AISHA’S WRATH & JEALOUSY

Narrated Aisha:

The Prophet engaged me when I was a girl of six (years). We went to Medina and stayed at the home of Bani-al-Harith bin Khazraj. Then I got ill and my hair fell down. Later on my hair grew (again) and my mother, Um Ruman, came to me while I was playing in a swing with some of my girl friends. She called me, and I went to her, not knowing what she wanted to do to me. She caught me by the hand and made me stand at the door of the house. I was breathless then, and when my breathing became alright, she took some water and rubbed my face and head with it. Then she took me into the house. There in the house I saw some Ansari women who said, “Best wishes and Allah’s Blessing and a good luck.” Then she entrusted me to them and they prepared me (for the marriage). Unexpectedly Allah’s Apostle came to me in the forenoon and my mother handed me over to him, and at that time I was a girl of nine years of age.

‘A’isha reported that Allah’s Apostle married her when she was seven years old, and he was taken to his house as a bride when she was nine, and her dolls were with her; and when he (the Holy Prophet) died she was eighteen years old.

 It was narrated that ‘Aishah said: “The Messenger of Allah married me when I was six, and consummated the marriage with me when I was nine, and I used to play with dolls.”

O Prophet (Muhammad)! Verily, We have made lawful to you your wives, to whom you have paid their Mahr (bridal money given by the husband to his wife at the time of marriage), and those (captives or slaves) whom your right hand possesses – whom Allah has given to you, and the daughters of your ‘Amm (paternal uncles) and the daughters of your ‘Ammah (paternal aunts) and the daughters of your Khal (maternal uncles) and the daughters of your Khalah (maternal aunts) who migrated (from Makkah) with you, and a believing woman if she offers herself to the Prophet, and the Prophet wishes to marry her; a privilege for you only, not for the (rest of) the believers. Indeed We know what We have enjoined upon them about their wives and those (captives or slaves) whom their right hands possess, – in order that there should be no difficulty on you. And Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. You (O Muhammad) can postpone (the turn of) whom you will of them (your wives), and you may receive whom you will. And whomsoever you desire of those whom you have set aside (her turn temporarily), it is no sin on you (to receive her again), that is better; that they may be comforted and not grieved, and may all be pleased with what you give them. Allah knows what is in your hearts. And Allah is Ever All-Knowing, Most Forbearing. S. 33:50-51 Hilali-Khan

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 al-Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 311)

Narrated Hisham’s father: Khaula bint Hakim was one of those ladies who presented themselves to the Prophet for marriage. ‘Aisha said, “Doesn’t a lady feel ashamed for presenting herself to a man?” But when the Verse: “(O Muhammad) You may postpone (the turn of) any of them (your wives) that you please,” (33.51) was revealed, ‘Aisha said, “O Allah’s Apostle! I do not see, but, that your Lord hurries in pleasing you.”  (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 7, Book 62, Number 48)

Narrated Muadha: ‘Aisha said, “Allah’s Apostle used to take the permission of that wife with whom he was supposed to stay overnight if he wanted to go to one other than her, after this Verse was 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 asked Aisha, “What did you use to say (in this case)?” She said, “I used to say to him, ‘If I could deny you the permission (to go to your other wives) I would not allow your favor to be bestowed on any other person.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 312)

3604. It is related that ‘Ali was heard to say, “I heard the Messenger of Allah say…”

It is related from ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib that the Prophet said, “The best of her women was Maryam and the best of her women was Khadija.”

3606. It is related that ‘A’isha said, “I was not jealous about any of the wives of the Prophet as I was jealous about Khadija because of the frequency with which the Messenger of Allah mentioned her.” She said, “He married me three years after her and His word or Jibril commanded him to give her the good news of a house of pearls in the Garden.”

3607. It is related that ‘A’isha said, “I was never jealous towards any of the other wives of the Prophet as I was jealous towards Khadija even though I never saw her. However, he used to mention her often. Often when he sacrificed a sheep, he would cut it into pieces and send them to Khadija’s friends. I would often say to him, ‘It is as if there was only Khadija in the world!’ He would say, ‘She was this and she was that and I had children from her.'”

3610. It is related that ‘A’isha said, “Hala bint Khuwaylid, the sister of Khadija, asked permission to come into the Messenger of Allah and it reminded him of how Khadija had used to ask permission, and that made him very happy so that he said, ‘O Allah, Hala bint Khuwalid!’ I said, ‘You are only mentioning one of the old women of Quraysh with red gums who died long ago and Allah has given you better than her as a replacement!‘” (Aisha Bewley, The Sahih Collection of Al-Bukhari, Chapter 66. Book of the Virtues of the Companions)

‘A’isha reported that Allah’s Messenger gave glad tidings to Khadija bint Khuwailid of a palace in Paradise.

‘A’isha reported: Never did I feel jealous of any woman as I was jealous of Khadija. She had died three years before he (the Holy Prophet) married me. I often heard him praise her, and his lord, the Exalted and Glorious, had commanded him to give her the glad tidings of a palace of jewels in Paradise: and whenever he slaughtered a sheep he presented (its meat) to her female companions.

‘A’isha reported: Never did I feel jealous of the wives of Allah’s Apostle but in case of Khadija, although I did not (have the privilege to) see her. She further added that whenever Allah’s Messenger slaughtered a sheep, he said: Send it to the companions of Khadija. I annoyed him one day and said: (It is) Khadija only who always prevails upon your mind. Thereupon Allah’s Messenger said: Her love had been nurtured in my heart by Allah Himself.

‘A’isha reported: Never did I feel jealous of any wife amongst the wives of Allah’s Apostle as I feel in case of Khadija (though I had never seen her), for he praised her very often.

‘A’isha reported that Allah’s Apostle did not marry any other woman till her (Khadija’s) death.

A’isha reported that Hala b. Khuwailid (sister of Khadija) sought permission from Allah’s Messenger to see him and he was reminded of Khadija’s (manner of) asking leave to enter and (was overwhelmed) with emotions thereby and said: O Allah, it is Hala, daughter of Khuwailid, and I felt jealous and said: Why do you remember one of those old women of the Quraish with gums red and who is long dead-while Allah has given you a better one in her stead?

‘Aishah reported: I never felt jealous of any of the wives of the Prophet as much as I did of Khadijah, although I have never seen her, but the Prophet used to mention her very often. Whenever he slaughtered a sheep, he would cut it into pieces and send them to the women friends of Khadijah. When I sometimes said to him: “You treat Khadijah in such a way as if there is no woman on earth except her“. He would say, “Khadijah was such and such (commending her and speaking well of her), and I had children from her”.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Another narration is: And if he slaughtered a sheep, he would send meat to the friends of Khadijah as a present as much as would suffice them.

Another narration is: When a sheep was slaughtered, he would say, “Send this meat to Khadijah’s friends.” Once, Halah bint Khuwailid, sister of Khadijah, sought permission of Messenger of Allah to enter. He recognized and recalled to his mind the manner of Khadijah and was deeply moved. He said, “O Allah, she must be Halah bint Khuwailid”.

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

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.”

‘Ubaidullah 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.'”

‘A’isha, the wife of the Apostle, said: When the Messenger of Allah fell ill and his illness became serious, he asked permission from his wives to stay in my house during his illness. They gave him permission to do so. He stepped out (of’A’isha’s apartment for prayer) supported by two persons. (He was so much weak) that his feet dragged on the ground and he was being supported by ‘Abbas b. ‘Abd al-Muttalib and another person.

‘Ubaidullah said: I informed ‘Abdullah (b. ‘Abbas) about that which ‘A’isha had said. ‘Abdullah b. ‘Abbas said: Do you know the man whose name ‘A’isha did not mention? He said: No. Ibn ‘Abbas said: It was ‘Ali.

Abdullah reported: I visited ‘A’isha and asked her to tell about the illness of the Messenger of Allah. She agreed and said: The Apostle was seriously ill and he asked whether the people had prayed. We said: No, they are waiting for you, Messenger of Allah. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Put some water in the tub for me. We did accordingly and he (the Holy Prophet) took a bath; and, when he was about to move with difficulty, he fainted. When he came round, he again said: Have the people said prayer? We said: No, they are waiting for you, Messenger of Allah. He (the Holy Prophet) again said: Put some water for me in the tub. We did accordingly and he took a bag, but when he was about to move with difficulty he fainted. When he came around, he asked whether the people had prayed. We said: No, they are waiting for you, Messenger of Allah. He said: Put some water for me in the tub. We did accordingly and he took a bath and he was about to move with difficulty when he fainted.

When he came around he said: Have the people said prayer? We said: No, they are waiting for you, Messenger of Allah. She (‘A’isha) said: The people were staying in the mosque and waiting for the Messenger of Allah to lead the last (night) prayer. She (‘A’isha) said: The Messenger of Allah sent (instructions) to Abu Bakr to lead the people in prayer. When the messenger came, he told him (Abd Bakr): The Messenger of Allah has ordered you to lead the people in prayer. Abu Bakr who was a man of very tenderly feelings asked Umar to lead the prayer. ‘Umar said: You are more entitled to that. Abu Bakr led the prayers during those days. Afterwards the Messenger of Allah felt some relief and he went out supported by two men, one of them was al-‘Abbas, to the noon prayer. Abu Bakr was leading the people in prayer.

When Abu Bakr saw him. he began to withdraw, but the Messenger of Allah told him not to withdraw. He told his two (companions) to seat him down beside him (Abu Bakr). They seated him by the side of Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr said the prayer standing while following the prayer of the Apostle and the people Bald prayer (standing) while following the prayer of Abu Bakr. The Apostle was seated.

Ubaidullah said: I visited ‘Abdullah b. ‘Abbas, and said: Should I submit to you what ‘A’isha had told about the illness of the Apostle? He said: Go ahead. I submitted to him what had been transmitted by her (‘A’isha). He objected to none of it, only asking whether she had named to him the man who accompanied al-‘Abbas. I said: No. He said: It was ‘Ali.

O Prophet (Muhammad)! Say to your wives: If you desire the life of this world, and its glitter, Then come! I will make a provision for you and set you free in a handsome manner (divorce). But if you desire Allah and His Messenger, and the home of the Hereafter, then verily, Allah has prepared for Al-Muhsinat (good-doers) amongst you an enormous reward. O wives of the Prophet! Whoever of you commits an open illegal sexual intercourse, the torment for her will be doubled, and that is ever easy for Allah. And whosoever of you is obedient to Allah and His Messenger, and does righteous good deeds, We shall give her, her reward twice over, and We have prepared for her Rizqan Karima (a noble provision Paradise). O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other women. If you keep your duty (to Allah), then be not soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease (of hypocrisy, or evil desire for adultery, etc.) should be moved with desire, but speak in an honourable manner. And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of ignorance, and perform As-Salat (IqamatasSalat), and give Zakat and obey Allah and His Messenger. Allah wishes only to remove Ar-Rijs (evil deeds and sins, etc.) from you, O members of the family (of the Prophet SAW), and to purify you with a thorough purification. S. 33:28-33 Hilali-Khan

According to what a man I do not suspect told me from al-Zuhri from ‘Urwa from ‘A’isha the apostle had gone forward on that journey of his until he was near Medina, ‘A’isha having been with him on the journey, when the liars spoke about her.

Al-Zuhri told us from ‘Alqama b. Waqqas, and from Said b. Jubayr and from ‘Urwa b. al-Zubayr, and from Ubaydullah b. Abdullah b. ‘Utba, each contributing a part of the story, one remembering more of it than another, and I (Zuhri) have put together for you what the people told me. Yahya b. ‘Abbad b. Abdullah b. al-Zubayr told me from his father from ‘A’ishah and Abdullah b. Abu Bakr from ‘Amra d. ‘Abdu’l-Rahman from ‘A’isha from her own words when the liars said what they did. The whole of her story rests on these men as a whole. One relates what another does not. All of them are trustworthy witnesses, and all of them related what they heard from her. She said: ‘When the apostle intended to go on an expedition he cast lots between his wives which of them should accompany him. He did this on the occasion of the raid on B. al-Mustaliq and the lot fell on me, so the apostle took me out. The wives on these occasions used to eat light rations; meat did not fill them up so that they were heavy. When the camel was being saddled for me I used to sit in my howdah; then the men who saddled it for me would come and pick me up and take hold of the lower part of the howdah and lift it up and put it on the camel’s back and fasten it with a rope. Then they would take hold of the camel’s head and walk with it.

‘When the apostle finished his journey on this occasion he started back and halted when he was near Medina and passed a part of the night there. Then he gave permission to start and the men moved off. I went out for a certain purpose having a string of ~afar beads on my neck. ‘When I had finished, it slipped from my neck without my knowledge, and when I returned to the camel I went feeling my neck for it but could not find it. Meanwhile the main body had already moved off. I went back to the place where I had been and looked for the necklace until I found it. The men who were saddling the camel for me came up to the place I had just left and having finished the saddling they took hold of the howdah thinking that I was in it as I normally was, picked it up and bound it on the camel, not doubting that I was in it. Then they took the camel by the head and went off with it. I returned to the place and there was not a soul there. The men had gone. So I wrapped myself in my smock and then lay down where I was, knowing that if I were missed they would come back for me, and by Allah I had but just lain down when Safwan b. aI-Mu’agal al-Sulami passed me; he had fallen behind the main body for some purpose and had not spent the night with the troops. He saw my form and came and stood over me. He used to see me before the veil was prescribed for us, so when he saw me he exclaimed in astonishment “The apostle’s wife”^l while I was wrapped in my garments. He asked me what had kept me behind but I did not speak to him. Then he brought up his camel and told me to ride it while he kept behind. So I rode it and he took the camel’s head going forward quickly in search of the army, and by Allah we did not overtake them and I was not missed until the morning. The men had halted and when they were rested up came the man leading me and the liars spread their reports and the army was much disturbed. But by Allah I knew nothing about it.

‘Then we came to Medina and immediately I became very ill and so heard nothing of the matter. The story had reached the apostle and my parents, yet they told me nothing of it though 1 missed the apostle’s accustomed kindness to me. ‘When I was ill he used to show compassion and kindness to me, but in this illness he did not and I missed his attentions. When he came in to see me when my mother was nursing me (740), all he said was, “How is she?”1 so that I was pained and asked him to let me be taken to my mother so that she could nurse me. “Do what you like,” he said, and so I was taken to my mother, knowing nothing of what had happened until I recovered from my illness some twenty days later. NO\v we were an Arab people: we did not have those privies which foreigners have in their houses; we loathe and detest them. Our practice was to go out into the open spaces of Medina. The women used to go out every night, and one night I went out with Umm Mistah d. Abu Ruhm b. al-Muttalib b. ‘Abdul Manaf. Her mother was d. Sakhr b. ‘Arnir b. Kab b. Sad b. Taym aunt of Abu Bakr. As she was walking with me she stumbled over her gown and exclaimed, “May Mistah stumble,” Mistah being the nickname of ‘Auf. I said, “That is a bad thing to say about one of the emigrants who fought at Badr.” She replied, “Haven’t you heard the news, O daughter of Abu Bakr?” and when I said that I had not heard she went on to tell me of what the liars had said, and when I showed my astonishment she told me that all this really had happened. By Allah, I was unable to do what I had to do and went back. I could not stop crying until I thought that the weeping would burst my liver. I said to my mother, “God forgive you! Men have spoken ill of me (T and you have known of it) and have not told  me a thing about it.” She replied “My little daughter, don’t let the matter weigh on you. Seldom is there a beautiful woman married to a man who loves her but her rival wives gossip about her and men do the same.”

‘The apostle had got up and addressed the men, though I knew nothing about it. After praising God he said: “What do certain men mean by worrying me about my family and saying false things about them? By Allah, I know only good of them, and they say these things of a man of whom I know naught but good, who never enters a house of mine but in my company.”

‘The greatest offenders were ‘Abdullah b. Ubayy among the Khazraj and Mistah and Hamna d. Jash, for the reason that her sister Zaynab d. Jash was one of the apostle’s wives and only she could rival me in his favour. As far Zaynab, Allah protected her by her religion and she spoke nothing but good. But Hamna spread the report far and wide opposing me (T. rivalling me) for the sake of her sister, and I suffered² much from that.

‘When the apostle made this speech Usayd b. Hudayr said: “If they are of Aus let us rid you of them; and if they are of the Khazraj give us your orders, for they ought to have their heads cut off.” Sad b. ‘Ubada got up before that he had been thought a pious man-and said, “By Allah, you lie. They shall not be beheaded. You would not have said this had you not known that they were of Khazraj. Had they been your own people you would not have said it.” Usayd answered, “Liar yourself! You are a disaffected person arguing on behalf of the disaffected.”¹ Feeling ran so high that there was almost fighting between these two clans of Aus and Khazraj. The apostle left and came in to see me. He called ‘Ali and Usama b. Zayd and asked their advice. Usama spoke highly of me and said “They are your family and we and you know only good of them, and this is a lie and a falsehood.”

‘As for ‘Ali he said: “Women are plentiful, and you can EASILY change one for another. Ask the slave girl; she will tell you the truth.” So the apostle called Burayra to ask her, and ‘Ali got up and gave her A VIOLENT BEATING, saying, “Tell the apostle the truth”, to which she replied, “I only know good of her. The only fault I have to find with ‘A’isha is that when I am kneading dough and tell her to watch it she neglects it and falls asleep and the sheep (T. ‘pet lamb’) comes and eats it!”’ (The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah, with introduction and notes by Alfred Guillaume [Oxford University Press, Karachi, Tenth impression 1995], pp. 493-496; bold and capital emphasis mine)

Men are the managers of the affairs of women for that God has preferred in bounty one of them over another, and for that they have expended of their property. Righteous women are therefore obedient, guarding the secret for God’s guarding. And those you fear may be rebellious admonish; banish them to their couches, and beat them. If they then obey you, look not for any way against them; God is All-high, All-great. S. 4:34 Arberry

O Prophet! Why do you ban (for yourself) that which Allah has made lawful to you, seeking to please your wives? And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Allah has already ordained for you (O men), the dissolution of your oaths. And Allah is your Maula (Lord, or Master, or Protector, etc.) and He is the All-Knower, the All-Wise. And (remember) when the Prophet disclosed a matter in confidence to one of his wives (Hafsah), so when she told it (to another i.e., ‘Aishah), and Allah made it known to him, he informed part thereof and left a part. Then when he told her (Hafsah) thereof, she said: “Who told you this?” He said: “The All-Knower, the All-Aware (Allah) has told me”. If you two (wives of the Prophet, namely ‘Aishah and Hafsah) turn in repentance to Allah, (it will be better for you), your hearts are indeed so inclined (to oppose what the Prophet likes), but if you help one another against him (Muhammad), then verily, Allah is his Maula (Lord, or Master, or Protector, etc.), and Jibrael (Gabriel), and the righteous among the believers, and furthermore, the angels are his helpers. It may be if he divorced you (all) that his Lord will give him instead of you, wives better than you, Muslims (who submit to Allah), believers, obedient to Allah, turning to Allah in repentance, worshipping Allah sincerely, fasting or emigrants (for Allah’s sake), previously married and virgins. S. 66:1-5 Hilali-Khan