behaved with kindness to all of them, but he could not help how he felt. So he always turned to God and prayed to him to erase any deficiency that may have arisen from his deferring emotions. The love between Aisha and the Prophet was so clear that people sent Aisha to help him forget conflicts and make him happy again. Once, on a trip together, Aisha’s camel lost its way and departed from others, becoming lost in a place called Kharra .The Messenger of God became anxious and immediately started looking for her and was deeply saddened. This and several other incidents made society more careful when it came to Aisha. His preference continued until the day he died. God took his soul when his head was on Aisha’s bosom. With all this in mind, Anas ibn Malik rightly stated that the first great love in Islam was the love of God’s Messenger for Aisha.

The real reason for this love

One can only wonder about the Prophet’s love for Aisha compared to his love for other wives. First of all, the Messenger of God often reminded others that Aisha was the daughter of his closest friend, Abu Bakr. Secondly, upon analyzing the narrations, we can understand that the Prophet’s overflowing love for her was her religion. The Messenger of God had once said that a woman was married for three things- her wealth, her beauty, and, her religion. Yet, the religion aspect should always be given preference for it is the foundation of serenity. Also, Aisha led her family in brilliance and knowledge. Since she saw the Prophet’s both public and private sides, she became a distinguished teacher and interpreter of the Quran and Hadith. The Messenger of God advised Muslims to learn the details of religion from her. Hence, Aisha was special in all respects. She saw Gabriel twice and received greetings from him through the Prophet. Revelation came when the Prophet was alone or when he was with Aisha, in her room. Indeed, the basis for their love was divine.

Her Immaculate Persona

1. Her Worship

Aisha lived an exemplary life in all respects. She was at the height of her service to God. She directed her earthly life toward the life of the Hereafter. She joined the Prophet in Tahajjud prayers and sometimes prayed with him all night until sunrise. Her nights were brighter than her mornings. She followed the congregational Prayer from her room adjacent to the mosque. She joined the Messenger of God in fasting too. Aisha once performed Hajj with the Messenger of God-it was his last. She went to Mecca several times after he died. In the later years, because of the increasing crowd of believers, Aisha circled the Ka’ba very carefully to avoid mixing with men, doing her rotation on a wider scale. It took longer and increased her hardships but despite that she looked for chances to be alone. Likewise, she was meticulous about Umrah too. Aisha led an ascetic life. Following God’s Messenger was her goal. She always remained concerned about her position in the afterlife and never thought of herself as guaranteed such mercy.

2. Her Humility

Aisha didn’t muddle in any issues other than those concerning religious decrees and never spent time nagging other people for their mistakes. She warned those who abused others and never skipped clearly pointing out what was wrong. She flew into rage whenever people around her engaged in gossip or backbiting. She did not return slander and did not hold any grudges. She habitually used any small excuse to emancipate a slave. She only had one dress which she would wash, dry and wear again. This choice wasn’t a result of poverty as she chose the same lifestyle even in times of plenty. She had chosen it out of her own free will and lived a life centered on the Hereafter.

3. Her Generosity

Aisha always lived for others. She would forget her own needs and give to needy people whatever she had. When she had nothing to give, she would borrow from someone else and give it as charity. One day, they sacrificed an animal and Aisha gave away meat from entire animal until only its shoulder blade remained. When the Prophet returned and enquired about what remained of the animal, Aisha replied “I distributed all of it, only its shoulder blade remains.” The Prophet knew that the good deed recorded for charity given for God’s sake will never be removed and is permanent. So the Messenger of God said: “No dear Aisha, on the contrary, every part of it except its shoulder blade remains (as an eternal reward)”.

4. Her attention to Hijab

While Aisha warned others about Hijab, she herself paid strict attention to it. As a wife of the Prophet, she was a mother to other Muslims. In spite of this she behaved carefully and kept a distance between herself and men who were not close relatives. She covered even around blind men. She was meticulous even during a visit to the cemetery. After Umar was martyred and buried in the House of Felicity, alongside the Messenger of God and Abu Bakr, Aisha conducted her visits more carefully and less frequently to the graves of her husband and father.

5. Her attendance to military campaigns

Aisha’s bravery was immense and she did not shy away from being on the front lines, even in most fierce battles. She was often found on the battle field with the Messenger of God. She supported those fighting in the battle and at the same time, served God’s Messenger. She was seen carrying water on her shoulders for the wounded veterans during the Battle of Uhud.

6. Her Oration, Poetry, and, Literary Skills

Aisha was a master of Arabic language. When she spoke, she commanded the attention of everyone around. Her power of description was strong and her selection of words was sensitive. Her sense of poetry, eloquence, and, aesthetics came from her father, who also taught her the sciences of genealogy and history. Besides the superior literacy of her father Abu Bakr, the reasons for her outstanding expressiveness were her knowledge of the Quran, attending the sermons of God’s Messenger, willingness and aptitude for understanding and memorizing the statements of God’s Messenger, and, the emphasis on oral tradition, poetry, and storytelling of the seventh century Arabia.

The Slander

Abdullah ibn Ubay ibn Salul, the leader of the Hypocrites, was on the lookout for an opportunity to weaken the reputation of God’s Messenger and keep people away from him. He and other Hypocrites voluntarily attended the Battle of Banu Mustaliq with an aim to exaggerate small tensions that erupted by chance to cause a rift between the Helpers and the Emigrants. If the Messenger of God had not intervened at the right time, they had set up an unending feud between the two. Slowly when some perceptive Companions recognized his plotting, he denied his statements and actions and behaved as if he were as pure as snow. It came to the point where Umar proposed to kill him but the Messenger of God didn’t let him saying: “No, Umar. Then wouldn’t people say Muhammad is killing his friends?”. After this chain of negative events they continued on their journey until a break was given which didn’t last long and they continued towards Medina. Suddenly Safwan ibn Muattal was seen catching up from behind with Aisha atop his camel. Aisha had been forgotten at the place where they rested and since she was very slender, the palanquin had been carried without anyone noticing the difference in weight. She had helplessly called for them but of no use, so she squatted and waited for her people to come back for her. Safwan ibn Muattal had lagged behind the army came and upon seeing a distinct figure in the distance, he led his camel near it and was surprised to see the Mother of Believers. Aisha covered her face quickly with her veil and was very happy to see someone among her people. For the Companions, the mothers of believers (wives of the Prophet) deserved respect beyond their own mothers. In order to help her get on the camel comfortably, he jumped off, lowered the camel, stepped aside and asked her to get on. He held the halter of the camel while Aisha rode it and finally they reached the rear of the army. Ibn Salul had seen the scene of Aisha’s arrival with Safwan. His eyes met with the eyes of other Hypocrites and together they started to slander Aisha. Before they had reached Medina, there was no one left who had not heard it.

Twenty eight days had passed since they returned. When they returned to Medina, Aisha became sick and alone remained unaware of the slander. The Messenger of God and the family of Abu Bakr had heard the slander and were grieved but they didn’t feel it necessary to tell Aisha, perhaps because they didn’t believe what had been said. But Aisha felt a difference in the behavior of the Prophet so she asked him to let her go to her mother’s for few days to which he indifferently agreed. She felt hurt and was unable to pull herself together. Some people came to visit her during her illness and finally she came to know about the slander from a close relative who explained to her, at length, about the rumors. Aisha cried her eyes out. Her heart was filled with sorrow, she had difficulties breathing, and her sobs were suffocating. The sickness which had been about to end was doubled. After some days passed, God’s Messenger came to the house of Abu Bakr and sat down expressing his greetings. The Prophet turned to Aisha and asked her to tell him the truth. This further devastated Aisha as the Prophet had mentioned a possibility of adultery. Even her own parents were affected by the slander. Aisha made it clear that she would not say anything on her own and would only seek God’s help. She believed completely that she would not return empty handed, so she kept supplicating to God. A short time later, there was a change in God’s Messenger’s state and it could be understood that he was receiving a message from Gabriel, who had not spoken for one month. Then the state of God’s Messenger returned to normal and he declared that God had revealed a verse that Aisha was pure and that the slander was not true! A month of trouble ended and Aisha’s eyes shone with joy. Instantly, she got up to pray and thank God. From then on, there were verses in the Quran acquitting Aisha and informing every era about the purity of her life.

Aisha’s Status

Among all wives, Aisha was the most special and everyone in the Prophet’s household acknowledged this.

1. It was because of Aisha that the Quran revealed the punishment for slander, and the sentence was applied directly by the Messenger of God.
2. Because of Aisha, the verse about Tayammum (performing ablution with sand or earth, in case of unavailability of water) was revealed.
3. In Mecca, she was shown to the Messenger of God in a dream, and he was told directly by Gabriel that she would be his wife.
4. Aisha was the only wife of God’s Messenger who was a virgin when they married.
5. She was the only one whose mother and father were Emigrants.
6. Aisha was the only wife who witnessed a revelation as it came to the Prophet. Aisha was the only one who saw Gabriel (in human form) and Gabriel greeted her as well.
7. Aisha’s bridal due was higher than the others.
8. After the day that Sawdah gave her turn to Aisha, the time that Aisha spent with God’s Messenger was double than that of others.
9. The Messenger of God raced against her twice during his life.
10. Aisha became distinguished in knowledge- no other wife, and no woman among the Companions narrated as many hadiths as she did.

God’s Messenger declared that he had seen Aisha in heaven, and described the shining whiteness of her palms. God’s Messenger wanted to spend his last fourteen days with her. He passed away with his head in her lap. Aisha continued to share the same room with God’s Messenger even after his death.

After the Prophet

After the death of the Messenger of God, all of them suffered, but life continued. As before, people continued to bring their newborn children to the House of Felicity to ask for prayers and Aisha prayed and asked for God’s blessings. People knew she was a treasure trove of knowledge and continued to visit her often to learn more. Her status was preserved during the times of all the Caliphs.

Aisha has been and shall always be “The Beloved of the Prophet and the Immaculate Mother of Believers”. 

Inshallah.

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Bibliography:

• “Aisha- the wife, the companion, the Scholar” by Resit Haylamaz