Historical records bear ample testimony to the fact that Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) was a precocious genius & was developing both in mind & body with rapidity peculiar to such rare personalities. This marriage is significant in the history of Islam in so many aspects.
it cemented the ties between Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) & his devoted friend Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddique (radi Allahu anhu) who always stood by him in hour of trial & who sacrificed his all for the cause of Islam.
Secondly:
by this marriage, a lady of eminent qualities came under the direct influence of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) at a highly impressionable age & this provided her ample opportunities to penetrate into the innermost recesses of the sacred heart of the Beloved Habeeb (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). She shared his company & thus was able to develop her potentialities & refine her taste perfectly in accordance with the teachings of Islam under the direct supervision of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
This young age was in fact very opportune for marriage as it has been clearly shown in the researches of psychoanalysts that much of the emotional of a mature person & most of those seemingly unaccountable leanings, tastes & tendencies comprised in the term idiosyncrasies can be traced to the experience of his or her highly formative age of either later childhood or early adolescence.
Thirdly:
All the wives of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) with the exception of Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) were of advanced age & thus could neither share the feelings of the younger generation nor could they properly appreciate their point of view. The difference of age always stood as a barrier between them & the ladies of the younger ages. The only lady with whom young women could frankly enter into conversation & discuss problems without any reserve could be none but Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha). Thus, the marriage of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) with Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) at an age when she was at the threshold of puberty was a great necessity, as it was through her that instructions could successfully be imparted to the young ladies who had newly entered the fold of Islam.
Moreover, this marriage struck at the root of a wrong notion that had firmly taken hold of the minds of the people that it was contrary to religious ethics to marry the daughter of a man whom one declared to be one’s brother. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), with the help of his personal example, showed to the people that there is a great difference between a brother-in-faith & the brother in relation to blood. The marriage, which is forbidden in Islam, is with the daughter of the brother in blood & not with the daughter of the brother-in-faith.
Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) lived on almost fifty years after the passing away of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). She passed away in the year 58 A.H. in the month of Ramadaan & was buried in the sacred graveyard Baqi al-Garqad of Madina-tul-Munawwara.
Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) reported that the Apostle of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said:
"I saw you in a dream for three nights when an Angel brought you to me in a silk cloth & he said, "Here is your wife" & when I removed the cloth from your face, it was yourself, so I said, "If this is from Allah (Subhanuhu wa Ta'ala), let Him carry it out."
Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) used to play with dolls in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) & when her playmates came to her they left (the house) because they felt shy of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) whereas Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) sent them to her. People sent their gifts when it was the turn of Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) seeking thereby the pleasure of Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam).
Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) said:
"The wives of Allah’s Apostle (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) sent his daughter Faatima (radi Allahu anha) to him. She sought permission to get in as he had been lying with me in my mantle. He gave her permission & she said: ‘Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam)! Verily, your wives have sent me to you in order to ask you to observe equity in case of the daughter of Abu Quhafah." She (Ayesha radi Allahu anha) said: ‘I kept quiet’. Thereupon, Allah’s Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said to her (Faatima radi Allahu anha): "O daughter! Don’t you love whom I love?" She said: "Yes, I do". Thereupon, he said: "I love this one (Ayesha)".
"Faatima (radi Allahu anha) then stood up as she heard this from her father & went to the wives of Allah's Apostle (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) & informed them of what she had said to him & what he had said to her. Thereupon, they said to her: "We think that you have been of no avail to us. You may again go to Allah's Apostle & tell him that his wives seek equity in case of the daughter of Abu Quhafah". Faatima (radi Allahu anha) said: "By Allah I will never talk to him about this matter".
Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) (further) reported:
The wives of Allah's Apostle (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) then sent Zaynab bint Jahsh (radi Allahu anha), the wife of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) & she was one who was somewhat equal in rank with me in the eyes of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) & I have never seen a woman more advanced in religious piety than Zaynab (radi Allahu anha), more Allah-conscious, more truthful, more alive to the ties of blood, more generous & having more sense of self-sacrifice in practical life & having more charitable disposition & thus more close to Allah (Subhanuhu wa Ta'ala), the Exalted, than her. She however lost temper very soon but was soon calm. Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) permitted her to enter as she (Ayesha radi Allahu anha) was along with Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) in her mantle, in the same very state when Faatima (radi Allahu anha) had entered. She said: "Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam), your wives have sent me to you seeking equity in case of the daughter of Abu Quhafah". She then came to me & showed harshness to me & I was seeing the eyes of Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) whether he would permit me. Zaynab (radi Allahu anha) went on until I came to know that Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) would not disapprove if I retorted. Then I exchanged hot words until I made her quiet. Thereupon, the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) smiled & said: "She is the daughter of Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu)".
This Hadith gives a clear glimpse of the home life of the Glorious Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). The wives of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) were all eminent ladies having deep Allah-consciousness, but they, after all, belonged to the human race & thus, could not completely banish those minor human weaknesses, which are ingrained in the very nature of the fair sex. They were all deeply attached to the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) & every one of them had, therefore, an earnest desire that she should get the maximum love & affection from the Prophet of Allah (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). It was out of this spirit of envy, rather than jealousy, that they put forward this demand. It was a natural expression of their humanly feelings born of their love for the Beloved Habeeb (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) & not an objection against the attitude & behavior of the "Mercy of the Worlds" & they could not even conceive of it & how could they, when all of them had been receiving the most beneficent treatment at his hand?
Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) reported:
"When the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) set out on a journey, he used to cast lots amongst his wives. Once this lot came out in my favour & that of Hafsa (radi Allahu anha). They (Hafsa radi Allahu anha & Ayesha radi Allahu anha) both went along with him & when it was night Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) used to travel on camel along with Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) & talked with her. Hafsa (radi Allahu anha) said to Ayesha (radi Allahu anha): "Would you like to ride upon my camel tonight & allow me to ride upon your camel & you would see (what you generally do not see) & I would see (what I do not see) generally?" She said: "Yes". But, Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) rode upon the camel of Hafsa (radi Allahu anha) & Hafsa (radi Allahu anha) rode upon the camel of Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) & Allah's Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) came near the camel of Ayesha (radi Allahu anha), (whereas) Hafsa (radi Allahu anha) had been riding over that. He greeted her & then rode with her until they came down. She (Ayesha radi Allahu anha) thus missed the company of the Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) & when they sat down, Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) felt jealous. She put her foot in the grass & said: "O ALLAH (Subhanuhu wa Ta'ala), let the scorpion sting me or a serpent bite me. & so far as Your Messenger (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) is concerned, I cannot say anything about him".
Sayyiduna Anas bin Maalik (radi Allahu anhu) has said:
"The Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) said that the excellence of Ayesha over women is like the excellence of Tharid over all other foods."
Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) is one of the four persons (the others being Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (radi Allahu anhu), Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Omar (radi Allahu anhu) & Sayyiduna Anas bin Maalik (radi Allahu anhu) who transmitted more than two thousand sayings of the Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam). The Holy Prophet (sallallahu alaihi wasallam) referring to her extensive knowledge of Islam is reported to have said:
"Learn a portion of your religion from this Humayra (red coloured lady)."
Sayyidah Ayesha (radi Allahu anha) not only possessed great knowledge but also took an active part in education & social reform. As a teacher she had a clear & persuasive manner of speech & her power of oratory has been described in superlative terms. Men & women came from far & wide to benefit from her knowledge.
According to the Orientalist, D.S. Margoliouth, he wrote: “Of the entire number of inmates, Lady Ayesha alone, by force of character & keenness of wit, won for herself a place in the political & religious history of Islam." (Quoted by Fida Hussain Maalik in his book, "Wives of the Prophet", Bombay, 1989, Page 124)
- To spend for your guests is not extravagance.
- Good deeds are to refrain from bad deeds.
- A believer of truth never becomes disgrace even if the whole World turns against him while a believer in falsehood never gains respect even if the moon comes out on his forehead.
- Wherever the torch of truth shines it is advantageous to all & it must not be seen who the torchbearer is.
- A very good trait of character is to protect your tongue.
- When the stomach becomes full the faculty of thought becomes weak, wisdom & understanding become mute.
- Gluttony is the root of all illnesses & abstinence is it's remedy.
- Magnificence is gained in 1% friendship & 99% hard work & physical exertion.
No comments:
Post a Comment