A Lady of Heaven: Our Mother, Respected A’ishah RA

Mother

Her mother was Umm Umm Ruman (pronounced as Roomaan). Umm Ruman had two children with Abu Bakr: `Abdur Rahman and A`ishah. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said while she was being lowered in the grave, “Whoever wants to see a woman among the beautiful women of Jannah, who have wide and lovely eyes, should look at Umm Ruman.” [Al-Hakim] It was Umm Ruman who initiated the proposal of consummating the marriage between her daughter and the Prophet PBUH, in Madinah. A`ishah RA said, “My mother was treating me so that I could gain back the weight I had lost [upon falling ill after migration to Madinah], preparing me for the house of Messenger PBUH. She did not succeed until she made me eat cucumber with fresh dates; then I became plump, in the best form one can be.” [Ibn Majah]

Father

Her father needs no introduction; he was none other than as-Siddiq, Abu Bakr RA, who aided the Prophet PBUH with his money and in person until his death. Hence, the Prophet PBUH would sometimes address A`ishah as “Bint as-Siddiq” (the daughter of as-Siddiq, `the Truthful` i.e. Abu Bakr).

Marriage

The Prophet PBUH told A`ishah RA, “You were shown to me in [my] dreams on three nights. An angel [i.e. Jibra`il] was carrying you in a [green] silken cloth and said to me, `This is your wife [in this world and the Hereafter] `. And when I uncovered it, behold, it was you. I then said, `If this dream is from Allah, He will cause it to come true. `” [Bukhari; Muslim & Tirmidhi]

A`ishah RA narrates, “I raced with the Prophet and I beat him. Later when I had put on some weight, we raced again and he won. Then he said, ‘this cancels that [previous] race.’” The Prophet would sometimes address his wife A`ishah R.A with names which denoted love and affection such as A`ish (short-form of her name) and Humairaa (for her exceptionally fair skin).

The Prophet PBUH stood at the door while some Abyssinian children were playing some sports outside. The Prophet said, “O A`ishah, come and see!” She placed her cheek on his shoulders and the Prophet screened her with his cloak so that she could watch them play over his shoulders. Then the Prophet said, “O A`ishah, have you had enough?” A`isha RA replied, “No”, just to see how much she was valued by the Prophet. The Prophet kept shifting his weight from one foot to the other (i.e. he was tired, but he was prepared to stand as long as she wanted to watch the spectacle).

The Prophet PBUH would take the same cup Ai`ishah RA would have drank from. He would search for the place which touched the lips of A`ishah. He would then place his lips also on the very same place and drink from there.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) listened attentively to A`ishah RA tell the tale of eleven women [famously recorded in the books of Hadith] and then he, at the end, said something which filled her heart with peace, love and happiness. The Prophet PBUH once commented to A`ishah that he would know when she was pleased with him and when not. She asked how he knew that. He replied, “When you are pleased with me, you say: By the Lord of Muhammad; but when you are unpleased, you say “By the Lord of Ibrahim”. `A`ishah then replied, “Yes … I do not abandon anything except your name [i.e. no change comes to my unwavering love for you].” The Prophet never once struck his servant or any of his wives.

Virtues

The Companions would send gifts to the Prophet PBUH on the day of A`ishah`s RA turn. The rest of the wives of the Prophet PBUH also desired this honour. After turning away thrice upon their requests, the Prophet Muhammad PBUH responded, “Umm Salamah, do not trouble me by harming A`ishah, for by God, the divine inspiration never came to me while I was under the blanket of any woman amongst you except her.” [Bukhari]

• At this point, the Prophet PBUH also said to his beloved daughter, Fatimah RA, “Daughter, do you not love whatever I love?” She replied, “Yes.” He PBUH asserted, “Then you should love this [lady, A`ishah too].”
• A`ishah RA was slandered and thus deeply saddened; eventually, her innocence was proclaimed from above the heavens, as a number of verses of the Qur`an were revealed in relation to her. [24: 11-21]
• One-fourth of the rule of sharia was narrated on her authority [al-Mustadrak li al-Hakim]
• There are about 2210 chains of narration (hadiths) ascribed to her.
• Abu Musa al-Ash`ari RA said, “Whenever a hadith was unclear to us and we, the Companions of Allah`s Messenger, asked A`ishah about it, we always gained knowledge about that hadith from her.”
• She was well-known for her proficiency in poetry and sharp memory along with many other things.
• It was her room that the Prophet Muhammad PBUH wished to be nursed while he was unwell and that afterwards sheltered the blessed graves of Prophet Muhammad PBUH, Abu Bakr and Umar. A`ishah RA would say, “It is only my husband and my father that are here;” after Umar was buried there, she said, “I no longer enter the room except with my garment fastened …”

Purity

A man spoke ill of A`isha RA in the presence of Ammar bin Yasir. Ammar RA rebuked him, saying, “May you be put to shame and disowned! Are you speaking ill of the sweetheart of the Messenger of Allah?” [Tirmidhi]

The purity of A`ishah RA was announced directly in the Qur`an in a number of verses. [24: 11-21] This was a great sense of pride for her. And thus her innocence will be proclaimed and cherished as long as the Qur`an remains.

Death

She passed away at the age of 66 on Tuesday night, 17^th of Ramadhan 58 AH, and was buried on the same night after salat al-witr in Jannat al-Baqi` [in Madinah].

Posted in General on 12th Jun 2022 by Our Imam | 1431 Views