‘A’isha bint Abi Bakr

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‘A’isha bint Abi Bakr

Circa 614–678

Wife of muhammad

The Prophet’s Wife . ’A’isha bint Abi Bakr was the daughter of Abu Bakr, a trusted Companion of the Prophet. She was married to the Prophet Muhammad when she was nine and became his favorite wife and confidante. She was also the subject of one of Muhammad’s divine revelations, which exonerated her of a charge of adultery brought against her when she was fourteen. She never bore children.

Political Role . After Muhammad’s death in 632, when ‘A’isha was only eighteen, her father became the Prophet’s successor as political leader of the Islamic community, where ‘A’isha also played a key political role, lending her support to the opponents of ‘Ui ibn Abi Talib, the fourth political successor to the Prophet, who was accused of complicity in the murder of his predecessor, ‘Uthman (ruled 644-656). She participated in the major military confrontation that decided the succession issue, which was named the Battle of the Camel (656) because she entered the fray borne on the back of a camel in order to inspire the troops. After ‘Ali’s resounding victory, ‘A’isha was returned to Madinah as a virtual prisoner and spent the next two decades transmitting information about the words and deeds of the Prophet Muhammad. She is the original source of many traditions (hadiths) that have continued to guide Muslims over the years.

’A’isha’s Legacy . While she has been revered as the beloved wife of the Prophet and an important source of authentic material about the Prophet’s life, her political role has been more controversial. She was criticized by later Muslim writers for encouraging discord in the community and for intruding into the male world of politics and warfare. Others, however, have maintained that her political activism can serve as a model for Muslim women and their full participation in religious, social, and political life. She is popular among modern Muslim feminists, who emphasize her success in combining the roles of faithful wife, public person, and Islamic scholar.