The Tragedy of Aisha

This article is an essay/op-ed by Khalil Fariel. Essays/op-eds do not necessarily reflect the views of WikiIslam. See the disclaimer for details.

Introduction

It is no secret that sexual abuse of children has serious consequences on its victims and, among Muslims and non-Muslims alike, it is no longer a secret that the Qur'an explicitly condones pedophilia. Of course, for Muslims to finally acknowledge the harmful effects of abuse on a child it becomes necessary for us to expose those effects through authentic Islamic sources. That is why we find Aisha, Muhammad's third and "favorite" wife, to be the perfect model for assessing pedophilia and its consequences on the victims.

In Islam, Aisha bint Abu Bakr is referred to as one of the “Mothers of Believers”. Islamic sources boast of her as a great scholar who narrated a large volume of aḥādīth. There is some truth in this claim because, with over 2,000 narratives attributed to her name, Aisha is second only to Abu Huraira in narrating hadiths. However, the ability to narrate incidents which occurred in Muhammad’s life would not have required much scholarship, simply a good memory: something which we will later see she most definitely possessed. In contrast, there are so many things about the life of Aisha, Muhammad's child bride, that Muslims of today would rather have forgotten.

Contrary to their claims, she was never a likeable character in life. Perhaps she would have grown into an emulative figure if it had not been for the carnal needs of a perverted old man disrupting her innocent life. We have lost most of Muhammad's wives to history, but Aisha stands distinctive in this regard. Her life is well known in Islamic tenets through her involvement in the notorious “Battle of the Camel” and the devastation it caused among the Muslim Ummah.

Aisha's Life with Muhammad

Aisha's Behavior in Muhammad's Harem

Was she a good wife in Muhammad’s harem? Given that she was by far the most rebellious among the wives, the answer is an emphatic 'no'. Islamic sources attest that Aisha remained as an immature child in Muhammad’s harem.

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: that 'Umar entered upon Hafsa and said, "O my daughter! Do not be misled by the manners of her who is proud of her beauty because of the love of Allah's Apostle for her." By 'her' he meant Ayesha. Omar added, "Then I told that to Allah's Apostle and he smiled (on hearing that)".

Sahih Bukhari 7:62:145

'Umar, the second Caliph of Islam, testified about the "perfect Mother of Believers's" bad mannerisms in a sahih hadith, warning his daughter to not be misled by her.

Islamic sources also tell us that there was much fighting within Muhammad’s harem. The wives were divided into two groups with Aisha in control of one.

Narrated 'Urwa from 'Aisha: The wives of Allah's Apostle were in two groups. One group consisted of 'Aisha, Hafsa, Safiyya and Sauda; and the other group consisted of Um Salama and the other wives of Allah's Apostle...

Sahih Bukhari 3:47:755

Was Aisha happy with Muhammad’s wife-collecting spree? Again, no, she was not. When made privy of Muhammad intentions of making a further addition to his harem in the form of Zainab bint Jahsh, his paternal cousin and his son-in-law’s wife, Aisha exploded. This frantic outburst even warranting an intervention from Muhammad’s alter-ego, Allah, with holy verses.

Narrated Aisha: I used to look down upon those ladies who had given themselves to Allah's Apostle and I used to say, "Can a lady give herself (to a man)?" But when Allah revealed: "You (O Muhammad) can postpone (the turn of) whom you will of them (your wives), and you may receive any of them whom you will; and there is no blame on you if you invite one whose turn you have set aside (temporarily)." (33.51) I said (to the Prophet), "I feel that your Lord hastens in fulfilling your wishes and desires."

Sahih Bukhari 6:60:311

The truth is, she was never happy with Muhammad, and their marriage was far from being a match made in heaven. We have Sahih sources which confirm this. In one Bukhari hadith, she recalls how she "disliked to face him."

Narrated 'Aisha:....I saw the Prophet praying while I used to lie in my bed between him and the Qibla. Whenever I was in need of something, I would slip away for I disliked to face him."

Sahih Bukhari 1:9:490

She once went so far as to plot against Muhammad, and by extension, this can be construed as a plot against Islam itself.

Narrated Ibn Abbas: I intended to ask 'Umar so I said, "Who were those two ladies who tried to back each other against the Prophet?" I hardly finished my speech when he said, "They were 'Aisha and Hafsa."

Sahih Bukhari 6:60:436

So, even during Muhammad's lifetime Aisha was subversive towards Islam and she, along with Hafsa, rose up against him. Once again, Allah, the alter-ego of Muhammad, had to intervene with verses to fix the problem. We find these verses in the Qur'anic chapter At-Tahrim.

Aisha's Attitude Towards Muhammad

So far we have looked at Islamic sources and how they reflect on Aisha but, if we take a careful look at the ahadith that Aisha narrated, the nature and content of many of them are derogatory towards Islam, and very often she is found mocking and belittling her husband. This is not merely propaganda but a fact which anyone with an impartial outlook can confirm for themselves.

Here are just a few examples:

Aisha said Muhammad was affected with magic, and black magic is considered to be the devil’s doing, thereby she is in fact proclaiming he was under the influence of the devil. Muhammad had lost all sense of reality and acted quite bizarrely. This has been recorded in many places. In Sahih Bukhari alone, it appears six times. Muhammad, the final Messenger of Allah, being controlled by the devil. This, from the lips of the Mother of Believers.

She also created the impression of a very forgetful and clumsy Muhammad.

Narrated 'Aisha: The Prophet heard a man (reciting Quran) in the Mosque, and he said, "May Allah bestow His Mercy upon him. No doubt, he made me remember such-and such Verses of such-and-such Sura which I dropped (from my memory)...

Sahih Bukhari 3:48:823

She disclosed things which Muhammad had told her in private.

Narrated Aswad: Ibn Az-Zubair said to me, "Aisha used to tell you secretly a number of things. What did she tell you about the Ka'ba?" I replied, "She told me that once the Prophet said, 'O 'Aisha! Had not your people been still close to the pre-Islamic period of ignorance (infidelity)! I would have dismantled the Ka'ba and would have made two doors in it; one for entrance and the other for exit." Later on Ibn Az-Zubair did the same.

Sahih Bukhari 1:3:128

And she betrayed Muhammad’s private affairs.

Narrated 'Urwa from 'Aisha: The wives of Allah's Apostle were in two groups. One group consisted of 'Aisha, Hafsa, Safiyya and Sauda; and the other group consisted of Um Salama and the other wives of Allah's Apostle. The Muslims knew that Allah's Apostle loved 'Aisha, so if any of them had a gift and wished to give to Allah's Apostle, he would delay it, till Allah's Apostle had come to 'Aisha's home and then he would send his gift to Allah's Apostle in her home. The group of Um Salama discussed the matter together and decided that Um Salama should request Allah's Apostle to tell the people to send their gifts to him in whatever wife's house he was. Um Salama told Allah's Apostle of what they had said, but he did not reply. Then they (those wives) asked Um Salama about it. She said, "He did not say anything to me." They asked her to talk to him again. She talked to him again when she met him on her day, but he gave no reply. When they asked her, she replied that he had given no reply. They said to her, "Talk to him till he gives you a reply." When it was her turn, she talked to him again. He then said to her, "Do not hurt me regarding Aisha, as the Divine Inspirations do not come to me on any of the beds except that of Aisha." On that Um Salama said, "I repent to Allah for hurting you." Then the group of Um Salama called Fatima, the daughter of Allah's Apostle and sent her to Allah's Apostle to say to him, "Your wives request to treat them and the daughter of Abu Bakr on equal terms." Then Fatima conveyed the message to him. The Prophet said, "O my daughter! Don't you love whom I love?" She replied in the affirmative and returned and told them of the situation. They requested her to go to him again but she refused. They then sent Zainab bint Jahsh who went to him and used harsh words saying, "Your wives request you to treat them and the daughter of Ibn Abu Quhafa on equal terms." On that she raised her voice and abused 'Aisha to her face so much so that Allah's Apostle looked at 'Aisha to see whether she would retort. 'Aisha started replying to Zainab till she silenced her. The Prophet then looked at 'Aisha and said, "She is really the daughter of Abu Bakr."

Sahih Bukhari 3:47:755

Negative Views of Aisha Among the Ummah

When all is said and done, it is very hard to believe that Aisha was in fact a true Muslim. There is little wonder that most Shi'ites view her with contempt. They are treating her memory in accordance to her merits in Islam.

Yes, it may come as a surprise to many but 1/10th of the world's Muslim population considers Aisha as not being a true Muslim, not in the absolute sense of the word.

Due to her (Aisha’s) actions against Imam Ali during the times of the Prophet and after his death (including the famous battle of the Camel), the followers of the ahl al-bayt are not encouraged to keep her name for their children.

Al-Islam

The Shi'ite cleric, Shaykh Yasser Al-Habib, has also accused Aisha, along with Hafsa, of being responsible for the poisoning and death of Muhammad.

Aisha's Hatred of Ali

Ali, Muhammad's son-in-law, once suggested for him to divorce Aisha when she had become involved in a scandalous affair with a man named Safwan; and there is evidence in Islam’s authentic sources which affirm that Aisha kept hold of her vengeful hatred towards Ali for the rest of her life. So much so, she could barely bring herself to mention him by name.

Narrated 'Aisha: "When the Prophet became seriously ill and his disease became aggravated he asked for permission from his wives to be nursed in my house and he was allowed. He came out with the help of two men and his legs were dragging on the ground. He was between Al-Abbas and another man." 'Ubaid Ullah said, "I told Ibn 'Abbas what 'Aisha had narrated and he said, 'Do you know who was the (second) man whose name 'Aisha did not mention'" I said, 'No.' Ibn 'Abbas said, 'He was 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib.' "

Sahih Bukhari 1:11:634

Furthermore, the troubled state-of-mind of this young woman led to the first civil war in Islamic history caused by a woman. She led an army against Ali, the fourth elected Caliph of the Muslims. Her actions ultimately caused the death of twenty thousand Muslims in the war now known in history as the “Battle of the Camel”.

Conclusion

What could have possibly driven her to such extreme measures without ever considering the outcome of her actions? The answer is simple: she was metaphorically attempting to kill two birds with one stone.

Narrated Jarir: The Prophet said to me during Hajjat-al-Wida': Let the people keep quiet and listen. Then he said (addressing the people), "Do not (become infidels) revert to disbelief after me by striking the necks (cutting the throats) of one another (killing each other)."

Sahih Bukhari 1:3:122

Aisha's actions were very much reflective of her disturbed psychological make-up. She was a physically and sexually abused female, deprived from the innocent pleasures of childhood and adjoined to Muhammad’s harem while she was still a playful little girl.

She could never rid herself of this affliction, and the physical and psychological pain manifested itself through hatred. And the outlet for this hate? In a delirious state, she raised up arms against Ali and her own brethren (Muslims), and by doing so she was rebelling against her deceased husband's wishes, "Do not revert to disbelief after me by striking the necks of one another."

Aisha's forces were ultimately defeated, yet amidst all of these mishaps, this deranged woman preserved and carried her animosity towards Ali throughout her life. In Tabari vol. 7:224 we even see her rejoicing at the news of Ali’s death.

The life of Aisha bint Abu Bakr truly was a seventh century tragedy.

This page is featured in the core article, Islam and Pedophilia which serves as a starting point for anyone wishing to learn more about this topic

See Also

• Aisha - A hub page that leads to other articles related to Aisha
• Violence Against Women