This is a brief account of what has been reported concerning one of the wives of the Chosen Prophet, peace be upon him and his family—Aisha.
I have taken this material from the six canonical hadith collections and from other books regarded as authoritative among us. I have gathered it and placed it within these pages.
I beseech Allah, the Exalted, to make these pages resemble the Noble Qur’an in their effect: a healing and a mercy for believing men and believing women, and a cause of loss, rage, and punishment for the oppressors who rejected reason and sound judgement and turned away from the truth, even though it is as clear as the sun at midday.
There is neither power nor strength except through Allah, the Most High, the Magnificent.
Dear reader, I now present to you some of the narrations transmitted by Aisha, the wife of the Messenger, and some of what has been narrated concerning her. I shall present these matters in some detail so that you may become acquainted with the personality of this woman, who played one of the greatest roles in keeping Ali away from the caliphate and who fought him with all the power and cunning at her disposal.
You will also come to understand that the Verse of the Removal of Impurity and Purification is as far removed from her as heaven is from earth, and that most of the Ahl al-Sunnah are victims of interpolation and falsification. Without realising it, they have become followers of the Umayyads.
Allah, the Exalted, says in His Noble Book:
QUR’ANIC VERSE: THE VERSE OF PURIFICATION
ARABIC TEXT
وَقَرْنَ فِي بُيُوتِكُنَّ وَلَا تَبَرَّجْنَ تَبَرُّجَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ الْأُولَىٰ وَأَقِمْنَ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتِينَ الزَّكَاةَ وَأَطِعْنَ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ ۚ إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
“Remain in your homes, do not display yourselves as people displayed themselves during the former Age of Ignorance, establish prayer, give the prescribed alms, and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah only desires to remove impurity from you, O People of the Household, and to purify you with a thorough purification.”
REFERENCE
Qur’an, Surah al-Ahzab, 33:33.
This noble verse, in both its particular and general implications, indicates infallibility. It was revealed concerning five individuals: Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family; Ali; Fatimah; Hasan; and Husayn, peace be upon them.
Some people, however, claim that it was revealed concerning the wives of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family. They base this claim upon the context of the verses preceding and following it.
According to their assertion, Allah removed impurity from the Prophet’s wives and purified them with a thorough purification.
Yet the wives of the Prophet—may Allah be pleased with them—understood the intended meaning of the noble verse. For that reason, not one of them claimed that she was among the particular Ahl al-Bayt intended by it. Foremost among them were Umm Salamah and Aisha.
Each of them narrated that the verse specifically concerned the Messenger of Allah, Ali, Fatimah, Hasan, and Husayn, peace be upon them.
Their acknowledgements were transmitted by Muslim, al-Tirmidhi, al-Hakim, al-Tabari, al-Suyuti, al-Dhahabi, Ibn al-Athir, and others.
NARRATION OF AISHA: THE PROPHET GATHERS THE FIVE UNDER THE CLOAK
ARABIC TEXT
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ، وَاللَّفْظُ لِأَبِي بَكْرٍ، قَالَا: حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ، عَنْ زَكَرِيَّاءَ، عَنْ مُصْعَبِ بْنِ شَيْبَةَ، عَنْ صَفِيَّةَ بِنْتِ شَيْبَةَ، قَالَتْ: قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ:
خَرَجَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَدَاةً وَعَلَيْهِ مِرْطٌ مُرَحَّلٌ مِنْ شَعَرٍ أَسْوَدَ، فَجَاءَ الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ فَأَدْخَلَهُ، ثُمَّ جَاءَ الْحُسَيْنُ فَدَخَلَ مَعَهُ، ثُمَّ جَاءَتْ فَاطِمَةُ فَأَدْخَلَهَا، ثُمَّ جَاءَ عَلِيٌّ فَأَدْخَلَهُ، ثُمَّ قَالَ:
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah and Muhammad ibn Abd Allah ibn Numayr narrated to us—the wording is that of Abu Bakr—saying: Muhammad ibn Bishr narrated to us from Zakariyya, from Mus‘ab ibn Shaybah, from Safiyyah bint Shaybah, who said that Aisha reported:
“The Prophet, peace be upon him, went out one morning wearing a patterned cloak made from black hair. Hasan ibn Ali came, and he brought him beneath it. Husayn then came and entered beneath it with him. Fatimah then came, and he brought her beneath it. Ali then came, and he brought him beneath it.
“He then recited:
‘Allah only desires to remove impurity from you, O People of the Household, and to purify you with a thorough purification.’”
REFERENCE
Sahih Muslim, Book of the Virtues of the Companions, Chapter on the Virtues of the Household of the Prophet, hadith 2424.
Also transmitted by Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf, al-Tabari in his Tafsir of Qur’an 33:33, al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak, and al-Bayhaqi in al-Sunan al-Kubra.
STATUS
Authentic. It is recorded in Sahih Muslim. Aisha’s report explicitly identifies Hasan, Husayn, Fatimah, and Ali as those whom the Prophet gathered beneath the cloak before reciting the Verse of Purification.
NARRATION OF UMM SALAMAH: “THESE ARE THE PEOPLE OF MY HOUSE”
ARABIC TEXT
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ الْأَصْبَهَانِيِّ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ عُبَيْدٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ أَبِي رَبَاحٍ، عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، رَبِيبِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ:
لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:
إِنَّمَا يُرِيدُ اللَّهُ لِيُذْهِبَ عَنْكُمُ الرِّجْسَ أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ وَيُطَهِّرَكُمْ تَطْهِيرًا
فِي بَيْتِ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، فَدَعَا فَاطِمَةَ وَحَسَنًا وَحُسَيْنًا، فَجَلَّلَهُمْ بِكِسَاءٍ، وَعَلِيٌّ خَلْفَ ظَهْرِهِ فَجَلَّلَهُ بِكِسَاءٍ، ثُمَّ قَالَ:
اللَّهُمَّ هَؤُلَاءِ أَهْلُ بَيْتِي، فَأَذْهِبْ عَنْهُمُ الرِّجْسَ وَطَهِّرْهُمْ تَطْهِيرًا.
قَالَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ: وَأَنَا مَعَهُمْ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ؟
قَالَ:
أَنْتِ عَلَى مَكَانِكِ، وَأَنْتِ عَلَى خَيْرٍ.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Qutaybah narrated to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Sulayman ibn al-Asbahani narrated to us from Yahya ibn Ubayd, from Ata ibn Abi Rabah, from Umar ibn Abi Salamah, the stepson of the Prophet, peace be upon him, who said:
“When this verse was revealed to the Prophet, peace be upon him:
‘Allah only desires to remove impurity from you, O People of the Household, and to purify you with a thorough purification,’
while he was in the house of Umm Salamah, he summoned Fatimah, Hasan, and Husayn and covered them with a cloak. Ali was behind him, so he covered him with the cloak as well.
“He then said:
‘O Allah, these are the people of my household. Remove impurity from them and purify them with a thorough purification.’
“Umm Salamah asked:
‘Am I with them, O Prophet of Allah?’
“He replied:
‘Remain in your place. You are upon goodness.’”
REFERENCE
Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, Book of Qur’anic Exegesis, commentary on Surah al-Ahzab, hadith 3205.
The same route is also recorded by al-Tabari in Jami‘ al-Bayan, under Qur’an 33:33; al-Tahawi in Sharh Mushkil al-Athar, hadith 771; and al-Tabarani in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabir, hadith 8295.
STATUS
Al-Tirmidhi described this narration as “gharib through this route.” Al-Albani graded it authentic. The wording, “You are in your place, and you are upon goodness,” is established in this transmission.
VERIFICATION NOTE
There are other transmissions from Umm Salamah with different wording. One report preserved by al-Bayhaqi has the Prophet answering her:
بَلَى، إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى.
“Yes, if Allah, the Exalted, wills.”
Consequently, the hadith firmly establishes the special gathering of Muhammad, Ali, Fatimah, Hasan, and Husayn under the cloak. However, the broader theological question of whether the Prophet’s wives are included within some wider linguistic or legal meaning of “Ahl al-Bayt” is disputed among Muslim scholars. The author’s statement that none of the wives claimed any inclusion is therefore stronger than what all surviving versions unanimously establish.
Reason alone also establishes that this verse did not include the wives of the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family.
Consider, for example, the Mother of the Believers Aisha, who claimed that she was the most beloved of the Prophet’s wives and the closest of them to him. The other wives of the Prophet became jealous of her and sent someone to the Prophet, peace be upon him and his family, imploring him to observe justice regarding the daughter of Abu Quhafah.
Yet no supporter or admirer of Aisha, whether from the earlier generations or the later ones, has dared to claim that Aisha was beneath the cloak when the verse was revealed.
NARRATION: THE PROPHET’S WIVES SEEK EQUALITY REGARDING AISHA
ARABIC TEXT
حَدَّثَنِي الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ الْحُلْوَانِيُّ، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ النَّضْرِ، وَعَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، قَالَ عَبْدٌ: حَدَّثَنِي، وَقَالَ الْآخَرَانِ: حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ صَالِحٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ بْنِ هِشَامٍ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَتْ:
أَرْسَلَ أَزْوَاجُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَاطِمَةَ بِنْتَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَاسْتَأْذَنَتْ عَلَيْهِ وَهُوَ مُضْطَجِعٌ مَعِي فِي مِرْطِي، فَأَذِنَ لَهَا، فَقَالَتْ:
يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنَّ أَزْوَاجَكَ أَرْسَلْنَنِي إِلَيْكَ يَسْأَلْنَكَ الْعَدْلَ فِي ابْنَةِ أَبِي قُحَافَةَ.
وَأَنَا سَاكِتَةٌ.
قَالَتْ: فَقَالَ لَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:
أَيْ بُنَيَّةُ، أَلَسْتِ تُحِبِّينَ مَا أُحِبُّ؟
فَقَالَتْ: بَلَى.
قَالَ:
فَأَحِبِّي هَذِهِ.
قَالَتْ: فَقَامَتْ فَاطِمَةُ حِينَ سَمِعَتْ ذَلِكَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَرَجَعَتْ إِلَى أَزْوَاجِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَأَخْبَرَتْهُنَّ بِالَّذِي قَالَتْ وَبِالَّذِي قَالَ لَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.
فَقُلْنَ لَهَا:
مَا نَرَاكِ أَغْنَيْتِ عَنَّا مِنْ شَيْءٍ، فَارْجِعِي إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقُولِي لَهُ: إِنَّ أَزْوَاجَكَ يَنْشُدْنَكَ الْعَدْلَ فِي ابْنَةِ أَبِي قُحَافَةَ.
فَقَالَتْ فَاطِمَةُ:
وَاللَّهِ لَا أُكَلِّمُهُ فِيهَا أَبَدًا.
قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ:
فَأَرْسَلَ أَزْوَاجُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتَ جَحْشٍ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَهِيَ الَّتِي كَانَتْ تُسَامِينِي مِنْهُنَّ فِي الْمَنْزِلَةِ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.
وَلَمْ أَرَ امْرَأَةً قَطُّ خَيْرًا فِي الدِّينِ مِنْ زَيْنَبَ، وَأَتْقَى لِلَّهِ، وَأَصْدَقَ حَدِيثًا، وَأَوْصَلَ لِلرَّحِمِ، وَأَعْظَمَ صَدَقَةً، وَأَشَدَّ ابْتِذَالًا لِنَفْسِهَا فِي الْعَمَلِ الَّذِي تَصَدَّقُ بِهِ وَتَقَرَّبُ بِهِ إِلَى اللَّهِ تَعَالَى، مَا عَدَا سَوْرَةً مِنْ حَدٍّ كَانَتْ فِيهَا تُسْرِعُ مِنْهَا الْفَيْئَةَ.
قَالَتْ:
فَاسْتَأْذَنَتْ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَعَ عَائِشَةَ فِي مِرْطِهَا، عَلَى الْحَالَةِ الَّتِي دَخَلَتْ فَاطِمَةُ عَلَيْهَا وَهُوَ بِهَا، فَأَذِنَ لَهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ.
فَقَالَتْ:
يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، إِنَّ أَزْوَاجَكَ أَرْسَلْنَنِي إِلَيْكَ يَسْأَلْنَكَ الْعَدْلَ فِي ابْنَةِ أَبِي قُحَافَةَ.
قَالَتْ:
ثُمَّ وَقَعَتْ بِي فَاسْتَطَالَتْ عَلَيَّ، وَأَنَا أَرْقُبُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَأَرْقُبُ طَرْفَهُ هَلْ يَأْذَنُ لِي فِيهَا.
قَالَتْ:
فَلَمْ تَبْرَحْ زَيْنَبُ حَتَّى عَرَفْتُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ لَا يَكْرَهُ أَنْ أَنْتَصِرَ.
قَالَتْ:
فَلَمَّا وَقَعْتُ بِهَا لَمْ أَنْشَبْهَا حِينَ أَنْحَيْتُ عَلَيْهَا.
قَالَتْ:
فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَتَبَسَّمَ:
إِنَّهَا ابْنَةُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ.
ENGLISH TRANSLATION
Al-Hasan ibn Ali al-Hulwani, Abu Bakr ibn al-Nadr, and Abd ibn Humayd narrated to me. Abd said, “He narrated to me,” while the other two said, “Ya‘qub ibn Ibrahim ibn Sa‘d narrated to us.” He said: My father narrated to me from Salih, from Ibn Shihab, who said that Muhammad ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn al-Harith ibn Hisham informed him that Aisha, the wife of the Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
“The wives of the Prophet sent Fatimah, the daughter of the Messenger of Allah, to the Messenger of Allah. She sought permission to enter while he was lying with me beneath my cloak. He gave her permission.
“She said:
‘O Messenger of Allah, your wives have sent me to you to ask you to observe equality concerning the daughter of Abu Quhafah.’
“I remained silent.
“The Messenger of Allah said to her:
‘My dear daughter, do you not love what I love?’
“She replied:
‘Yes.’
“He said:
‘Then love this woman.’
“When Fatimah heard this from the Messenger of Allah, she stood and returned to the Prophet’s wives. She informed them of what she had said and what the Messenger of Allah had said to her.
“They said:
‘We do not think you have accomplished anything for us. Return to the Messenger of Allah and tell him: “Your wives implore you to observe equality concerning the daughter of Abu Quhafah.”’
“Fatimah replied:
‘By Allah, I shall never speak to him concerning her again.’
“Aisha continued:
“The Prophet’s wives then sent Zaynab bint Jahsh, the wife of the Prophet. Among them, she was the one who rivalled me in rank before the Messenger of Allah.
“I never saw a woman better in religion than Zaynab, more mindful of Allah, more truthful in speech, more diligent in maintaining family ties, more charitable, or more devoted to exerting herself in work through which she gave charity and sought nearness to Allah, the Exalted. Her only fault was a sharpness of temper from which she would quickly recover.
“She sought permission to enter upon the Messenger of Allah while he was with Aisha beneath her cloak, in the same condition in which Fatimah had found them. The Messenger of Allah permitted her to enter.
“She said:
‘O Messenger of Allah, your wives have sent me to ask you to observe equality concerning the daughter of Abu Quhafah.’
“She then began attacking me and spoke arrogantly against me. I watched the Messenger of Allah and observed his eyes to see whether he would permit me to respond.
“Zaynab continued until I understood that the Messenger of Allah would not object if I defended myself.
“When I responded to her, I did not give her any opportunity until I had overcome her.
“The Messenger of Allah smiled and said:
‘She is indeed the daughter of Abu Bakr.’”
REFERENCE
Sahih Muslim, Book of the Virtues of the Companions, Chapter on the Virtues of Aisha, hadith 2442a.
A related complete version is also recorded in Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Gifts, hadith 2581.
STATUS
Authentic. Recorded in both Sahih Muslim and Sahih al-Bukhari.
How magnificent Muhammad, peace be upon him and his family, was in his words and actions, and how profound was his wisdom when he restricted the gathering beneath the cloak to the members of his household who were with him.
Even Umm Salamah—the Mother of the Believers and a wife of the Prophet—wanted to enter beneath the cloak with them. She requested permission from her husband, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his family, but he prevented her from doing so and said:
“You are upon goodness.”
Infallibility means the removal of impurity. It encompasses every sin, act of disobedience, and moral vice, whether small or great—particularly when this removal is accompanied by a purification bestowed by the Lord of Majesty and Glory.
Ordinary Muslims purify themselves with water and earth. That is a bodily purification that does not extend beyond the outward surface of the body.
Allah, however, purified Ahl al-Bayt with a spiritual purification that cleansed the intellect, the heart, and the innermost consciousness. It left no space within them for Satanic whisperings or the commission of sins.
Their hearts consequently became clear, pure, sincere, and wholly devoted to their Creator and Originator in every movement and every moment of stillness.
For all these reasons, those purified individuals became examples for all humanity in asceticism, piety, sincerity, knowledge, forbearance, courage, honour, chastity, integrity, detachment from the world, and nearness to Allah, Glorified and Exalted.
History did not record a single act of disobedience or sin committed by any of them throughout their lives.
If this is so, then let us return to our original example from among the Prophet’s wives: Aisha.
When we devote ourselves to the truth without fanaticism or bias, is it reasonable for the intellect to conclude that she was purified from sins and acts of disobedience?
Or did Allah, Glorified is He, remove that impregnable protection from her after the death of her husband, the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him and his family?
Let us examine the reality together. Let us study her life and history, from her birth until her death.
We ask Allah, the Mighty and All-Powerful, to open the inner sight of the monotheistic believers who accepted the message of His beloved Muhammad to the truth concerning which there is no doubt.
Let us set aside fanaticism and sectarian inclination so that we and they may be guided to the Straight Path.
May Allah bless Muhammad and his good and pure family.