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Woman For All Seasons: Aisha bint Abu Bakr Denise Halel In
the land of Arabia, a child was born, and this child grew into a
remarkable and great Muslim—and her name was Aisha. Through
the centuries, there have been numerous accusations and theories to
discredit Islam and its last Prophet, Muhammad (pbuh).
Currently, one of the accusations against the noble character of
the Prophet is about his marriage to young Aisha.
The prophet’s marriage to Aisha at her young age was an exception
and not a norm of his other marriages, although it was a norm in Biblical
and Qur’anic times. Based
on the culture at that time, no one saw anything wrong with the union
between Muhammad (pbuh) and Aisha. The
point is: Muhammad and Aisha lived in a society and culture that existed
1400 years ago, and we must not judge what he or others did based on the
standards we have set today. It is
interesting to note that Aisha was already engaged to a man named Jubair
Ibn al Mut’am inb ‘Adi before she become engaged to Muhammad (pbuh).
Back then, society did not object to Aisha's engagement to Jubair. Jubair's
parents broke the engagement because they feared that their son might
convert to Islam. In
order to better understand the marriage between Aisha and prophet Muhammad
(pbuh), in the light of Islam and life in the “modern” world,
we
will look at the life, character, and appeal of Aisha.
According
to the historical records, Aisha was born in 614 C. E., after her parents
had embraced Islam. She was
the daughter of Umm Ruman and Abu Bakr (the first khalifa in
Islamic history), a close friend, constant companion, and strong follower
of the Prophet. Abu Bakr,
who was well liked and respected for his vast knowledge and
pleasant demeanor raised her. Muhammad
(pbuh) was a frequent caller to their home from the early days of his
mission. The
Prophet’s marriage to Aisha was an exceedingly happy one for both of
them, and that this union was Divinely revealed: It
is difficult to imagine what life must have been like for young Aisha;
suffice it to say, she was a generous soul and a patient one.
She lived in poverty and hunger that often lasted for long periods
of time. For days no fire
would be lit in her sparsely furnished room for cooking or baking bread
and they would live on dates and water.
Muhammad
(pbuh) married a number of other women, not due to reasons of sexuality,
but rather due to several other reasons including: furthering the cause of
Islam, strengthening the ties of kinship, and helping a woman in need.
During the early years of Islam many battles were fought and many
men died. The Prophet married
widows or women that had been abandoned and were in need of a home, to
give them a place of respectability in the community and to assure that
they were cared for. In the
pre-Islamic days widows were not allowed to remarry freely, they were
treated as possessions by the family and not as respected community
members. The Prophet, by
example, taught us that women are to be respected, are individual beings,
and have the right to live their lives freely.
Gifted
with tremendous intelligence, extraordinary wisdom, and formidable memory,
Aisha was one of the Prophet’s most devoted pupils and followed his
every action and example. She
was skilled in medicine, poetry, mathematics, and speaking.
Aisha was never too reserved or shy to ask questions; this in
itself teaches us the importance of questioning that which we do not
understand. As Muhammad’s
(pbuh) wife and close companion, she gained insight and knowledge such as
no woman has ever acquired, and during her ten years of marriage as the
loving wife of Muhammad (pbuh), Aisha’s moral fiber was built in an
ideal and exceptional manner. She
was an eyewitness to a number of revelations and had a clear idea of the
circumstances in which they were revealed. Aisha
did not study in any school, college, or university, yet professors and
students of literature, law, and Muslim history study her eloquent words.
She not only possessed great knowledge but also was active in
education and social reform. Under
her care and guidance, Aisha took boys and girls (some of them orphans)
into her custody and educated them. She
was a pioneer in promoting education and in particular the education of
women. Aisha,
the wife of Muhammad (pbuh) was also a brave young politically active
woman who was present on a number of battlefields, including the battles
of Badr, Uhud, and Al-Khandaq, three major battles that shifted the
balance of power into the hands of the Muslims.
Aisha participated by bringing water to the Muslim warriors and
tending to the wounded. She
also taught many things related to women, but many learned men,
companions, and followers of the Prophet also benefited from her wisdom.
Abu Musa al-Ashari once said, “If we companions of the Messenger
of God had any difficulty on a matter, we asked Aisha about it.”
It is the claim of Islamic scholars that without Aisha, half of the
Ilm-I-Hadith (understanding and knowledge of the Hadith and Islam)
would have perished. Because
of the strength of her personality, she was a leader in every field in
knowledge, in society, in politics, and in war.
Aisha helped to preserve and protect the ways and behavior of
Muhammad (pbhu), not only by embodying it herself, but also by teaching it
to others. As
a teacher, Aisha had a clear and persuasive manner of speech and her power
of oratory has been described in superlative terms by al-Ahnaf who said,
“I have heard speeches of Abu Bakr and Umar, Uthman and Ali and the
Khulafa up to this day, but I have not heard a speech more persuasive and
more beautiful from the mouth of any person than from the mouth of Aisha.”
Arwa Bin Zubair said, “I
did not find anyone more proficient than Aisha in the knowledge of the
Qur’an, the Commandments of Halal (lawful) and Haram (prohibited).
That is why even senior companions of the Prophet used to consult
Aisha in resolving intricate issues.”
Her significant example of being highly regarded especially among
the men plays an important role in removing beyond a shadow of a doubt and
uncertainties regarding women to be inferior to men in aspects of faith or
false notions condemning women to be hindered from earning a high status
in society, especially in terms of spiritual growth and morality.
Aisha
lived in honor for almost fifty years following the death of the Prophet,
most of this time was spent learning and acquiring knowledge of the
Qur’an and Sunnah. Furthermore,
she memorized the Revelation, understood it, and had her own script of the
Qur’an written after the Prophet died.
Aisha is deemed to be an authority for the interpretation of the
Qur’an and as a transmitter of hadith (sayings of the Prophet).
Her narration of at least 2,000 hadith (many of these
pertaining to some of the most intimate aspects of personal behavior) gave
Muslims valuable insights into the Prophet’s daily life and behavior,
thus preserving the Sunnah of Muhammad (phuh).
Aisha died in 678 C. E. and was buried beside other companions of
the Prophet. Aisha
is proof positive that women can be more learned than men and can be the
teacher of scholars; she can exert influence over men and women and, at
the same time, be a loving source of joy and pleasure to her husband. Although
Aisha was a childless widow at a young age, she is known among Muslims as
Mother of the Believers. Aisha
was the most knowledgeable and pious Muslim woman of her time and
continues to be a role model and source of inspiration for Muslims and
non-Muslims around the world. Sources: Published in the September issue of 'Islâmic Reflections 2002' |