Aisha Liked to Have Fun

Early in her marriage to the Prophet (PBUH), Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) would have her friends over to have fun, play, sing, and enjoy each other’s company.

She and the Messenger (PBUH) often had running matches to see who was faster. In her youth, she regularly bested him with her speed. [iv]

Aisha’s fun-loving personality was not limited to her own play but extended to watching others play sports.

On one Eid (celebration), some Abyssinians were enjoying the day by displaying their skills with spears. Aisha was eager to watch.

She said, “I remember the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) standing at the door of my room, screening me with his cloak, so that I could see the sport of the Abyssinians as they played with their spears in the mosque of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).” ^[v]

Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) and the Prophet (PBUH) would often spend time entertaining themselves by sharing tales. During one of these story swaps,

“The Prophet told her the story of a man called Kharafah whom the Jinn had taken away. [And then] Aisha narrated a detailed story about eleven ladies who were friends and how each of them described her husband.” ¹

Aisha Was Influential

After the Messenger passed, because of her great knowledge, the ummah looked to Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) for answers. And she even set many inauthentic records straight.

On the occasion that someone mentioned an inauthentic and derogatory hadith about women invalidating the prayer if they walked in front of a man praying, Aisha refuted them by saying,

“You equate us [women] with dogs and donkeys! The Prophet would pray while I lay before him on the bed [between him and the qibla, the direction of the Ka’aba in Mecca, which Muslims face when they pray].”^[vi]

Never backing down in the face of ignorance and misogyny, she changed many men’s minds about women’s worth and capability.

Arwa Bin Zubair, a Muslim historian who was born directly after the death of the Prophet (PBUH), said,

“I did not find anyone more proficient [than Aisha] in the knowledge of the Holy Qur’an, the commandments of halal (lawful) and haram (prohibited), Ilmul-Ansab, and Arabic poetry. That is why even senior companions of the Prophet used to consult Aisha in resolving intricate issues”. ^[vii]

These are just a few of Aisha’s personality traits. She was a lively woman who stood for truth and justice.

She was a fountain of knowledge to all who met her, and remains so to those of us learning the religion today.

Aisha is a phenomenal role model for women today and an excellent example for those who wish to use their vibrant personalities to better the ummah.

References:

^[i] Ghadanfar, Mahmood Ahmad. Great Women of Islam: Who Were given the Good News of Paradise. Riyadh U.a.: Darussalam, 2001.

^[ii] Sirat-I-Aisha, on the authority of Trimidhi

^[iii] http://www.sunnah.org/history/Sahaba/aishah.html

[iv] Ibn Al Jawzi, 68

^[v] Ibn Kahtir Wives of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

^[vi] Ahmed, Leila. Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate. Yale University Press. 1992.

^[vii] Ibn Qayyim and Ibn Sa’ad, Jala-ul-Afham, vol. 2

***

This article is from the archive, published at an earlier date, and is highlighted now for its importance.