Aisha: Difference between revisions

During the period of the [[caliphate]] of Abu Bakr and '[['Umar b. Khattab|Umar]], A'isha did not directly interfere in political matters in spite of being the wife of the Prophet (s), the daughter of [[Abu Bakr|the first caliph]], occupying a high social status and being well served by the first two caliphs. According to a group of Shi'a authors, A'isha played an important role in making Abu Bakr reach caliphate, and in the last days of the Prophet's (s) life, strove to create the groundwork for her father's caliphate. Likewise, she narrated traditions from the Prophet (s) mentioning the virtues of Abu Bakr and Umar in order to help establish and legitimize their caliphate.<ref>Wāridī, ''Naqsh-i hamsarān-i rasūl-i khudā'', p. 114.</ref> There are accounts which relate the first two caliphs offering gifts and reaching out to A'isha and extending continuous help and offerings to her much more compared to the other wives of the Prophet (s).<ref>Ibn Saʿd, ''al-Ṭabaqāt al-kubrā'', vol. 8, p. 53. </ref> These reports have caught the attention of the Shi'a and have been regarded as a form of unfairness.<ref>Taqīzāda Dāwarī, ''Taṣwīr-i khāniwāda-yi Payāmbar'', p. 115-116.</ref>

Some reports narrate A'isha's happiness upon Imam Ali's (a) [[martyrdom]]. When she heard the news of his martyrdom, she threw her walking stick and sat peacefully in her seat resembling a wayfarer who finds pleasure upon returning home. [[Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani|Abu al-Faraj]] even relates her [[Thankfulness prostration|prostrating in thanks]] on his martyrdom. Then, A'isha inquired about the killer of Imam 'Ali and upon learning that it was [[Ibn Muljam al-Muradi|Ibn Muljam]], she recited poetry in praise of him; it is even said that she named her slave Abd al-Rahman and the reason for this was her fondness for Ibn Muljim Moradi whose first name was Abd al-Rahman.

In spite of reports of monetary gifts extended to Aisha by [[Mu'awiya b. Abi Sufyan|Mu'awiya]] that exist in historical sources, A'isha became an opponent and critic of Mu'awiya during a part of his rule. She was particularly displeased with him when her brother [[Muhammad b. Abi Bakr]] was killed upon the command of Mu'awiya. She also criticized him on killing [[Hujr b. Adi]], a [[sahaba|companion]] of the Prophet(s). It is narrated that upon hearing the news of the arrest of Hujr b. Adi, she sent someone to Mu'awiya to intercede for him, but this messenger reached [[Damascus]] when Hujr and his companions had already been martyred.

Amongst the issues that sustained the Shi'a's criticism of A'isha was her not allowing the burial of [[Imam al-Hasan (a)|Imam al-Hasan's (a)]] body next to the grave of the Prophet (s). The resting place of the Prophet (a) was in A'isha's house and after that, had been the burial place of the first two caliphs too. With the martyrdom of Imam al-Hasan (a), his brother [[Imam al-Husayn (a)]] initially intended to bury him next to the grave of the Prophet (s) in accordance with his will; but A'isha, with the help of the governor of [[Medina]], prevented its fulfillment. To avoid discord, Imam al-Husayn (a) resigned from it.

A'isha died of a natural death at [[10 Shawwal]] [[58]]/8 August 678 (or 57/677) at the age of 66 in Medina. [[Abu Hurayra]] led her funeral prayer and she was buried in the [[Baqi' cemetery]]. Some said she died at 17 [[Ramadan]] 58.  

However, some reports pronounce [[Mu'awiya]] as the cause for her death. According to one narration, this incident took place in the Islamic month of [[Dhi l-Hijja]]. Al-A'amash al-Kufi has narrated that A'isha's death was attributed to Mu'awiya.

A'isha was amongst the most important narrators of the words and the life of the Prophet (s). The number of traditions related from her exceeds 2100. Parts of the reports narrated by her which are present in historic texts have been subject to research and criticism by the Shi'a researchers and academics.