Preface

This is a brief account of what has been reported concerning Aisha, one of the wives of the Chosen Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). I have drawn this material from the Six Sahih collections and other books regarded as authoritative in our tradition. I have compiled these reports and presented them in these pages, praying that Almighty God will make this work like the Noble Qur’an: a source of healing and mercy for believing men and women, and a cause of loss, anguish, and punishment for wrongdoers who reject reason and sound judgment and turn away from the truth, which is as clear as the sun in broad daylight. There is no might or power except through Allah, the Most High, the Almighty.

Dear reader, I present to you some detailed accounts narrated by Aisha, the wife of the Messenger of God, as well as reports transmitted concerning her. My purpose is to help you understand the character of this woman, who played a major role in preventing Ali from attaining the caliphate and fought against him with all the power and cunning at her disposal.

I also wish to show that the Qur’anic verse concerning the removal of impurity and purification is as far removed from her as the heavens are from the earth, and that most Sunnis are victims of deliberate distortion and fabrication, unknowingly following the path of the Umayyads.

Almighty God says in His Noble Book:

“Allah only intends to remove all impurity from you, O People of the Household, and to purify you completely.” (Qur’an 33:33)

This noble verse, in both its specific and broader meanings, indicates infallibility.

Chapter One: The Prophet’s Wives and Aisha

Order of His Wives

The Prophet first married Khadija bint Khuwaylid in Mecca. She was a virgin.[1] A year after Khadija’s death, he married Sawda bint Zam‘a, who had previously been married to al-Sakran ibn Amr, one of those who migrated to Abyssinia. He became a Christian and died there.

The Prophet married Aisha bint Abi Bakr two years before the Hijra, when she was seven years old, although some reports say she was six. He began living with her in Medina in Shawwal, when she was nine. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) died when she was eighteen. She lived until the rule of Muawiya, by which time she was approaching seventy.

In Medina, the Prophet married Umm Salama, whose name was Hind bint Umayya al-Makhzumiyya. She was the daughter of his paternal aunt, Atika bint Abd al-Muttalib, and had previously been married to Abu Salama ibn Abd al-Asad. The Prophet married her after the Battle of Badr, in the second year after the Hijra.

In that same year, he married Hafsa bint Umar ibn al-Khattab, who had previously been married to Khunays ibn Abdullah ibn Hudhafa al-Sahmi. She survived until near the end of Ali’s caliphate and died in Medina.

He also married Zaynab bint Jahsh al-Asadiyya, the daughter of his paternal aunt Umayya bint Abd al-Muttalib. She had previously been married to Zayd ibn Haritha. She was the first of his wives to die after him, passing away during Umar’s rule, two years after the beginning of the Hijri calendar.

Another of his wives was Juwayriya bint al-Harith ibn Abi Dirar al-Mustaliqiyya. It is said that the Prophet purchased her, emancipated her, and then married her. She had previously been married to Malik ibn Safwan ibn Dhi al-Sufratayn and died in the year 50 AH.

He married Umm Habiba bint Abi Sufyan, whose name was Ramla. She had previously been married to Ubayd Allah ibn Jahsh. The Prophet married her in the sixth year after the Hijra, and she lived until the rule of Muawiya.

He also married Safiyya bint Huyayy ibn Akhtab al-Nadariyya, who had previously been married to Salam ibn Mishkam and subsequently to Kinana ibn al-Rabi. The Prophet consummated his marriage with her in the year 7 AH.

Another wife was Maymuna bint al-Harith al-Hilaliyya, the maternal aunt of Ibn Abbas. She had previously been married to Umayr ibn Amr al-Thaqafi and later to Abu Zayd ibn Abd al-Amiri. Ja‘far ibn Abi Talib proposed her in marriage to the Prophet. Her marriage, wedding, death, and burial took place at Sarif, approximately ten miles from Mecca. This occurred in the year 7 AH, and she died in 36 AH.

The Prophet consummated his marriages with the women mentioned above.

Among the women whom he divorced, those with whom he did not consummate the marriage, and those to whom he proposed but whom he did not marry were the following:

Fatima bint Shurayh, also said to have been the daughter of al-Dahhak, was married to him after the death of Zaynab, who is said to have been his daughter. The question of whether the Prophet had any daughters other than Fatima will be discussed later; the author maintains that he had no daughter other than Fatima (peace be upon her).

When the verse giving his wives a choice was revealed, he offered Fatima a choice, and she chose worldly life. He therefore separated from her. Afterward, she reportedly gathered camel droppings and said, “I am the wretched one; I chose worldly life.”

Another woman was Zaynab bint Khadija bint al-Harith, known as Umm al-Masakin, who belonged to Abd Manaf. She had previously been married to Ubayda ibn al-Harith ibn Abd al-Muttalib.

There was also Asma bint al-Nu‘man. When she was brought to the Prophet, she said, “I seek refuge in God from you.” He replied, “You have sought refuge with the One who grants refuge. Go back to your family.” Some of his wives, including Aisha, are said to have instructed her to say this, telling her that it would win her favor with him.

Qutayla, the sister of al-Ash‘ath ibn Qays al-Kindi, died before the marriage was consummated. It is also said that the Prophet divorced her and that Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl subsequently married her; the author considers this the correct account.

Other women mentioned in this connection include Umm Sharik, whose name was Ghaziyya bint Jabir of Banu al-Najjar; Sana bint Asma ibn al-Salt of Banu Sulaym; and, according to another account, Khawla bint Hakim al-Sulamiyya, who died before the marriage was consummated.

The same is said of Ishran, the sister of Dihya al-Kalbi. The Prophet did not consummate his marriage with Umra al-Kilabiyya, Umayma bint al-Nu‘man al-Jawniyya, al-Aliya bint Zabyan al-Kilabiyya, or Mulayka al-Laythiyya.

As for Amra bint Yazid, the Prophet noticed a white patch on her and said, “You have deceived me,” before sending her back.

Layla bint al-Khatim al-Ansariyya struck the Prophet on the back and said, “Release me.” He released her, and it is said that a wolf subsequently devoured her.

Another woman, Amra, was praised by her father, who said that she had never been ill. The Prophet replied, “There is no good for her with God.”

The nine wives who remained married to the Prophet when he died were Umm Salama, Zaynab bint Jahsh, Maymuna, Umm Habiba, Safiyya, Juwayriya, Sawda, Aisha, and Hafsa.

Those who died before the Prophet were Khadija, Umm Hani, and Zaynab bint Khuzayma. The author considers Khadija the most virtuous of them, followed by Umm Salama and then Maymuna.

Reference for footnote [1]: Ahmad al-Baladhuri and Abu al-Qasim al-Kufi related that Khadija was a virgin when she married the Prophet. The account is also attributed to al-Murtada in al-Shafi and Abu Ja‘far in al-Talkhis.

Did Khadija Marry Anyone Before the Prophet?

It is claimed that Khadija had married two men before the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) and had children with them. They are identified as Atiq ibn A‘idh al-Makhzumi and Abu Hala al-Tamimi.

We, however, question this claim and consider it entirely possible that political motives gave rise to many of the accounts circulated on this subject.

We do not wish to dwell on disagreements concerning Abu Hala’s name—whether it was al-Nabbash ibn Zurara or the reverse—or whether his name was Hind or Malik, or whether he was a Companion. Nor do we intend to investigate whether Hind, whom Khadija is said to have given birth to, was the son of one husband or the other. It is also reported that one of the children attributed to Atiq was female, whereas the other was male. Nor do we wish to prolong the discussion over whether Hind was killed alongside Ali at the Battle of the Camel or died during the plague in Basra.

Instead, we will confine ourselves to the following observations.

First, Ibn Shahrashub states that Ahmad al-Baladhuri and Abu al-Qasim al-Kufi, in their respective works, along with al-Murtada in al-Shafi and Abu Ja‘far in al-Talkhis, reported that the Prophet married Khadija when she was a virgin.

This is supported by what is stated in the books al-Anwar and al-Bida‘: Ruqayya and Zaynab were the daughters of Hala, Khadija’s sister.[1]

Second, Abu al-Qasim al-Kufi states:

“There is a consensus among both the learned and the general public, among the people concerned with transmitted reports and those who convey historical accounts, that no nobleman, chief, or man of distinction and courage among the Quraysh was left without having sought Khadija’s hand in marriage. Yet she refused them all.

“When the Messenger of God married her, the women of the Quraysh became angry with her and shunned her. They said to her: ‘The nobles and chiefs of the Quraysh sought to marry you, but you refused them all and married Muhammad, an orphan of Abu Talib who was poor and possessed no wealth!’

“How, then, could reasonable people believe that Khadija married a Bedouin from the tribe of Tamim while rejecting the chiefs and nobles of the Quraysh, as we have described? Do people of discernment and sound judgment not recognize how plainly impossible and outrageous such a claim is?”[2]

The argument that a noble and beautiful woman could not have remained unmarried for such a long time does not refute the argument presented by the author of al-Istighatha. Such an objection does not explain why Khadija would have rejected the leading men of the Quraysh only to accept a Bedouin from Banu Tamim.

Nor does the question of how her father or guardian could have allowed this resolve the matter. Her father had been killed in the Battle of al-Fijar, and her guardian did not possess the authority of a father to force her to marry whomever he wished.

It is not unusual for a noble and beautiful woman to remain unmarried for a period of time, particularly if she is waiting for a man of exceptional virtue and character, such men having been rare during that period.

Third, we must address certain accounts concerning children attributed to Khadija from someone other than the Prophet.

A. The report concerning al-Harith ibn Abi Hala

It is reported that the first person martyred in Islam was Khadija’s son, al-Harith ibn Abi Hala, who was killed when the Messenger of God openly proclaimed his mission.[3]

But how can this be reconciled with the report transmitted through an authentic chain from Qatada, according to which the first martyr in Islam was Sumayya, the mother of Ammar?[4] A similar report is also attributed to Mujahid.

References

[1] Manaqib Al Abi Talib, vol. 1, p. 159; Bihar al-Anwar; Qamus al-Rijal.

[2] Al-Istighatha, vol. 1, p. 70.

[3] Al-Awa’il, vol. 1, p. 311; Al-Isaba, vol. 1, p. 293.

[4] Al-Isaba, vol. 4, p. 335; Tabaqat Ibn Sa‘d, vol. 8, p. 193.

From His Marital Life

B. The account concerning Khadija’s sister and her children

It is reported that Khadija had a sister named Hala.[1] A man from the Makhzum tribe married Hala, and she bore him a daughter named Hala. Later, a man from the Tamim tribe, known as Abu Hind, married her and fathered a son named Hind.

This Tamimi man had another wife who bore him two daughters, Zaynab and Ruqayya. That wife died, and the Tamimi man also died. His son Hind then returned to his own people, while Hala, Khadija’s sister, and the two girls from the Tamimi man’s other marriage remained behind.

Khadija took them into her care. After she married the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), Hala died, leaving the two girls under the care of Khadija and the Prophet.

The Arabs commonly regarded a stepdaughter as the daughter of the man who raised her. Consequently, these two girls were attributed to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), even though they were actually the daughters of Abu Hind, the husband of Khadija’s sister. The same explanation is offered concerning Hind himself.

Reference: Nasab Quraysh, p. 157.

The Qur’an states:

“O Prophet, say to your wives: ‘If you desire the life of this world and its adornment, then come, and I will provide for you and release you in an honorable manner. But if you desire Allah, His Messenger, and the Home of the Hereafter, then Allah has prepared a great reward for those of you who do good.’” (Qur’an 33:28–29)

It is reported that the occasion for the revelation of these verses was as follows.

When the Messenger of God returned from the campaign of Khaybar and obtained the treasure of the family of Abu al-Huqayq, his wives said to him, “Give us some of what you have acquired.”

The Messenger of God replied, “I have distributed it among the Muslims in accordance with God’s command.”

His wives became angry and said, “Perhaps you think that if you divorce us, we will not find suitable husbands among our own people.”

God took offense at their treatment of His Messenger and commanded him to withdraw from them.

The Messenger of God then secluded himself from his wives in the chamber of Umm Ibrahim for twenty-nine days, until they had menstruated and completed their purification. God subsequently revealed the verse granting the Prophet’s wives a choice.

Umm Salama was the first to rise and declare, “I choose Allah and His Messenger.” The other wives then rose, embraced him, and made the same declaration.

God then revealed:

“You may defer whichever of them you wish and receive whichever of them you wish.” (Qur’an 33:51)

It was said that the woman whom he kept close remained his wife, whereas the one whom he deferred was divorced.

According to one account, those whom he deferred were Sawda, Safiyya, Juwayriya, and Umm Habiba. He could divide his time among them as he wished. Those whom he kept close were Umm Salama, Zaynab, Hafsa, Aisha, and Maymuna, among whom he divided his time equally.[2]

Abu al-Sabah al-Kinani reported that Zaynab bint Jahsh—or, according to another version, Hafsa—said to the Messenger of God, “Will you not act justly, even though you are the Messenger of God?”

Hafsa also reportedly said, “If you divorce us, we will find suitable husbands among our own people.”

Revelation was then withheld from the Messenger of God for twenty days. God took offense on behalf of His Messenger and revealed:

“O Prophet, say to your wives: ‘If you desire the life of this world and its adornment, then come …’” through to the words, “a great reward.”

The wives chose God and His Messenger. Had they chosen themselves, they would have been divorced; by choosing God and His Messenger, however, nothing of that sort occurred.

References

[1] Nasab Quraysh, p. 157.

[2] Al-Istighatha, vol. 1, p. 68; Makarim al-Akhlaq, p. 6.

[3] Qur’an, Surah al-Ahzab, verses 28–30.

Aisha: Her Lineage, Birth, and Kunya

Aisha was the daughter of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq ibn Abi Quhafa ibn Amir ibn Amr ibn Ka‘b ibn Sa‘d ibn Taym ibn Murra ibn Ka‘b ibn Lu’ayy. Her mother was Umm Ruman bint Umayr ibn Amir ibn Dahman ibn al-Harith ibn Ghanm ibn Malik ibn Kinana.

Aisha was born in Mecca in the eighth year before the Hijra, although another account places her birth in the ninth year before the Hijra.[1]

Her kunya was Umm Abdullah, after her nephew Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr, her sister’s son.

Aisha reported that when Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr was born, she brought him to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). He placed some of his saliva in the child’s mouth, and it was the first thing to enter his stomach. He then said, “He is Abdullah, and you are Umm Abdullah.”

Aisha said that she continued to use this kunya thereafter, although she never gave birth to a child.[2]

In another report, she said, “O Messenger of God, will you not give me a kunya?”

He replied, “Take the kunya of your sister’s son: Umm Abdullah.”

She also reported that she went to the Prophet and said, “O Messenger of God, you have given your wives kunyas. Give me one as well.”

He replied, “Use the kunya of your sister’s son: Umm Abdullah.”

Like the other wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), Aisha was known as the Mother of the Believers.

Fatima al-Khuza‘iyya reported that she once heard Aisha say:

“The Messenger of God came to me, and I asked him, ‘Where have you been all day?’

“He replied, ‘O Humayra, I was with Umm Salama.’”

References

[1] Sharh al-Bukhari by al-Ajluni and Fath al-Bari by Ibn Hajar.

[2] Al-A‘lam by al-Zirikli, vol. 3, p. 240; Tabaqat Ibn Sa‘d, vol. 8, p. 58. The latter states that Aisha was born at the beginning of the fourth year of the Prophetic mission and that the Messenger of God married her in Shawwal of the tenth year, when she was six, one month after marrying Sawda.

[3] Reported by Abu Hatim.

Her Marriage to the Prophet

Ibn Sa‘d states in Al-Tabaqat (vol. 8, p. 58), reporting through Hisham ibn Muhammad ibn al-Sa’ib al-Kalbi, from his father, from Abu Salih, from Ibn Abbas:

“The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) asked Abu Bakr al-Siddiq for Aisha’s hand in marriage.

“Abu Bakr said, ‘O Messenger of God, I had already promised her—or mentioned her in marriage—to Mut‘im ibn Adi ibn Nawfal ibn Abd Manaf for his son, Jubayr. Allow me to release her from that arrangement.’

“The Messenger of God agreed.

“Abu Bakr then went to Mut‘im ibn Adi, who was with his wife, the mother of the son mentioned above. Abu Bakr spoke to them, and the wife said something that caused Abu Bakr to reconsider the promise he had made to Mut‘im.

“When Abu Bakr asked Mut‘im, ‘What do you think about this girl?’ Mut‘im turned to his wife and asked, ‘What do you say, woman?’

“She replied to Abu Bakr, ‘If we marry our son to your daughter, she may draw him into your religion and make him adopt the faith you follow.’

“Abu Bakr then turned to Mut‘im and asked, ‘And what do you say?’

“Mut‘im replied, ‘She has said what you have heard.’

“Abu Bakr left, and God removed from his mind the concern arising from the promise he had made.

“The Messenger of God subsequently married Aisha, who was then six years old and had never previously been married.”[1]

Year of Her Marriage and Age

According to this account, the Prophet married Aisha when she was six years old, began living with her when she was nine, and remained married to her for nine years.

Amra bint Abd al-Rahman ibn Sa‘d ibn Zurara reported:

“I heard Aisha say, ‘The Messenger of God married me in Shawwal of the tenth year of the Prophetic mission, three years before the Hijra, when I was six years old. The Messenger of God migrated and arrived in Medina on a Monday, twelve nights into the month of Rabi al-Awwal. He began living with me in Shawwal, eight months after the migration, when I was nine years old.’”[1]

We maintain that this account is incorrect and that Aisha was considerably older. We base our position on the following evidence.

First: Ibn Ishaq included Aisha among those who accepted Islam at the beginning of the Prophetic mission. He stated that she was young at the time and that she embraced Islam after only eighteen other people.[2]

If we assume, for example, that she was seven years old at the beginning of the Prophetic mission, she would have been seventeen when the marriage contract was concluded and twenty at the time of the Hijra.

Second: Consider the attempt to reconcile the Prophet’s statement that Fatima was the leader of the women of the worlds with reports attributed to him stating that only Maryam bint Imran and Asiya, the wife of Pharaoh, attained perfection among women, and that Aisha’s superiority over other women was like the superiority of tharid—a dish made with bread and broth—over other foods.

Al-Tahawi addresses this apparent discrepancy. He suggests that the report comparing Aisha’s merit to that of other women may have been made before Fatima reached the age at which she attained the rank described by the Messenger of God.

He further explains that any merit attributed to a woman other than Fatima, where that merit might appear to surpass Fatima’s, could have applied when Aisha was still young and before she reached maturity.[3]

Al-Tahawi made this observation after having stated shortly beforehand that Fatima (may God’s blessings and peace be upon her) was twenty-five years old when she died.[4] This would mean that she had been born two years before the beginning of the Prophetic mission.

The point is that Fatima was still young at a time when Aisha had already reached adulthood.

Some scholars have interpreted the report comparing Aisha’s merit to tharid as a humorous remark made by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) in his interaction with her. They argue that its tone does not fit with the kind of definitive ranking found in statements such as “Fatima is the leader of the women of the worlds” and “Only Maryam and Asiya attained perfection among women.”

This interpretation is especially noteworthy, the author argues, because the Prophet was not particularly preoccupied with food or delicacies and would not ordinarily be expected to use a favourite dish as an example of superiority in such a sensitive matter.

Third: Ibn Qutayba states that Aisha died in 58 AH, while other accounts place her death in 57 AH. These reports say that she was approaching seventy years of age.[5]

If we also consider the reports that Khadija died three, four, or five years before the Hijra, alongside Aisha’s reported statement that the Messenger of God married her when she was nine, we find reason, in light of the evidence already presented, to question the reported age.

The account that she was seven rather than nine may be more plausible, given the confusion between the Arabic words sab‘ (seven) and tis‘ (nine), particularly because early written Arabic did not always distinguish letters through the use of dots.

Even the figure of seven remains questionable for the reasons already discussed, as well as because women are generally inclined to understate their ages.

In any case, Ibn Qutayba’s account and the other reports cited above indicate that Aisha may have been born either in the year the Prophetic mission began or before it. The latter possibility is more consistent with the evidence presented here.[6]

References

[1] Tabaqat Ibn Sa‘d, vol. 8, p. 40.

[2] See Sirat Ibn Hisham, vol. 1, p. 371; Tahdhib al-Asma’ wa al-Lughat, vol. 2; and Al-Bad’ wa al-Tarikh, vol. 4.

[3] Mushkil al-Athar, vol. 1, p. 52.

[4] Mushkil al-Athar, vol. 1, p. 47.

[5] Al-Ma‘arif by Ibn Qutayba, p. 59.

[6] See Hadith al-Ifk, p. 93.

Reply to Mike

It is not surprising that Orientalists or ordinary Christians, such as Mike from America, might object to a man aged fifty-three marrying a girl aged six. Dr. al-Buti has discussed this sort of objection.

Our answer to Mike is straightforward: Aisha was not six years old but at least seventeen, and not all the reports in Sahih al-Bukhari can be accepted because some are erroneous.

Dr. al-Buti, therefore, should not defend the claim that Aisha was very young when she married the Prophet, because, according to our argument, that age is fabricated and false.

I believe Mike and those who share his objection have a point, since they have read these reports in books that Muslims regard as authoritative, including Sahih al-Bukhari and related works. Yet Dr. al-Buti did not dare to acknowledge that al-Bukhari could be mistaken or to question the accuracy of some of the reports attributed to him.