Hazrat Aaisha r.a

Aaisha
Beloved Wife of
The Prophet s.w.a.

Bismillahir'Rahmanir'Rahim

The Life of Aaisha is a wonderful Illustration that a Muslim woman can be a scholar and a teacher. Aaisha exerted a Powerful influence in the early Islamic community and provided many others with inspiration and leadership. Her talks are still read in literature courses, her legal pronouncements are studied in law schools, and her life and works have been examined by students of Muslim history for nearly 1,400 years.

In her early childhood Aaisha was brought up by her father, Abu Bakr, a man of wide knowledge and the closet friend of the Prophet s.w.a. in her youth, Aaisha was known for her striking beauty and her extraordinary memory.

Aaisha married the prophet s.w.a. in 624 C.E, during the second year after the migration to Madinah, when she was about 14 or 15 years old. This was considered a normal age for marriage at that time. Before and after her wedding, Aaisha maintained a natural gaiety and innocence. She was not overawed by her marriage to the Messenger of God, Whom all his companions, including her own mother and father, treated with a level of love and reverence they gave to no one else. As his wife and close companions, she acquired from the Prophet s.w.a. great depths of knowledge and insight.

Aaisha was generous and patient. The entire Prophet’s household suffered poverty and hunger for long periods. For many days, no cooking fire was lit in their sparsely furnished house, and they would live on dates and water. Poverty did not cause Aaisha distress or humiliation, and when wealth did come, it did not affect her simple lifestyle. She would habitually give to the poor whatever she had and never leave anything for the next day.

During his final illness, the Prophet s.w.a. went to Aaisha’s apartment. He lay there on a couch with his head resting on her breast or on her lap. Gradually his head grew heavier upon her breast, as he quietly passed away. He was buried in the floor of Aaisha’s room near the couch where he had been lying during his illness.

Aaisha lived for almost 50 years after the passing away of the Prophet s.w.a. She had been his wife for nearly a decade. Much of his time was spent in learning and acquiring knowledge of the Qur’an and the hadith. Aaisha became a hafiz, one who memorized the entire Qur’an. She was one of four persons who transmitted more than two thousand hadith. Many of these pertain to some of the most intimate aspects of the Prophet’s s.w.a. life, which only someone in Aaisha’s position could have witnessed.

Aaisha was knowledgeable in law, mathematics, medicine, and poetry. Scholars regard her as one of the earliest legal experts of Islam along with the caliphs Umar and Ali. The Prophet s.w.a. Referring to her extensive knowledge of Islam is reported to have said: “Learn a portion of your religion from this lady.”

Aaisha also took an active part in education and social reform. She trained many boys and girls, and her house became an Islamic academy. As a teacher she had a clear persuasive manner of speech. One of the early Muslim said, “I have heard speeches of Abu Bakr and Umar, Uthman and Ali up to this day, but I have not heard speech more persuasive and more beautiful from the mouth of any person than from the mouth of Aaisha.”

Aaisha was the most respected woman of her time. Men and women came from far and wide benefit from her great knowledge. She died in the year 680 C.E. and was buried beside other companions of the Prophet s.w.a.

Taken from “The wisdom of Islam” by Robert Frager, Ph.D.