aisha, wife of prophet muhammad (peace be upon him)

5/20/2018 Aisha, wife of prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

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Aisha - Youngest Wife of the Prophet

Muhammad

Short Biography of Aisha Bint Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq

Aisha was the youngest and favorite wife of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Aisha

(r.a) was a great Muslim lady. She was very talented and had a wonderful memory. A Muslimscholar, she is credited with narrating more than two thousand hadith. She had a great love of

learning and became noted for her intelligence, learning and sharp sense of judgement.Aishah

(r.a ) memoried !uite a number of Surahs of the "ur#an. $er father was a man of learning andshe inherited his love of %nowledge.

&ollowing the death of his first wife of ' years, hadija bint hawilad, the Prophet Muhammad

(peace be upon him)* entered into twelve other marriages. Aisha +int Abu +a%r AlSiddi! wasthe third and youngest wife, and the only childbride.

Aisha - Child Bride

Aisha was born in Mecca in -/ 01 to 2mm 3uman and Abu +a%r AlSiddi!, the closest friend

of the Prophet Muhammad ( sal ) and the first %halifa of 4slam. Most accounts report that Aisha

was si5 years old at the time of her marriage and nine when the marriage was consummated. Sheonly went to live with him when she was ' ( some say ). Although the bridal age of Aisha

sometimes draws criticism, child marriages in 6th century Arabia were culturally and morally

acceptable, just as they were in +iblical times.

7he Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) was %nown to have an impeccable character, andhis marriage to a child bride was an e5ception to his other marriages. Aisha was the only child

and one of only two virgins to marry the Prophet (peace be upon him). $is other wives were all

widowed or divorced.


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Why did Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) married young Ayesha Siddiqua (May Allahbe pleased ith her)!

7hrough the centuries, orientalists have advance numerous accusations and farfetched theories

to discredit 4slam and its last Prophet, Muhammad (peace be upon him). Praise be to Allah alone,all such accusations have been successfully refuted by the Muslims 2mmah. 0urrently, one ofthe 8reinvented8 accusations against the noble character of the Prophet is about his marriage to

young Aisha Siddi!a (r.a.).

Two main theories are often adan!e by orientalists to atta!k the pure !hara!ter of

Prophet Muhammad "pbuh# on his marriage to Aisha "r$a$# at her young age$

A$ %e was a Pedophile$

B$ %e was inoled in !hild abuse$

&et's analy(e ea!h theory to dig out the truth) through the *uidan!e of Allah

"SWT#$

A" Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) married Aisha (r"a") be#ause he as apedophile!

Definition of a Pedophile:

9Pedophile: also spelled PA1;>?.

7he diagnostic criteria for pedophilia according to American Psychiatric Association:


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$oes the prophet %it the abo&e #riteria o% a paedophile!

@ith the above criteria of a pedophile in mind, lets analye the lifestyle of the prophet and his

marriages.

$is marriages:

Name of Bride Bride's age at

marriage

Comments

.$arat hadija +int

huwaylid

/ 7wice widowed before

'. $arat Sawada +intBam8a

@idow

C. $arat A8isha +int Abu

+a%r

> Started living with the

prophet at the age of >

/.$arat $afsa +int 82mar '' @idow

.$arat Baynab +int

huayma

C D

-.$arat 2mmay Salama

$ind +int Abi 2mayya

'- @idow

6.$arat Baynab +int Eahsh C? @idow

?.$arat Euwayria +int Al$aritha

' @idow

>. $arat 2mm $abiba3amla +int +int Abi

Sufyan

C- @idow

.$arat Safya +int

$uyayya

6 @idow

.$arat Maymuna +intAl$aritha

C- @idow

'.$arat Maria al

"ibtiyya

6 Firgin, 1gyptian

Statisti#s %rom the abo&e table'

Percentage of his wives who were 6 years and older G > H

Percentage of his wives who were widows G 6H


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Comments:7he statistics show that the prophet8s marriage to Aisha at her young age was an

e5ception and not a norm of his other marriages. &urthermore 9a pedophile#s main mode of

se5ual satisfaction is with prepubescent girls9, which is contradictory to the >H of prophet8smarriage to women 6 years and over. An unbiased e5amination of Prophet8s life and his

marriages to his wives blatantly rejects the notion of his lifestyle fitting that of a pedophile. All

his brides were aged widows (e5cept Aisha and Marya).

94t is impossible for anyone who studies the life and character of the great Prophet of Arabia,who %nows how he taught and how he lived, to feel anything but reverence for that mighty

Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme. And although in what 4 put to you 4 shall

say many things which may be familiar to many, yet 4 myself feel whenever 4 reread them, anew way of admiration, a new sense of reverence for that mighty Arabian teacher.9

B" thers #laim that the noble Prophet (pea#e be upon him) indulged in

#hild-abuse hen he married Aisha at her young age

=et scrutinie this allegation...

Definition of Child Abuse:

0hild Abuse, also called 0321=7I 7< 0$4=;31J, the wilful and unjustifiable infliction of

pain and suffering on children. 7he term can denote the use of inordinate physical violenceKunjustifiable verbal abuseK the failure to furnish proper shelter, nourishment, medical treatment,

or emotional supportK incestK other cases of se5ual molestation K and the ma%ing of child

pornography. &re!uently described by the medical profession as the 9batteredchild syndrome,9abusive treatment of children is almost universally proscribed by criminal statutes. 0hild abuse

can have serious future conse!uences for the victims involved. ;elays in physical growth,

impaired language and cognitive abilities, and problems in personality development, learning,

and behaviors are common following instances of child abuse or neglect. 1ncyclopedia+ritannica, >>?

Comments:Jone of the criteria of childabuse applies to the noble life of the Prophet (pbuh).7here is no single incident of any infliction of pain and suffering by the prophet on Aisha or any

other human being for that matter. Jeither any instance of verbal or se5ual abuse can be

concluded from the relationship of the prophet with Aisha (r.a.) or any of his wives.

An abused child can have serious future conse!uences...delayed physical growth, impaired

language. learning and behavior...etc (above definition). As one e5amines the chaste life of Aisha

(r.a.), her personality, physical, mental and spiritual development are all contrary to that of anabused child. 4n fact through the Prophet8s marriage and his guidance to Aisha, history testifies

that she should be labeled not as an abused child but as a 8blessed child8.

After analying and refuting the accusations against the noble character of Prophet Muhammad


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(peace be upon him), the only viable alternative left with us is:

C" he Prophet married Aisha %or the bene%it o% *slam and Humanity

=ets analye...

+$7he Prophet married Aisha primarily for three reasons:

a. 7o reinforce the friendly relations already e5isting with Abu +a%r (r.a)(his closest companion).

b. 7o educate and train Aisha for the purposes of 4slam.

c. 7o utilie her capabilities for the sa%e of 4slam.

,$$er Marriage with the prophet was a Wahy(;ivine 3evelation). She, herself relates from the

Prophet. %e said) '. saw you in dreams three times$ The angel brought you to me and you

were !lad in white silk$ %e "the angel# said that it was your !onsort and he "angel# showed

me by opening your fa!e$ You are /ust like that...Sahih Muslim, Fol.', p. '?.

0$Aisha (r.a.) was born after her parents had embraced 4slam. 7herefore, she was free from thedefilement of polytheism right from her birth.

1$4n her youth, already %nown for her stri%ing beauty and her formidable memory,she came

under the loving care and attention of the Prophet himself. As his wife and close companion sheac!uired from him %nowledge and insight such as no woman has ever ac!uired.

Aisha lived on almost fifty years after the passing away of the Prophet. She had been his wife fora decade. Much of this time was spent in learning and ac!uiring %nowledge of the two most

important sources of Lod8s guidance, the "ur8an and the Sunnah of $is Prophet. Aisha (r.a.) was

one of the three wives (the other two being $afsa (r.a.) and 2mm Salama (r.a.) who memorisedthe 3evelation. =i%e $afsa (r.a.), she had her own script of the "ur8an written after the Prophet

had died.

So far as the $adith or sayings of the Prophet is concerned, Aisha (r.a.) is one of four persons

(the others being Abu $urayra, Abdullah ibn 2mar, and Anas ibn Mali%) who transmitted morethan two thousand sayings. &rom her, '' $adith have come, out of which 6/ $adith are

commonly agreed upon by both +u%hari and Muslim.

Many of her transmissions pertain to some of the most intimate aspects of personal behaviour

which only someone in Aishah8s position could have learnt. @hat is most important is that her%nowledge of $adith was passed on in written form by at least three persons including her

nephew 2rwah who became one of the greatest scholars among the generation after the


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0ompanions.

4t is the claim of the Scholars of 4slam that without her, half of theIlm-I-Hadith%nowledge,understanding of the $adith (and 4slam)N would have perished.

2$Many of the learned companions of the Prophet and their followers benefited from Aishah8s%nowledge.Arwa +in Bubair says,

94 did not find anyone more proficient than Aisha (r.a.)N in the %nowledge of the $oly "ur8an,the 0ommandments of $alal (lawful) and $aram (prohibited), 4lmulAnsab and Arabic poetry.

7hat is why, even senior companions of the Prophet used to consult Aisha (r.a.) in resolving

intricate issued9.

4bn "ayyim and 4bn Sa8ad, EalaulAfham, vol. ', p. '-.

Abu Musa alAsh8ari says:

9Jever had we (the companions) had any difficulty for the solution of which we approached

Aisha and did not get some useful information from her9.

Sirat-I-Aisha, on the authority of 7rimidhi, p. -C.

3$As a teacher she had a clear and persuasive manner of speech and her power of oratory has

been described in superlative terms by alAhnaf who said: 94 have heard speeches of Abu +a%rand 2mar, 2thman and Ali and the hulafa up to this day, but 4 have not heard speech morepersuasive and more beautiful from the mouth of any person than from the mouth of Aisha.9

The Prophet said,

The superiority of 'Aisha to other ladies is like the superiority of Tharid"i$e$ meat and

bread dish# to other meals$ Many men rea!hed the leel of perfe!tion) but no woman

rea!hed su!h a leel e4!ept Mary) the daughter of .mran and Asia) the wife of Pharaoh$

Sahih Al+u%hari $adith, Jarrated by Abu Musa AlAsh8ari $adith /.-/C.

Musa 4bn 7alha (r.a.) says,

94 did not see anyone more elo!uent than Aisha (r.a.)9

Mustadra% of $a%im, vol./, p..

5$Men and women came from far and wide to benefit from her %nowledge.


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Aishah8s great interest in the study of the "ur8an is understandable. She was an eyewitness to a

number of revelations and had therefore a clear idea of the circumstances in which they were

revealed. 4t was on her bed alone (and no other consort8s) that the Prophet received @ahy (;ivine3evelations) several times. 7his helped her in interpreting the verses.

6$At the time of the Prophet8s death, the Prophet8s head was on her lap. 4t was in her !uarters thatthe Prophet was buried.

A Strategi# Marriage

Aishah#s(r.a) marriage to the Prophet (peace be upon him) represents another cultural norm of

her time O marriages which solidified family, tribal or political ties. Aishah#s(r.a) father, Abu+a%r AlSiddi!, was an early follower of 4slam, close personal friend of the Prophet (peace be

upon him) and a prominent figure in Ma%%ah. Marriage to Aisha allowed the Prophet (peace be

upon him) and Abu +a%r to establish a public alliance, while the young bride received honored

status as wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him).And Aishah (r.a ) was fortunate to be trainedunder the care of the greatest teacher of man%ind, Prophet Muhammed ( sal ). 7his training made

her one of the most notable Muslim ladies in 4slamic history.

he Prophet+s ,a&orite Wi%e

Although the marriage was strategic, historical accounts report genuine affection between the

two, and Aisha became %nown as the Prophet#s (peace be upon him) favorite wife.Aishah (r.a )

was totally devoted to the Prophet Muhammed ( sal ), her husband, and he loved herdearly.Aishah ( r.a ) loved and enjoyed serving her husband. She used to do the household wor%,

including grinding flour and ba%ing bread. She would ma%e the beds and do the family#swashing. She always %ept ready for the Prophet#s ( sal ) ablutions before prayer. She li%ed whatthe Prophet ( Sal ) li%ed and disli%ed what he disli%ed. 4f Aishah ( r.a ) loved anyone more than

her husband Muhammad ( sal ) , it was Almighty Allah. 7his was the teaching of the Prophet

( sal ).

7he Prophet (sal ) did not love her only for her physical beauty but also for her intelligence,

sound judgment and personality. 7he prophet ( sal ) fell ill in A$ and Aishah ( r.a ) nursed himwith all the love and care of a devoted wife. 4t was in her lap that he rested his head when he

died, and under the floor of her house that he was buried. 7he Prophet8s Masjid (Masjid Nabawi)

now stands on that site in Madina, Saudi Arabia.

Aishah+s Pre%eren#e:

Aishah ( r.a ) was also present at her father#s death bed. Abu ba%r as%ed her how manypieces of cloth were used to bury the Prophet ( sal ) and she told him three. $e as%ed his


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daughter to wrap him also in three sheets of burial.

Aishah (r.a) saved the place beside her father#s grave for her own burial but, after the

injury which was to prove fatal, 2mar the second halifah of 4slam, sent his son Abdullah to

Aishah(r.a) to as% permission for him to be buried beside Abu +a%r. She agreed to 2mar#swishing saying, Q7oday 4 prefer 2mar to myself.R @hich shows how great she wasD

S#holar and Witness to *slami# History

Aishah was reported to have been very beautiful, but it is her piety, intelligence and remar%able

memory that ma%e her a notable figure in 4slamic history. She absorbed vast religious %nowledge

from the Prophet (peace be upon him) O including memoriing the entire "ur8an O and was

witness to much of the early history of 4slam. She helped preserve the details of those events, aswell as the details of the private and public life of Muhammad (peace be upon him), by narrating

more than two thousand hadith.

Aishah was only ? when the Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away, but she wasalready regarded a religious scholar.


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wife and to remain loyal and chaste. Muslim women can rise to prominence with 4slam . Allah

the 0reator has fi5ed their rights and duties according to their nature and biological ma%eup.

Aishah#s life is an e5ample for young Muslim girls, who should try to follow her devotion

and love for her husband and her special aptitude for %nowledge and learning.

Aisha emembered

Aisha passed away in ?A$ at the age of -6 on 6 3amadhan. $er scholarly contributions to4slam, as well as her pious e5ample, have earned her special status among the QMothers of the

+elievers,R a term of honor given to all the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him).

* Muslims invoke Allahs blessin!s on the "ro#het Muhammad whenever his name is mentioned

aisha, wife of prophet muhammad (peace be upon him)

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