Stories
'A'ishah
Wife, teacher and scholar
4 min, Intro
'A'ishah bint Abi Bakr was the daughter of the Prophet's closest friend. She became one of the greatest scholars of early Islam. Over two thousand hadith come through her, and senior Companions brought her their questions.
Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review
The thread
'A'ishah, daughter of the Prophet's closest friend, lives with him in Madinah until he dies in her room. She comes through a slander that ayat of the Qur'an answer. Then, for nearly fifty years after him, she is the teacher senior Companions bring their questions to.
Her life with the Prophet
The Prophet's life ended in 'A'ishah's room. He died there, resting against her.
'A'ishah was the daughter of Abu Bakr. She married the Prophet ﷺ and lived with him in Madinah until his death.
How old was she when they married? Muslims today discuss it openly. Reports in Sahih al-Bukhari, narrated from her, say six at the contract and nine when she moved to his house. Classical scholars accepted them.
Some modern scholars argue from other dates, such as her sister Asma's age, that she was in her teens. Both views are held by Muslims.
On 'A'ishah's age at marriage, both views are held by Muslims.
The slander
It began with a lost necklace. On one journey, 'A'ishah went to look for it, and the caravan left without her.
A Companion, Safwan, found her and led her camel back. Then a rumour of wrongdoing spread. It was led by the hypocrite 'Abd Allah ibn Ubayy, and repeated by some believers too.
For a month she suffered, and the Prophet waited. Then ayat of surah an-Nur came. They declared her innocent, and rebuked those who repeated the lie: why, when you heard it, did you not think well of one another?
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ جَآءُو بِٱلۡإِفۡكِ عُصۡبَةࣰ مِّنكُمۡۚ لَا تَحۡسَبُوهُ شَرࣱّا لَّكُمۖ بَلۡ هُوَ خَيۡرࣰ لَّكُمۡۚ لِكُلِّ ٱمۡرِيࣲٕ مِّنۡهُم مَّا ٱكۡتَسَبَ مِنَ ٱلۡإِثۡمِۚ وَٱلَّذِي تَوَلَّىٰ كِبۡرَهُۥ مِنۡهُمۡ لَهُۥ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمࣰ ١١ لَّوۡلَآ إِذۡ سَمِعۡتُمُوهُ ظَنَّ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتُ بِأَنفُسِهِمۡ خَيۡرࣱا وَقَالُواْ هَٰذَآ إِفۡكࣰ مُّبِينࣰ ١٢
11 Indeed, those who came up with the slander are a group among you. Do not think that it is bad for you, rather it is good for you. Each one of them is responsible for what he earned of the sin, and the one who played the major role, for him there will be a grave punishment.
12 If only, when you heard it, the believing men and women had thought well of one another, and said, “This is a clear slander!”
The Qur'an asked those who repeated the lie: why did you not think well of each other?
The teacher of the Companions
'A'ishah lived nearly fifty years after the Prophet. She taught throughout. She is among the largest narrators of hadith, with over two thousand.
Senior Companions brought her questions of law. She corrected some of them. A later scholar, al-Zarkashi, collected her corrections into a book.
Her years after the Prophet were not only teaching. She was also involved in the politics of the first civil war, at the Battle of the Camel in 656, which she later said she regretted. She died in Madinah in 678.
Men and women alike learned their religion from 'A'ishah.