Shi’ite attacks on the Mother of the Believers, the noble wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him) have been unwavering, century after century, and their depraved slander of this most virtuous of women is not only reminiscent of the Hypocrites’ smear campaign – that of which she was absolved by God the All Knowing, but inherently shows the illogicality of a people who regard the wives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) as being their mothers only then insulting the by way of vilification. By doing so, not only do they display their iniquitous nature, but they also render any claim they have baseless and insignificant.
In defence of the righteous, I present to you an extract from Al Dhahabi’s Siyar A’lam al-Nubula:
‘“I was given nine blessings that no woman after Mary the daughter of ‘Imran was given. Gabriel (peace be upon him) descended with a depiction of me and ordered the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) to marry me. I was wed a virgin with marrying no other virgin besides me (during his lifetime). He was taken (from this world) while his head lay in my lap, and he was buried in my house. The Angels would encircle my house with blessings and the revelation would descend while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would be rested in my company. I am the daughter of his successor and closest friend, and my exoneration descended from the heavens. I was created pure under the guardianship of the pure one, and I was promised forgiveness and abundant bounties.”[1]
She was the truthful one, the daughter of the truthful. Blessed with immense acumen and a remarkable memory – she had the distinction of being one of the most prolific narrators of hadith from amongst the companions (may Allah be pleased with them.) Her knowledge and mastery of the many branches of the religion such as jurisprudence, hadith, creed, exegesis, even poetry, along with her wisdom, reliability and integrity made her one of the most remarkable of personalities. She was the Mother of the Believers, the most beloved wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the daughter of his closest Companion, she was our beloved mother, A’ishah daughter of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with them both).
The blessings outlined in the above narration from our mother A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) exemplify the merits that distinguished her not only from the rest of the Mothers of the Believers, but also from some of the greatest companions (may Allah be pleased with them all). Having been raised in the pure, blessed household of the greatest companion Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) she was saved from the evils of polytheism. An intelligent, kind-hearted, young girl, she was hand-picked for the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) by Allah, the Most High, as A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates,
‘Angel Gabriel (peace be upon him) brought my depiction wrapped in the cover of green silk to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in his dream and said, “She is your wife in this world and the Hereafter.”’[2]
Thus she came into the household of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at a tender age to be brought up, nurtured and educated lovingly at the hands of the best of creation. A household stripped of any luxuries yet honoured by the presence of the heavenly angels and witness to divine revelation. She caught a glimpse of Gabriel (peace be upon him), received his salutations and was given glad tidings of forgiveness and Paradise.
It was an incident that raised her status and affection in the heart of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) which continued to grow until he (peace and blessings be upon him) returned to his Lord. As our mother A’ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrated, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sought permission from his other wives during his final illness to remain with her (May Allah be pleased with her), which they granted. As such it was in her blessed house, in her arms, and with her saliva from the miswak in his blessed mouth, that al-habib departed from his earthly abode (peace and blessings be upon him), buried in her apartment.
A decade of learning at the hands of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) afforded her a sharp mind and tender heart to absorb vast religious knowledge and wisdom. This, despite her young age of about 18 years at the passing of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), made her an invaluable reference educating the Companions and the generation that proceeded them (may Allah be pleased with them) for nearly five decades before returning to her Lord at the age of 65.
She was amongst the most beloved to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in this world[4] and his wife in Paradise. We ask Allah to unite us with them in the highest ranks of heaven.
Ustadh Gulraz is currently pursuing post-graduate studies in Islamic law at Ummul Qura University (Makkah).