Sayyidah Ayesha Siddiqah Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha was the third lady to enter the house of the Beloved Habeeb Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him as his wife, and she was the only virgin in the consorts of purity of the Holy Prophet’s Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him house. She was of a tender age when she was married to Allah’s Apostle Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him.
Historical records bear ample testimony to the fact that Sayyidah Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha was a precocious genius and was developing both in mind and body with rapidity peculiar to such rare personalities. This marriage is significant in the history of Islam in so many aspects.
Firstly, it cemented the ties between Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him and his devoted friend Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddique Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha who always stood by him in hour of trial and who sacrificed his all for the cause of Islam.
Secondly, by this marriage, a lady of eminent qualities came under the direct influence of the Holy Prophet Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him at a highly impressionable age, and this provided her ample opportunities to penetrate into the innermost recesses of the sacred heart of the Beloved Habeeb Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him. She shared his company and thus was able to develop her potentialities and refine her taste perfectly in accordance with the teachings of Islam under the direct supervision of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him.
This young age was in fact very opportune for marriage as it has been clearly shown in the researches of psychoanalysts that much of the emotional of a mature person and most of those seemingly unaccountable leanings, tastes and tendencies comprised in the term idiosyncrasies can be traced to the experience of his or her highly formative age of either later childhood or early adolescence.
Thirdly, all the wives of the Holy Prophet Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him with the exception of Sayyidah Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha were of advanced age and thus could neither share the feelings of the younger generation nor could they properly appreciate their point of view. The difference of age always stood as a barrier between them and the ladies of the younger ages. The only lady with whom young women could frankly enter into conversation and discuss problems without any reserve could be none but Sayyidah Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha. Thus, the marriage of the Holy Prophet Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him with Sayyidah Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha at an age when she was at the threshold of puberty was a great necessity, as it was through her that instructions could successfully be imparted to the young ladies who had newly entered the fold of Islam.
Moreover, this marriage struck at the root of a wrong notion that had firmly taken hold of the minds of the people that it was contrary to religious ethics to marry the daughter of a man whom one declared to be one’s brother. The Messenger of Allah Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him, with the help of his personal example, showed to the people that there is a great difference between a brother-in-faith and the brother in relation to blood. The marriage, which is forbidden in Islam, is with the daughter of the brother in blood and not with the daughter of the brother-in-faith.
Sayyidah Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha lived on almost fifty years after the passing away of the Messenger of Allah Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him. She passed away in the year 58 A.H. in the month of Ramadaan and was buried in the sacred graveyard Baqi al-Garqad of Madinatul Munawwara.
Sayyidah Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha reported that the Apostle of Allah Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him said:
“I saw you in a dream for three nights when an Angel brought you to me in a silk cloth and he said, ‘Here is your wife’, and when I removed the cloth from your face, it was yourself, so I said, ‘If this is from Allah SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala, let Him carry it out.’”
Sayyidah Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha used to play with dolls in the presence of the Messenger of Allah Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him and when her playmates came to her they left (the house) because they felt shy of the Holy Prophet Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him whereas Allah’s Messenger Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him sent them to her. People sent their gifts when it was the turn of Sayyidah Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha seeking thereby the pleasure of Allah’s Messenger Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him .
Sayyidah Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha said:
“The wives of Allah’s Apostle Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him sent his daughter Faatima Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha to him. She sought permission to get in as he had been lying with me in my mantle. He gave her permission and she said: ‘Allah’s Messenger Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him ! Verily, your wives have sent me to you in order to ask you to observe equity in case of the daughter of Abu Quhafah.’ She (Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha ) said: ‘I kept quiet’. Thereupon, Allah’s Messenger Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him said to her (Faatima Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha ):
‘O daughter! Don’t you love whom I love?’ She said: ‘Yes, I do’. Thereupon, he said: ‘I love this one (Ayesha)’.
“Faatima Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha then stood up as she heard this from her father and went to the wives of Allah’s Apostle Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him and informed them of what she had said to him and what he had said to her. Thereupon, they said to her: ‘We think that you have been of no avail to us. You may again go to Allah’s Apostle and tell him that his wives seek equity in case of the daughter of Abu Quhafah’. Faatima Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha said: ‘By Allah I will never talk to him about this matter’.
Sayyidah Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha (further) reported:
The wives of Allah’s Apostle Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him then sent Zaynab bint Jahsh Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha , the wife of the Holy Prophet Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him , and she was one who was somewhat equal in rank with me in the eyes of the Prophet Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him and I have never seen a woman more advanced in religious piety than Zaynab Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha , more Allah-conscious, more truthful, more alive to the ties of blood, more generous and having more sense of self-sacrifice in practical life and having more charitable disposition and thus more close to Allah SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala, the Exalted, than her. She however lost temper very soon but was soon calm. Allah’s Messenger Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him permitted her to enter as she (Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha ) was along with Allah’s Messenger Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him in her mantle, in the same very state when Faatima Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha had entered. She said: ‘Allah’s Messenger Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him , your wives have sent me to you seeking equity in case of the daughter of Abu Quhafah’. She then came to me and showed harshness to me and I was seeing the eyes of Allah’s Messenger Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him whether he would permit me. Zaynab Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha went on until I came to know that Allah’s Messenger Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him would not disapprove if I retorted. Then I exchanged hot words until I made her quiet. Thereupon, the Holy Prophet Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him smiled and said: ‘She is the daughter of Abu Bakr Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha ’”.
This Hadith gives a clear glimpse of the home life of the Glorious Messenger of Allah Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him. The wives of the Holy Prophet Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him were all eminent ladies having deep Allah-consciousness, but they, after all, belonged to the human race and thus, could not completely banish those minor human weaknesses, which are ingrained in the very nature of the fair sex. They were all deeply attached to the Holy Prophet Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him and every one of them had, therefore, an earnest desire that she should get the maximum love and affection from the Prophet of Allah Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him. It was out of this spirit of envy, rather than jealousy, that they put forward this demand. It was a natural expression of their humanly feelings born of their love for the Beloved Habeeb Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him , and not an objection against the attitude and behavior of the “Mercy of the Worlds”. And they could not even conceive of it; and how could they, when all of them had been receiving the most beneficent treatment at his hand?
Sayyidah Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha reported:
“When the Holy Prophet Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him set out on a journey, he used to cast lots amongst his wives. Once this lot came out in my favour and that of Hafsa Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha. They (Hafsa Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha and Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha ) both went along with him and when it was night Allah’s Messenger Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him used to travel on camel along with Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha and talked with her. Hafsa Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha said to Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha : ‘Would you like to ride upon my camel tonight and allow me to ride upon your camel and you would see (what you generally do not see) and I would see (what I do not see) generally?’ She said: ‘Yes’. But, Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha rode upon the camel of Hafsa Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha and Hafsa Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha rode upon the camel of Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha and Allah’s Messenger Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him came near the camel of Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha , (whereas) Hafsa Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha had been riding over that. He greeted her and then rode with her until they came down. She (Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha ) thus missed the company of the Prophet Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him and when they sat down, Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha felt jealous. She put her foot in the grass and said: ‘O ALLAH SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala , let the scorpion sting me or a serpent bite me. And so far as Your Messenger Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him is concerned, I cannot say anything about him’”.
Sayyiduna Anas bin Maalik Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha has said:
“The Holy Prophet Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him said that the excellence of Ayesha over women is like the excellence of Tharid over all other foods.”
Sayyidah Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha is one of the four persons (the others being Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha , Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Omar Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha and Sayyiduna Anas bin Maalik Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha ) who transmitted more than two thousand sayings of the Holy Prophet Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him. The Holy Prophet Peace and Blessings Be Upon Him referring to her extensive knowledge of Islam is reported to have said:
“Learn a portion of your religion from this Humayra (red coloured lady).”
Sayyidah Ayesha Radi ALLAHu Ta'ala Anha not only possessed great knowledge but also took an active part in education and social reform. As a teacher she had a clear and persuasive manner of speech and her power of oratory has been described in superlative terms. Men and women came from far and wide to benefit from her knowledge.
According to the Orientalist, D.S. Margoliouth, he wrote:
“Of the entire number of inmates, Lady Ayesha alone, by force of character and keenness of wit, won for herself a place in the political and religious history of Islam.” [Quoted by Fida Hussain Maalik in his book, ‘Wives of the Prophet’, Bombay, 1989, Page 124]
Pearls of Wisdom by Sayyida Ayesha as-Siddiqah
- To spend for your guests is not extravagance.
- Good deeds are to refrain from bad deeds.
- A believer of truth never becomes disgrace even if the whole World turns against him while a believer in falsehood never gains respect even if the moon comes out on his forehead.
- Wherever the torch of truth shines it is advantageous to all, and it must not be seen who the torchbearer is.
- A very good trait of character is to protect your tongue.
- When the stomach becomes full the faculty of thought becomes weak and wisdom and understanding become mute.
- Gluttony is the root of all illnesses and abstinence is its remedy.
- Magnificence is gained in 1% friendship and 99% hard work and physical exertion.
Purity of Syeda Ayesha & Prophets Knowledge
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Dear Readers, We received a forwarded email few days back in which an accusation was made regarding the blessed knowledge of the Unseen of the Beloved Prophet SallAllaho Alaihi wa Aalihi wa Sallam and few Ignorant Idiots linked it to the Quranic verse which tells us of the accusation of immorality made on our beloved Mother Umm al-Momineen Sayyidatuna Ayesha Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anha. According to them, the beloved Prophet (SallAllahu Alaihi wa Sallam) was disturbed by it and didn't say anything before the revelation (wahi) was made (i.e. whether the accusation was true or not). If he had knowledge of the unseen, why did he remain silent for so many days?
ANSWER TO THE OBJECTION:
The objection itself confirms that remaining silent is not proof of not knowing something (it does not necessarily confirm it). Allah SubHanuhu wa Ta'ala did not reveal ayahs of her innocence for some days, so did He not have a clue about it? The hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari clearly states,
والله ما علمت على أهلى إلا خيرا
“I know my wife to be only chaste.” [Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Baab Hadith al-Ifk, Hadith 4141]
This proves his knowledge but not revealing it before time. It is also not possible for Rasoolullah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam to have been suspicious of Sayyidah Aisha Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anha because Allah said to the Muslims as a rebuke,
لولا إذ سمعتموه ظن المؤمنون والمؤمنات بأنفسهم خيرا وقالوا هذا إفك مبين
“Why did Muslim males and females not think good in their hearts and immediately said, “This is clear falsehood?” – [Surah Nur, Verse 12]
So before the revealing of innocence, it was compulsory on Muslims to think good of her and haram upon them to be suspicious. – And the Prophet is definitely free (ma’sum) from haram. Thus, he was not suspicious of Sayyidah Aisha Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anha in the least. Yes, for him to say that it was a clear lie was not compulsory on him immediately because this was a domestic matter.
Now remains Rasoolullah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam being distressed and why he remained silent. Not knowing was not the cause of this. Consider an innocent person who is wrongfully accused of something. He knows that it’s a lie, but will still be distressed due to the fear of defamation. People spreading these rumours, was also the reason for this dilemma. If the Holy Prophet (Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him) did not wait for the revelation of the ayahs but immediately informed people of Sayyidah Aisha Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anha’s innocence, the hypocrites would have said, “See how he protects his family members.” And Muslims would not have come to know of the rules of wrongful accusation. Also, the method of researching cases would not have been known and Sayyidah Ayesha Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anha would not have received the reward of patience that she demonstrated during this time. In short, there were many wisdoms behind this delay in revealing her innocence.
It is also a rule of Islamic beliefs that the wife of a Prophet cannot be immoral. Allah states in the Holy Quran,
الخبيثات للخبيثين والخبيثون للخبيثات
“Impure women belong to impure men and immoral men to immoral women.” – [Surah Nur, Verse 26]
The impurity spoken of here refers to fornication (zina). In other words, the consort of a Prophet can never be a fornicator. Yes, she can become a disbelievers (kafirah) because, although disbelief (kufr) is a major offense, it is not an immoral act. People think of fornication to morally incorrect, not kufr. This is why the wives of the Prophets do not experience nocturnal dreaming (ihtilam). A hadith states that Umme Salma was surprised to know that women also experience ihtilam – Mishkat, Kitab al-Ghusl.
So does the Holy Prophet not know this rule of Beliefs (that a wife of a Prophet cannot be immoral)? Is he unaware that Sayyidah Aisha Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anha is the wife of the Leader of the Prophets and that this type of behaviour cannot be displayed by her? No, it was the Will of Allah to Himself to testify to the innocence of Sayyidah Aisha Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anha through the ayahs revealed so that all Muslims of the entire world can proclaim her chastity and greatness, even in Salah. Thus, if Rasoolullah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam personally revealed her innocence, all of these excellences would not have been obtained. In short, he had knowledge but did not reveal it.
The grace of this matter is that when Zulaikha laid an accusation against Hadrat Yusuf Alaihis Salam, Allah Himself did not directly reveal his innocence but revealed it through an infant. Similarly, when Sayyidah Maryam was wrongfully accused, He revealed her innocence through the infant Ruhullah. However, when the beloved of His Beloved was accused, Allah did not proclaim her innocence through any angel or infant but Himself gave witness and recorded it in the Holy Quran! This testimony came to be part of Iman and for the creation to understand the proximity of the Holy Prophet to Allah through it.
At this point, there are three terms that should be understood,
1. Jahl (ignorance) – To absolutely not know something
2. Nisyan (forgetfulness) – to previously have known something which did not stay in memory.
3. Zuhul (abstractedness) – To have something in memory but not pay attention to it.
Therefore, there are three types of people that can be deduced from the above. The first do not learn the Quran, the second memorize it but forget it and the third are complete huffaz of it, though if you ask them about any ayah, they will not answer because their concentration is not directed towards it. They are termed Jahil, Nasi and Zahil of the Holy Quran respectively.
At some instances, the Prophets can experience forgetfulness about particular things though they do not remain as such. The Holy Quran speaks about Sayyidunah Adam,
فنسي ولم نجد له عزما
“He forgot and did not find any intent on his part.” – [Surah Taha, Verse 115]
The vision of Hadrat Adam Alaihis Salam was fixed on the Lawh-e-Mahfuz and all of these things before him. However, it was the Divine Will that he experiences forgetfulness (nisyan).
In search for an intercessor on the Day of Qiyamat, all Muslims, including the Muhadithin, Mufassirin and Fuqaha will approach the Prophets and request them to intercede (Shafa’at). Neither will they do so not will they tell the people to go to Shafi’al Muznabin Muhammad Mustafa directly. They will say, “Go to Nuh,” “Go to Ibrahim”, etc. Maybe they can intercede for you people,” even though all of them have the belief in this world that only Muhammad-ur-Rasulullah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam is the intercessor on the Day of Qiyamat. This is an example of abstractedness (zuhul i.e. not paying attention to something). Thus, if the Prophet is questioned about something and immediately does not answer, zuhul is a possible reason for this,
وإن كنت من قبله لمن الغافلين
“Even though you were unconcerned about the incident of Yusuf before this” – [Surah Yousuf, Verse 3]
“Ghafil” was the word used, “Jahil”. A ghafil is someone who has knowledge of an incident but does not pay any attention towards it.
Haji Imdadullah Makki Alaihir raHma (whom the Opponents in Indo-Pak believe to be their Spiritual Guide and Leader) says: “People say that the Prophets Alaihim as-Salam and Awliya Alaihim ar-Rahma do not possess the Knowledge of the Unseen. I say that the men of truth perceive the Unseen whenever they cast their eyes around them. In fact, this perception is the knowledge of truth. Those who say that the Holy Prophet Hadrat Muhammad Peace and Blessings of Allah be Upon Him did not know about Hudaibiyah and Hadrat Ayesha Radi Allahu Ta'ala Anha are misguided. Attention is the pre-requisite for any knowledge.” [Shamaim-e-Imdadiyah, Page 110 – Anwaar-e-Ghaibiyah, Page 125]
Gulistan states that Hadrat Ya’qub Alaihis Salam was asked, “You have smelt the fragrance of Yusuf’s kurta from Egypt but did not know that he was in the well of Kinan?” He replied, “Our condition is like the fury of lightning, sometimes it is visible and sometimes it is not.”
It is proven from Quranic verses that Hadrat Ya’qub Alaihis Salam has knowledge that the Moon of Kinan, Hadrat Yusuf Alaihis Salam, was shining in Egypt. He said,
وأعلم من الله ما لا تعلمون
“I know from Allah those things which you do not know.” – [Surah Yusuf, Verse 86]
Commentating on verse 59, of Surah Aa’raf – Allamah Ismail Haqqi writes that Allah loves the crying of His beloveds. Hadrat Nuh cried so hard that his name became Nuh (the person who extensively weeps). The separation from Hadrat Yusuf Alaihis Salam was the visible cause of Hadrat Ya’qub Alaihis Salam’s crying, but in fact, this crying was the means of the extensive grandeur to be elevated. Hence, Hadrat Ya’qub Alaihis Salam’s crying was not because of being unaware of Hadrat Yusuf Alaihis Salam – rather,
المجاز الى الحقيقة لانه قنطرتها
“Figuration is the arcade leading to reality.” – [Tafsir Ruhul Bayan, Vol 6, Page 85]
Hadrat Yusuf Alaihis Salam kept Benyamin back in Egypt through and artifice (hila). His brothers returned to swear that Benyamin had become a royal prisoner and even presented the testimony of the travellers in caravans. However, it was said,
بل سولت لكم أنفسكم
“Your lower-self (nafs) has taught you hila.” – [Surah Yusuf, Verse 83]
In other words, Hadrat Ya’qub Alaihis Salam was trying to say, “Hadrat Yusuf Alaihis Salam was separated from me by my children and Benyamin has also been separated from me by child (Hadrat Yusuf Alaihis Salam though a hila).” This proves that he had true knowledge of the incident. To the uniformed, there were two sons of Hadrat Ya’qub Alaihis Salam, remaining in Egypt (Benyamin and Yahuda), but Hadrat Ya’qub Alaihis Salam said,
عسى الله أن يأتيني بهم جميعا
“Soon Allah will make the three meet me.” – [Surah Yusuf, Verse 83]
Who was the third person? Of course it was Hadrat Yusuf Alaihis Salam.
When Zulaikha locked Hadrat Yusuf Alaihis Salam in the house to express bad thoughts., Hadrat Ya’qub Alaihis Salam came inside and, pressing his finger beneath his teeth, gestured to the following, “O my son, this is not your action. You are the son of a prophet.” The Holy Quran states about it,
وهم بها لولا أن رأى برهان ربه
“He too would have made the intent of Zulaikha if he did not see the proof of his Lord.” –[Surah Yusuf, Verse 24]
It should be kept in mind that the brothers of Hadrat Yusuf Alaihis Salam informed Hadrat Ya’qub Alaihis Salam that wolves had eaten his son. However, through the shirt of Hadrat Yusuf Alaihis Salam and the message of the wolves, Hadrat Ya’qub Alaihis Salam knew that they were false. The wolves submitted to him, “The fleshes of the Prophets are haram for us.” – Tafsir Khazin and Ruhul Bayan, Surah Yusuf
So why did he not go into the wilderness to find his son? This is also proof that he had information of something but kept it a secret. He knew that he would eventually meet his son in Egypt.
So, is it possible that Hadrat Ya’qub Alaihis Salam is aware of the actions of his sons yet Sayyiduna Rasulullah SallAllaho Alaihi wa Sallam has no clue of the condition of Sayyidah Aisha Radi Allahu Ta’ala Anha? Verily, Allah grants him insight but blesses him with measures to control his knowledge. In other words, he does not disclose any secret without Allah’s wish.
الله أعلم حيث يجعل رسالته
“Allah knows best where to place His message (Prophethood)” – [Surah Anam, Verse 124]
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