The Emigration (Hijra) • 39Aisha bint Abi-Bakr
A
isha, Muhammad the Prophet's third, and reportedly favorite, wife is one
of the heroines of early Islam. She was born in 614 CE., the daughter of
Abu-Bakr, Muhammad's closest companion and Islam's first caliph.
The marriage between Aisha and Muhammad was a political one, con¬
tracted to seal the bond between the Prophet and the family of Abu-Bakr, and
therefore little attention was paid to the wide difference in their ages. Aisha
was six years old at the time of the marriage contract, and at the age of nine,
she was sent to live in Muhammad's home (623). The Prophet was then fifty.
Such marriages were common in the seventh century and, for that matter,
throughout biblical times.
The historical records, based largely on hadiths—many of which are attrib¬
uted to Aisha herself—tell of a happy marriage that ended with the Prophet's
death in 632. After her husband's passing, Aisha continued to be an active
leader of the Muslim community for some fifty years.
Because of her close relationship with the Prophet, Aisha became an impor¬
tant contributor to an understanding of the sunna (Muhammad's words and
deeds regarding correct Muslim belief and behavior). Thus, much of the early
basis for Islamic religious law (the Shari'a) is rooted in her accounts of Mu¬
hammad's life and teachings. Assertive, self-confident, and politically engaged,
Aisha sometimes clashed with the Prophet's companions, especially AH.
One such clash stemmed from an incident early in Aisha's marriage. While
on a trip through the Arabian Desert, she became separated from Muhammad
and the rest of their caravan. Muhammad ordered a search for her, and she was
eventually found and brought back to the main group by a young male Mus¬
lim. Aisha and her young escort probably spent several hours alone. Soon gos¬
sip started, and Aisha's reputation and Muhammad's and Abu-Bakr's honor
were in danger. It was at this point that AH, Muhammad's son-in-law and
cousin, recommended that Muhammad divorce her. As it happened, Muham¬
mad received a revelation from God condemning all such gossip and setting
strict requirements for proving adultery, but Aisha never forgave AH. Many
years later, Aisha would seek her revenge by participating in a rebellion against
AH, who had become the fourth caliph. She helped lead the Battle of the Camel,
so named because she exhorted the rebel troops from the back of a camel.
Aisha has been a role model for Sunni Muslim women through the ages,
and her actions continue to inspire women to challenge the patriarchal cus¬
toms used to justify gender inequality in the Muslim world. Many of those
customs antedate Islam. The current struggle for Muslim women's right to
an active public life has a strong precedent in the role played by the Prophet's
favorite wife so long ago.