A Treasury of 'A'ishah: A Guidance from the Beloved of the Beloved: 7 (Treasury in Islamic Thought and Civilization, 7)

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Aisha garnered more special privileges in the Islamic community for being known as both a wife of Muhammad and the daughter of the first caliph. Being the daughter of Abu Bakr tied Aisha to honorable titles earned from her father's strong dedication to Islam. For example, she was given the title of al-siddiqa bint al-Siddiq, meaning 'the truthful woman, daughter of the truthful man', [81] a reference to Abu Bakr's support of the Isra and Mi'raj. [82] Aisha ( Arabic: عائشة بنت أبي بكر‎, romanized: ʿĀʾishah bint Abī Bakr; / ˈ ɑː iː ʃ ɑː/, [1] [2] also US: /- ʃ ə, aɪ ˈ iː ʃ ə/, [3] UK: / ɑː ˈ( j) iː ʃ ə/; [4] c. 613/614 – July 678) was Islamic prophet Muhammad's third and youngest wife. [5] [6] In Islamic writings, her name is thus often prefixed by the title "Mother of the Believers" (Arabic: أمّ المؤمنين‎, romanized: ʾumm al- muʾminīn), referring to the description of Muhammad's wives in the Qur'an. [7] [8] [9] Roded, Ruth (1994). Women in Islamic Biographical Collections: From Ibn Sa'd to Who's Who. Lynne Rienner Publishers. ISBN 978-1555874421. Among the myriad merits of this book, my personal highlight lies in the collection of supplications (Duas) recited by Aishah. Whether derived from her learnings with the revered Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) or those unattributed to him, witnessing Aishah's heartfelt selection and the reasons behind it was truly moving.

My Lord, have mercy on them, as they raised me when I was a child. (al-Isrā 17: 24) Transliteration Table ,,, Aisha was jealous of Khadija bint Khuwaylid, Muhammad's first wife, saying, "I did not feel jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet as much as I did of Khadija though I did not see her, the Prophet used to mention her very often, and whenever he slaughtered a sheep, he would cut its parts and send them to the women friends of Khadija. When I sometimes said to him, "(You treat Khadija in such a way) as if there is no woman on earth except Khadija," he would say, "Khadija was such-and-such, and from her I had children." [66] [ non-primary source needed]Roded, Ruth (2008). Women in Islam and the Middle East: A Reader. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 978-1845113858. In most Muslim traditions, Khadija bint Khuwaylid is described as Muhammad's most beloved and favored wife; Sunni tradition places Aisha as second only to Khadija. [46] [47] [48] [49] [50] There are several hadiths, or stories or sayings of Muhammad, that support this belief. One relates that when a companion asked Muhammad, "who is the person you love most in the world?" he responded, "Aisha." [51] Others relate that Muhammad built Aisha's apartment so that her door opened directly into the mosque, [52] [53] and that she was the only woman with whom Muhammad received revelations. [54] [55] They bathed in the same water and he prayed while she lay stretched out in front of him. [56] Aisha's importance to revitalizing the Arab tradition and leadership among the Arab women highlights her magnitude within Islam. [78] Aisha became involved in the politics of early Islam and the first three caliphate reigns: Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthman. During a time in Islam when women were not expected or wanted, to contribute outside the household, Aisha delivered public speeches, became directly involved in a war and even battles, and helped both men and women to understand the practices of Muhammad. [46] [ additional citation(s) needed] Role during caliphate Role during first and second caliphates Aslan, Reza (2005). No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-0385739757. After ‘Umar died, ‘Uthmān was chosen to be the third caliph. He wanted to promote the interests of the Umayyads. Aisha had little involvement with ‘Uthmān for the first couple years, but eventually, she found a way into the politics of his reign. She eventually grew to despise ‘Uthmān, and many are unsure of what specifically triggered her eventual opposition towards him. A prominent opposition that arose towards him was when ‘Uthmān mistreated ‘ Ammar ibn Yasir (companion of Muhammad) by beating him. Aisha became enraged and spoke out publicly, saying, "How soon indeed you have forgotten the practice (sunnah) of your prophet and these, his hairs, a shirt, and sandal have not yet perished!". [83]

Finally, but most fervently, all praise and thanks are to Allah, who heard the duʿā of this undeserving servant and out of His infinite generosity said Be and so it was. Introduction ,,,Not only was Aisha supportive of Muhammad, but she contributed scholarly intellect to the development of Islam. [99] She was given the title al-Siddiqah, meaning 'the one who affirms the truth'. Aisha was known for her "...expertise in the Quran, shares of inheritance, lawful and unlawful matters, poetry, Arabic literature, Arab history, genealogy, and general medicine." [99] Her intellectual contributions regarding the verbal texts of Islam were in time transcribed into written form, becoming the official history of Islam. [102] After the death of Muhammad, Aisha was regarded as the most reliable source in the teachings of hadith. [99] Aisha's authentication of Muhammad's ways of prayer and his recitation of the Qur'an allowed for the development of knowledge of his sunnah of praying and reading verses of the Quran. [46] What truly sets this literary masterpiece apart is Rehman’s ability to convey both the narrative and comprehensive analysis within a concise space. As we say in Arabic, "البلاغة في الإيجاز" (the art of eloquent brevity), Rehman masterfully achieves this throughout the diverse sections. With each anecdote illustrating Aishah's exemplary conduct, Rehman first presents the primary source, delving then into an elaborate exploration of how Aishah's wisdom and compassion enriched the underlying subject matter.

Little is known about the early life of Aisha. A preponderance of classical sources converge on Aisha being 6 or 7 years old at the time of her marriage, and 9 at the consummation; her age has become a source of ideological friction in modern times. [10] Aisha had an important role in early Islamic history, both during Muhammad's life and after his death. In Sunni tradition, Aisha is portrayed as scholarly, intelligent and inquisitive. She contributed to the spread of Muhammad's message and served the Muslim community for 44 years after his death. [11] She is also known for narrating 2,210 hadiths, [12] not just on matters related to Muhammad's private life, but also on topics such as inheritance, pilgrimage, and eschatology. [13] Her intellect and knowledge in various subjects, including poetry and medicine, were highly praised by early scholars and luminaries such as al-Zuhri and her student Urwa ibn al-Zubayr. [13] My deepfelt gratitude to Yahya Birt, who, unbeknown to him, fulfilled a long-time wish of mine when he proposed that I should write a Treasury of ʿĀ’ishah bint Abu Bakr  to contribute to the outstanding Treasury series. Thank you for your trust in me. I pray I have done the series justice. Objections to the Shia criticisms leveled at Ayesha". Shiapen.com. 17 October 2013. Archived from the original on 20 December 2013 . Retrieved 31 December 2013. Ali finds an exception in "traditional S. Asian biographers" who maintain outright frankness in noting the "practicalities" of marrying a virgin girl. [42]Esposito, John L. (2004a). "A'ishah in the Islamic World: Past and Present". Oxford Islamic Studies Online. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018 . Retrieved 12 November 2012.

Word spread to the small Muslim community that Muhammad's wives were speaking sharply to him and conspiring against him. Muhammad, saddened and upset, separated from his wives for a month. ‘Umar, Hafsa's father, scolded his daughter and also spoke to Muhammad of the matter. By the end of this time, his wives were humbled; they agreed to "speak correct and courteous words" [70] and to focus on the afterlife. [71] Death of Muhammad After 25 years of a monogamous relationship with his first wife, Khadija bint Khuwaylid, Muhammad participated in nine years of polygyny, marrying at least nine further wives. Muhammad's subsequent marriages were depicted purely as political matches rather than unions of sexual indulgence. In particular, Muhammad's unions with Aisha and Hafsa bint Umar associated him with two of the most significant leaders of the early Muslim community, Aisha's and Hafsa's fathers, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar ibn al-Khattāb, respectively. [98] After the defeat at the Battle of the Camel, Aisha retreated to Medina and became a teacher. [6] Upon her arrival in Medina, Aisha retired from her public role in politics. Her discontinuation of public politics did not stop her political influence completely. Privately, Aisha continued influencing those intertwined in the Islamic political sphere. Among the Islamic community, she was known as an intelligent woman who debated law with male companions. [103] Aisha was also considered to be the embodiment of proper rituals while partaking in the pilgrimage to Mecca, a journey she made with several groups of women. For the last two years of her life, Aisha spent much of her time telling the stories of Muhammad, hoping to correct false passages that had become influential in formulating Islamic law. Due to this, Aisha's political influence continues to impact Muslims. [6] DeathIbn Ishaq (1955). Sirat Rasul Allah[ The Life of Muhammad] (in Arabic). Translated by Alfred Guillaume. Oxford University. ISBN 978-0196360348. Great Women of Islam – Zaynab bint Jahsh". Archived from the original on 15 October 2012 . Retrieved 7 December 2012. al-Tabari (1990). The Last Years of the Prophet (PDF) (in Arabic). Vol.9. Translated by Ismail Poonawala. State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-0887066917. [ permanent dead link] Spellberg, Denise A. (1996). Politics, Gender, and the Islamic Past: The Legacy of 'A'isha Bint Abi Bakr. Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-07999-0.