Aisha: Difference between revisions

In the face of this report, some researchers have referred to different historic accounts and have known 'A'isha's age at the time of marriage to be 18 years. Amongst the sources these researchers cite, is the report from Ibn Ishāq who mentions 'A'isha to be one of the first Muslims and indicates that 'A'isha was a child at that time. If at the time of the appointment of Prophethood to the Prophet ([[bi'that]]) 'A'isha was at least seven years old, then she should be seventeen years old at the time of her marriage to the Prophet. Moreover, Ibn Qutayba in his book ''Al-Ma'arif'' mentions 'A'isha's age at her demise in 58/677-678 to be 70 years. If we consider this number to be correct, then in keeping with some reports that mention 'A'isha's marriage to the Prophet to have taken place three years before the migration (i.e. 10th year of bi'that) 'A'isha would have been approximately 9 years old on that year, (and accordingly, 19 years old at the time of her marriage.)

'A'isha was the only wife of the Prophet who had not been married earlier. Ahl al-Sunnah cites many accounts indicating the Prophet's great affection for her to the extent of calling her the Prophet's most beloved wife. On the basis of such accounts, they believe 'A'isha to have many virtues and merits.

On the other hand, the Shi'a consider the reports present in the texts of Ahl al-Sunnah about 'A'isha to be fabricated and exaggerated. They cite reports which mention her actions to have caused the Prophet (s) to become angry and unhappy, or quote the Prophet to have complained on her account. Likewise, they cite reports mentioning 'A'isha's jealousy towards the Prophet's other wives and her vicious actions against them. Some of these reports even appear in authentic texts of Ahl al-Sunnah.

Some [[:category:Quranic exegeses|Quranic exegeses]] of the Ahl al-Sunnah report the 11th verse of the [[sura al-Hujurat]] to be revealed about 'A'isha. According to them, 'Aisha ridiculed [[Umm Salama]] or Zaynab and in effect, this verse was revealed.

According to narrations that appear under the exegesis of certain verses of [[sura al-Nur]], it is related that in the year [[5]] AH, on the return from the [[battle of Bani Mustalaq]] when the caravan had halted for rest, 'A'isha distanced herself from the caravan to relieve herself. When she found her necklace to be missing, she went looking for it. The caravan, not aware that she was missing, left carrying her palanquin with them assuming she was inside it. Upon returning to the place the caravan was pitched and finding it vacant, she stayed there until a man named Safwan b. Mu'attal came to her and gave her his camel and escorted her to her caravan. This incident caused some companions of the Prophet (s), who according to Islamic texts were hypocrites, to defame 'A'isha. They accused 'A'isha of unchastely behaviour and consequently the aforementioned verses of the Quran announced slander of chaste women to be a grave sin. However, some of these verses are said to be about [[Mariya al-Qibtiyya]], another wife of the Prophet (s).

The incident of tahrim is mentioned in the first verse of the [[sura al-Tahrim]] in the Quran wherein [[Allah]] reprimands the Prophet (s) for prohibiting upon himself that which Allah had made permissible, for the pleasure of his wives. According to a report in ''[[Tafsir Nimuna]]'', the context of revelation of this verse is that, at times when the Prophet (s) visited one of his wives, [[Zaynab bt. Jahsh]], she offered him a drink of honey that she prepared. 'A'isha did not like this and she conspired with [[Hafsa bt. 'Umar|Hafsah]] that whenever the Prophet visited either of them, they should immediately remark, “Have you had the maghafir gum?!” Maghafir was a type of foul smelling gum. The Prophet, too, was self-conscious about his mouth smelling foul. When the Prophet visited Hafsah and heard the same words from her, he swore to never have that honey again.

This account has been mentioned in various sources with some variation; [[al-Bukhari, Muhammad b. Isma'il|Bukhari]], too has narrated it. Bukhari narrates another hadith in relation to this from the [['Umar b. Khattab|second caliph]] stating that 'A'isha and Hafsah became co-conspirators against the Prophet (s). Qurtubi and Ibn Qayyim believe the 10th verse of sura al-Tahrim to be revealed about 'A'isha and Hafsah.