ʿĀʾishah bint Abī Bakr
عائشة بنت أبي بكر
- Dates
- 614–678 CE / 9 BH–58 AH
- Relation to the Prophet ﷺ
- Wife of the Prophet ﷺ; daughter of Abū Bakr
- Hadith narrated
- 2,210
The most learned of the companions in matters of fiqh, the most prolific female narrator, and the primary source for the inner life of the Prophet ﷺ.
Life
ʿĀʾishah was the only virgin the Prophet ﷺ ever married. She was intellectually precocious from childhood, and the Prophet's ﷺ nine years with her produced a body of prophetic tradition unlike any other. She narrated 2,210 hadith — fourth among all companions, male or female. Major companions, including ʿUmar and Abū Hurayrah, sent questions to her door.
She outlived the Prophet ﷺ by nearly five decades. She corrected narrators, taught jurisprudence, memorised poetry, led a community of students, and, controversially, rode to the Battle of the Camel. She died in Madinah in 678 CE and was buried in al-Baqīʿ.
Passages that mention ʿĀʾishah
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"his time among his wives and intended to divorce Saada bint Zama when she became old. She offered her night to Aisha. When Saada became elderly and feared that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, might leave her, she said, O Messenger of Allah, my day is for Aisha. It is reported that he wanted to separate from her, and when Saada became old, she gave her day to Aisha, and he would assign Aisha the day of Saada. A hadith from Aisha reports, he visited his wives in one night, and another narration states he visited nine wives in a single forenoon. It is also reported that he visited his nine wives in one night. A hadith states, what"
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"observed that the Prophet prayed two light units, followed by two long units, then progressively shorter units, concluding with the Witr, making a total of 13 units. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, shared that the Prophet, peace be upon him, would not exceed 11 units in prayer during Ramadan or otherwise. He would pray four units, noted for their beauty and length, followed by another four, and then three. When Aisha asked if he slept before the Witr, he replied, oh Aisha, my eyes sleep, but my heart does not sleep. Another narration from Aisha mentions that the Prophet would pray 11 units at night, ending with one unit, and"
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"while ill to visit each of his wives, dividing the nights among them. In another narrative, when the illness grew severe, he asked, where will I be tomorrow? They informed him and he recognized he wanted to be with Aisha. The narration is recorded by Bukhari from Aisha's tradition, stating he asked during his illness leading to his death, where will I be tomorrow? Indicating his desire for Aisha's day and his wives granted him permission to be wherever he wished. When Sa'd gave up her night to Aisha and asked the Prophet to keep her in the marital union till she would be resurrected with his wives, he allowed it,"
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"When someone asked al-Darqoutni about this Hadith he explained that others narrated as Mursal Meaning with a missing link from Aisha, which is what is preserved. This refers to the Hadith of Abu Hazim from Abu Hurairah from Aisha Indicating it is not preserved and preferring the chain of Malik bin Migwal from Abd al-Rahman bin Sa'id from Aisha as mentioned in Tirmidhi A bird was brought forth and he examined it then said no prey is hunted nor any tree cut except for what they neglected of glorifying God When he was on his deathbed he said to Aisha. Oh my daughter"
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"desires be cursed. This is because if a man follows her desires, he becomes her slave. There is a hadith about racing with Aisha, where he beat her and she beat him, narrated by Abu Dawud on Nasa'i in Al-Kubra and Ibn Majah from Aisha with a sound chain. Another hadith describes him as the most amusing person with his wives, narrated by Hassan ibn Sufyan in his Musnad from Anas. However, the phrase, with his wives, is mentioned by Al-Bazar in At-Tabarani in Al-Saghir and Al-Awsat, saying, With a boy, with Ibn Lahiyya in the chain. Aisha's hadith about watching Abyssinians playing on a festival day, where the messenger, peace be upon him, asked if she wanted to"
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"Allah, peace be upon him, two units before Dhuhr, two after it, two after Maghrib in his house, and two after Aisha in his house. Hafsa informed Ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, would pray two units when dawn broke and the caller called out. Ayyub added, and I think he said they were light. Ibn Umar also memorized from the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, eight units, two before Dhuhr, two after it, two after Maghrib, and two after Aisha. He mentioned that Hafsa informed him about the two units of the dawn prayer, which he had not seen from the Prophet, peace be upon him. Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her,"
Also from this generation
- Khadījah bint Khuwaylid
خديجة بنت خويلد
The first person to accept Islam. The Prophet ﷺ, after her death, never said her name without his eyes filling.
- Fāṭimah bint Muḥammad
فاطمة بنت محمد
The Prophet's ﷺ most beloved daughter. The only one of his children to survive him — by less than six months.
- Ḥafṣah bint ʿUmar
حفصة بنت عمر
The wife to whom the first collected muṣḥaf of the Qurʾan was entrusted after Abū Bakr's death.