Stories
Wife, teacher and scholar
Senior Companions brought her their questions. Sometimes she corrected them.
4 min, Intro, Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review
Part 1 of 3
'A'ishah, daughter of Abu Bakr, married the Prophet in Madinah. Her age at marriage is debated. Reports in al-Bukhari give six at the contract and nine at the marriage. Some modern scholars argue from other dates that she was older.
Lesson
On 'A'ishah's age at marriage, both views are held by Muslims.
Part 2 of 3
Once a caravan left 'A'ishah behind. A Companion escorted her back, and rumours spread. After a month of distress, Qur'an ayat declared her innocent and condemned those who spread the lie.
Qur'an 24:11
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
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.
The passage continues in Read.
Lesson
The Qur'an asked those who repeated the lie: why did you not think well of each other?
Part 3 of 3
After the Prophet, 'A'ishah taught for nearly fifty years. She narrated over two thousand hadith, corrected senior Companions on points of law, and was consulted on medicine, poetry and history.
Lesson
Men and women alike learned their religion from 'A'ishah.
Reflect, just for you
Seen by lamplight. It gives more each time.
Senior Companions brought her their questions. Sometimes she corrected them.