Aisha was the youngest and favorite wife of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). A Muslim scholar, she is credited with narrating more than two thousand hadith.
Following the death of his first wife of 25 years, Khadija bint Khawilad, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)* entered into twelve other marriages. Aisha Bint Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq was the third and youngest wife, and the only child bride.
Aisha - Child Bride
Aisha was born in Mecca in 614 CE to Umm Ruman and Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq. Most accounts report that Aisha was six years old at the time of her marriage and nine when the marriage was consummated. Although the bridal age of Aisha sometimes draws criticism, child marriages in 7th century Arabia were culturally and morally acceptable, just as they were in Biblical times.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was known to have an impeccable character, and his marriage to a child bride was an exception to his other marriages. Aisha was the only child and one of only two virgins to marry the Prophet (peace be upon him). His other wives were all widowed or divorced.
A Strategic Marriage
Aisha’s marriage to the Prophet (peace be upon him) represents another cultural norm of her time – marriages which solidified family, tribal or political ties. Aisha’s father, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq, was an early follower of Islam, close personal friend of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and a prominent figure in Mecca. Marriage to Aisha allowed the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr to establish a public alliance, while the young bride received honored status as wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
The Prophet’s Favorite Wife
Although the marriage was strategic, historical accounts report genuine affection between the two, and Aisha became known as the Prophet’s (peace be upon him) favorite wife. It was in her lap that he rested his head when he died, and under the floor of her house that he was buried. The Prophet's Mosque (Masjid Nabawi) now stands on that site in Medina, Saudi Arabia.
Scholar and Witness to Islamic History
Aisha was reported to have been very beautiful, but it is her piety, intelligence and remarkable memory that make her a notable figure in Islamic history. She absorbed vast religious knowledge from the Prophet (peace be upon him) – including memorizing the entire Qur'an – and was witness to much of the early history of Islam. She helped preserve the details of those events, as well as the details of the private and public life of Muhammad (peace be upon him), by narrating more than two thousand hadith.
Aisha was only 18 when the Prophet (peace be upon him) passed away, but she was already regarded a religious scholar. Over the next four decades, until her own death, Muslims consulted Aisha for her extensive understanding of Qur'an, Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh), Islamic teachings and traditions (Sunnah). She helped educate Islamic scholars and took custody of children – some orphans – to raise then in Islam.
Military Leader in Battle of the Camel
The first violent division among Muslims occurred when the third caliph, Uthman, was killed and some suspected that Ali, his successor, conspired in the murder. Although Ali was Aisha’s stepson-in-law and denied involvement, Aisha formed a military expedition against him. The battle, which Ali won, became known as the Battle of the Camel because Aisha gave directives from a howdah on the back of a camel.
Aisha Remembered
Aisha passed away in 678 at the age of 65. Her scholarly contributions to Islam, as well as her pious example, have earned her special status among the “Mothers of the Believers,” a term of honor given to all the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
* Muslims invoke Allah's blessings on the Prophet Muhammad whenever his name is mentioned.
Sources:
"Aisha Bint Abu Bakr," Dawaat El Islam.com
Islamqa.com - Saheeh el-Bukhaari
The copyright of the article Aisha - Youngest Wife of the Prophet Muhammad in Islam is owned by Christine Benlafquih. Permission to republish Aisha - Youngest Wife of the Prophet Muhammad in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
one correction is that the Prophet's first wife Khadija bint Khowailed was
the only wife present and there were no other wives at all when the Prophet
Mohammad (PBABUH) first received revelations from Allah Almighty. Atthat
time Aisha was not even born.
Jun 3, 2009 5:51 AM
Guest :
Unfortunately the example set by Muhammad, that of marrying a six-year old
and having sex with a nine-year old, continues to influence modern day
Islamic mores. Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia, among many other countries,
allow this practice to continue.
It's interesting to contemplate
whether Muhammad should not be criticized for his choice of a child bride,
because he was simply following custom -- or should he, as an exemplar of
ideal behaviour for all time (as Muslims believe), not have been more
cognizant that his behaviour would have dire implications for the fate of
little girls for many centuries to come.
Jul 3, 2009 8:07 PM
Guest :
EVIDANCE THAT HER AGE WAS MORE THAN 9.
If one looks into
historical facts and traditions of the time we will find over whelming
evidence that her age can never be 9 at the time marriage was consummated,
it is impossible when one looks at other hadiths and quotations from Rasool
Allah pbuh and Saying of other Sahabahs R.A. Some of the earliest
historians from Islamic world that wrote books about Islamic history are
Ibn Ishaq and Tabari they were within couple of hundred years after Rasool
Allah pbuh passed away and they gathered information from there
grandfathers and other elder people, so when looking at how they collected
history it puts them very close to the time when actually Aisha Sadiqa
passed away. So these historical facts have been gathered generation
or two after Sahabahs. Let’s look at the evidence that her age was way more
than 9 years. Note: Aisha Sadiqa was one of the four children of Abu Bakar
Radi Allah Tala Anha.
1.Tabari reports that Abu Bakr's four
children were all born during the Jahiliyyah, the pre Islamic period, which
could be said to have ended in 610 CE, when Rasool Allah pbuh started
preaching Islam and after that for 11 years Rasool Allah pbuh preached in
Macca before migrating to Madina and in Madina the marriage was
consummated. So if one takes worst case scenario that she was borned at the
last year of jahiliya which puts her age minimum of 12 while in medina and
when consummated to be about 13 that is worst case scenario, however
according to Tabari they were all born During jahiliya which can be taken
as at least few years before the start of Islam.
2. Tabari
reports that Abu Bakr wished to spare Aisha the discomforts of a journey to
Ethiopia soon after 615 CE when early Muslims first migrated there to avoid
persecution, and tried to bring forward her marriage to Mut`am's son.
Mut`am refused because Abu Bakr had converted to Islam, but if Aisha was
already of marriageable age in 615 CE, she must have been older than nine
in 622 CE. (p.91) This migration was in the early years of Islam and
quite before migration to Madina where Aisha Sadiqa went to Rasool Allah
pbuh home as wife. This puts her age at minimum 16 to 17 and as high as 20
to 22
3. Ibn Hisham's recension of Ibn Ishaq's Sirat Rashul
Allah, the earliest surviving biography of Rasool Allah pbuh, records that
Aisha Sadiqa having converted to Islam before Umar ibn al-Khattab, during
the first few years of Islam around 610 CE. In order to accept Islam
Aug 11, 2009 3:34 AM
Guest :
Oh my God, what a henious and perverted act of having sex with a 9 year
old! I shall leave it upto the judgement of sane people to choose
their path.
Oct 29, 2009 8:51 AM
Guest :
It is completely wrong information that the prophet muhammed (pbuh) married
hazrat aisha when she was only six. The fact of the matter is that the Holy
Quran has been interpreted by people who themselves are not aware of where
they have come from. Becasue the Quran has been interpreted wrong people
have misconceptions and wrong judgments of the prophet muhammed (pbuh) he
was a holy man and never caused anyone harm. He believed that a girl should
remain chaste and pure. He also believed that no women should have
intercourse unless she had already hit puberty and the one she would loose
her virginity to was her husband and they were in a pure and islamic bond.
If people don't know what they are talking about they shouldn't talk at all
and u must do ur research before posting up comments. The prophet muhammed
(pbuh) was a great and pure individual and would never hurt anyone or lead
them in a wrong direction. So for those people who are unaware...keep ur
mouths shut and if u have any questions go to the nearest mosque or read
the actual translation of the Holy Quran....it is the true religion. I can
make u believe it with proof. May Allah bless you all.
Dec 31, 2008
