Part One: ‘A’ishah in the Prophet’s household
Chapter al-Ahzab of the Qur’an
Verses 28 to 33:
“O Prophet! Say to your wives: If you desire this world’s life and its nature, then come, I will give you a provision and allow you to depart a goodly departing;
And if you desire Allah and His Apostle and the latter abode, then surely Allah has prepared for the doers of good among you a mighty reward.
O wives of the Prophet! Whoever of you commits an open indecency, the punishment shall be increased to her doubly; and this is easy to Allah.
And whoever of you is obedient to Allah and His Apostle and does good, We will give to her reward doubly, and We have prepared for her an honorable sustenance.
O wives of the Prophet! You are not like any other of the women; if you will be on your guard, then be not soft in your speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease yearn; and speak a good word.
And stay in your houses and do not display your finery like the displaying of the ignorance of yore.”
A glance at ‘A’ishah’s life
‘A’ishah had a nervous, sharp and unruly Tempe.
The author
‘A’ishah was the daughter of the first caliph ‘Abd Allah Abu Bakr, son of Abu Quhafah ‘Uthman, and granddaughter of ‘Amir ibn Ka‘b of the house of Taym (Quraysh).
She was born in the fourth year after the Prophet’s ordainment in Mecca and grew up in the same city.
After the death of his first loyal wife, Khadijah, and two years before his emigration to Medina, the Prophet wedded ‘A’ishah, and a year and a half after the emigration, in the lunar month of Shawwal, and after the battle of Badr, on the insistence of her father, Abu Bakr, took her to his own house. When the Prophet died, she was only eighteen years old. Thus Umm al-Mu’minin spent only eight years and five months of her life in the Prophet’s house.
After the departure of the Prophet, ‘A’ishah was a staunch supporter of the government of the time in the caliphate of her father Abu Bakr, and after him, in the rule of his sincere friend, ‘Umar, and evens in the first half of ‘Uthman’s caliphate.
In the second half of ‘Uthman’s caliphate, for certain reasons which will be explained later, ‘A’ishah got offended with ‘Uthman, and this vexation gradually changed into rancor and hostility owing to certain incidents which occurred between her and ‘Uthman. As a result of the sharp acts of ‘Umm al-Mu’minin and violent reactions of ‘Uthman, this hostility went so far that despite all her support of the caliphs and caliphate, she joined the ranks of ‘Uthman’s opponents, and even acted as their leader, opposing ‘Uthman to such an extent that she fanned up the flame of public uprising and revolution until ‘Uthman was assassinated.
With the death of ‘Uthman, and people’s allegiance to Imam ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib as caliph, ‘A’ishah saw that her plan was ruined
and so she raised the banner of opposition to the Imam, and roused his rivals and opponents to wage the battle of al-Jamal
in Basra against him and herself commanded the opponents’ forces in this fight.
‘A’ishah was defeated in the battle of al-Jamal and her forces were badly crushed, but Imam ‘Ali brought her back respectfully to Medina, where she continued to stay until the assassination of Imam ‘Ali.
When Mu‘awiyah, son of Abu Sufyan seized power, he resorted to fabricating and publishing false traditions through his supporters and hirelings, describing the merits and virtues of his own house in particular, and those of ‘A’ishah’s group and supporters and Imam ‘Ali’s opponents in general. In the propagation of these praises and eulogies, ‘A’ishah herself played an important role which will be described later.
‘A’ishah died on the night of Tuesday 10th of Shawwal, 57 or 59 AH, in Medina and Abu Hurayrah, successor to Marwan ibn al-Hakam, who was Governor of Medina, performed her funeral prayers,
and according to her will she was buried in the al-Baqi‘ alongside the graves of other wives of the Prophet
. ‘A’ishah had a nervous, sharp and unruly temper. A forceful nature, quickness of understanding the position and taking decision, sharp intelligence, envy and intense jealousy, too, were elements of her personality. She was extremely jealous of her he husband, and this jealousy was so intense that she could not allow anyone else to find a place in his heart, or let the smallest particle of his affection be given to another person whoever he or she may have been.
‘A’ishah deeply loved her kith and kin, and was so prejudiced in their favour that she lost her head whenever their interests were endangered, and thus she forgot her position and, by no means, abstained from supporting their interests.
All these were her moral qualities, which held away during her whole life, especially the short years of her married life with the Prophet. Lastly ‘A’ishah is one of those everlasting women whose name will be remembered in history until the end of the world.
The secret behind the plurality of the Prophet’s wives
Why did the Prophet have several wives?
A discussion of nation’s customs
Every nation’s customs are produced by its environment from the viewpoint of geography, economics, education, ideas and beliefs, taking shape in a succession of eras and centuries, and finding firm and strong roots in the texture of that nation. That is why it is a very difficult matter for a scholar to discuss and survey the customs of a people who possess a history in accordance with their position; for, one cannot look upon the way of life and moral and spiritual characteristics, customs and habits of a nation from the viewpoint of the present-day society, or at our customs and social and economic environment as well as our means of communication, education and association of various nations, and draw a conclusion and pass a judgment. Today we live in relatively large cities, stay in rather comfortable houses, and benefit from all the facilities provided by modern architecture for an easy life as well as parks, well-equipped stores, fast transport, different means of communications such as telephone, microwave etc. So that when some famous figure, for instance, sneezes at the other end of the world, every one at this end hears and sees it in less than a second. Customs and habits conform with such an environment.
With this very brief and concise introduction, how can we, in view of the vision and understanding of our society, pass judgment to reach a conclusion about the habits, customs and traditions that existed fourteen centuries ago?
What do we know of the tribal life in forts, under tents and in deserts within the framework of tribal customs and traditions? Even if we know something, will this knowledge be enough to enable us to feel at home amidst that tribe and within the bounds of its customs and traditions? Can we, like them, view matters from the same angle of that time and place, and the same habits and customs of several centuries ago of tribal upbringing and pass a judgement?
We never claim our ability to lead you, on this tour and exploration, in every possible way, or place at your disposal all the social customs and circumstances of various tribes of Arabia in a perfectly clear and tangible manner related to fourteen centuries ago, to the extent that you may feel to be one of them. What we can do is to try to describe the circumstances of that environment to the extent of acquainting you with the historical facts of that land.
Certain facts of history
All historians in the world, both friendly and hostile, are unanimous in the following points:
1-The people of Arabia before advent of Islam, owing to the unfavorable nature of the environment, lived mostly in tents and consequently the means of their livelihood were obtained, not through agriculture or in some cases, not through animal husbandry, but through plunder of each other or massacre of other tribes, so that they could provide themselves with sustenance for a few days and rescue themselves from hunger.
2-With the exception of Yemen and ash-Sham, and several small and insignificant oases in the parched deserts of Arabia, and a few villages and small towns (if they could be called so) the biggest and the most populous of which were Mecca and Yathrib, no sign of development and civilization could be seen in that scorched land.
3-Wealth and property were monopolized by the idolatrous feudals of Mecca and chiefs of the Quraysh tribe, and perhaps the Jews of Yathrib and other neighboring oases. Other inhabitants of that dry land had nothing but hot sighs which rose from their bare breasts on account of such an intense poverty and distress, and no smoke emitted from their hearths. Also no water boiled in their pots, and it was only their tears of despair, which flowed down their lackluster eyes.
4-Lack of harmony of environment and tent-dwelling, the scourge of scorching seasonal winds of the dry and burning desert, bloodshed, massacre and plunder for making sustenance even for a few days; poverty and indigence, hard life, savagery and thousands of other miseries had deprived most of those poor and unhappy people of tender and fine human feelings to such an extent that they buried alive their unfortunate daughters with their own hands in order to get rid of any additional burden at their paltry and miserable meal, and check themselves from offering that unhappy, broken and poor community of Hejaz another creature who would be more unfortunate than themselves.
The Qur’an says in chapter al-An‘am, verse 151:
“Say: (O Prophet!) Come, I will recite what your Lord has forbidden to you. Remember that you do not associate anything with Him, and show kindness to your parents, and do not slay your children for fear of poverty.”
And in Chapter al-Isra’ (Banu Isra’il), verse 31, it says:
“And do not kill your children for fear of poverty; we give them sustenance and yourselves too; surely to kill them is a great wrong.”
And in Chapter at-Takwir, verses 8 and 9 it says:
“And when the one buried alive is asked (on Resurrection Day), for what sin was she killed?”
They were afraid for the following reasons:
1-In fights, retreats, massacres and plunders, girls not only were a hindrance, but owing to poverty and indigence they were also likely to be driven to disgraceful deeds and debauchery, thus ruining the honour of the family.
2-Owing to their physical peculiarities, in defeats and retreats, women and girls were often taken prisoner by the enemy and sold as slaves.
3-In the family and tribe, girls had the role of consumers and were an economic burden on the family, and could thus usurp the place of active and efficient men and boys of the family and tribe.
Chapter an-Nahl of the Qur’an, verses 58 and 59 say:
“And when a daughter is announced to one of them his face becomes black and he is full of wrath.
He hides himself from the people because of the evil of that which is announced to him. Shall he keep it with disgrace or bury it alive in the dust?”
It is clear as to what the life of such girls who remained alive would be. Moreover, in the society of Arabia of those days, a woman had no position at all. She was regarded by men as a means of quenching their lust, and sometimes she was inherited by the eldest son who as her sole owner could offer her to anyone he wished or arranged her marriage to him. He could force his slave-girls to sell their bodies and offer the money thus gained to their owner, or to throw themselves into the arms of any men of their master’s choice. She could be deprived of all inheritance, and be rated as a captive, a slave, an outcast, a hated being, a wicked element lacking all worth and asset, a troublesome creature and a burden to society. She had no right to her own belongings, and was even deprived of living in the way she desired.
God Almighty says in Chapter an-Nur of the Qur’an, verse 33:
“And do not compel your slave-girls to prostitution, when they desire to keep chaste, in order to seek frail good of this world’s life, and whoever compels them, then surely after their compulsion Allah is Forgiving, Merciful”
This was how the pre-Islamic Arabs treated their women, and when we speak of Arab women, we are referring to the land of Hejaz. But in those days in no nation or religion were women considered to be free-born human beings. Let us lay aside futile prejudice, and turn the pages of history books of various nations and religions to see that our claim is supported fully, and then realize that it is only Islam that completely respects the rights of women as free-born human beings.
In view of the regrettable state of the Arabs’ life in those days, the position a woman held in such a society, and the problems caused by her in every family and tribe, let us now turn to the study of the attitude of Islam towards women as a result of the noble Prophet’s wise treatment of this divine creature who has been created by God as man’s partner and companion and given the task of bringing stability and tranquility into human life.
Economic combat of Quraysh with the Prophet
In the days when the Prophet was newly ordained, the Quraysh rose up to check the propagation and spread of this new religion, and tried to find the means of vanquishing him through the exigencies of those times. They proposed to his sons-in-law to divorce his daughters and send them back to their father’s house in order to deter the Prophet from engaging in spiritual and religious mission of prophethood, and thus compelling him to attend to material duties of providing livelihood for his family.
This story has been mentioned in“Sirah of Ibn Hisham”
: The Quraysh said to each other:“You have freed Muhammad from the worry of supporting his family, send back his daughters to him to keep him occupied with the task of getting subsistence for them.”
Then to carry out their plan, they got in touch with the Prophet’s sons-in-law, namely Abu al-‘As the nephew of Khadijah, and ‘Utbah, son of Abu Lahab who was the Prophet’s nephew
, and proposed to them that, in return for divorcing Muhammad’s daughter, they would let them marry any of the girls of the Quraysh (who were the nobles of Mecca) that they desired. Abu al-‘As, who felt a deep affection for his wife (daughter of the Prophet), refused the proposal, but ‘Utbah answered that he would agree on the condition that they let him marry the daughter of Sa‘id ibn al-‘As or his granddaughter, that is, daughter of Aban ibn Sa‘id ibn al-‘As. The Quraysh fulfilled his wish and jet him marry the daughter of Sa‘id ibn al--‘As, and thus he divorced Ruqayyah, daughter of the Prophet.
In view of this historical happening, it can easily be seen to what extent a woman was burden for a man of family, so that the Quraysh adopted this method as the most decisive way of fighting the Prophet.
Economic support for the Prophet and winning over the enemy
On the one hand, at a time when the hostility of the Quraysh with the Prophet and his friends reached its height, some of his friends, both men and women, on his advice, departed for Abyssinia and then emigrated to Medina, thus abandoning all their property and belonging for the consent of God. They only succeeded in saving their lives from the Quraysh, and eventually the Prophet himself joined them in Medina and chose that city as the center of his activities.
Some of these homeless people were so indigent that they did not even have any clothes, and the Prophet let them settle on a roofed platform in the mosque of Medina for days and nights, and that is why they were given the name of Ashab as-suffah (companions of the platform).
Among these wanderers there were guardian-less widows and lonely girls whom the honour of Islam could not allow to stay on that platform with the men, or permit them to stay in the houses of Ansar (those who helped the Prophet) without any logical and legitimate reason.
On the other hand, with the occurrence of battles and death of Muslim fighters in the field, the number of unprotected women and girls regularly increased. But on the recommendation of the Prophet, these females did not remain without a guardian, and by being made the legal consort of the Prophet, they shared the life of his other companions, and could enter their houses and prevents shattering of life.
Marriage as a means of preventing conflict and bloodshed
There had been long-standing customs in various Arab tribes, some of which still prevail. For instance, if a combat occurred between two tribes or blood was shed, the best way to prevent further bloodshed and loss of life and plunder, was to arrange inter-marriage between the two hostile groups, so that with the creation of this kinship, massacre and plunder would be stopped, and also loyal allies acquiesce to fight other enemies.
Now let us return to the main subject and continue the topic on exploring the reason for the plurality of the Prophet’s wives.
1-Khadijah, daughter of Khuwaylad al-Asadiyah al-Qurayshiyah
Khadijah was the first lady to become the consort of the Prophet, and also the first woman to embrace this faith. She had married twice before him and had some children by them. Her marriage with the Prophet took place fifteen years before his ordainment when she was forty years of age, while the Prophet was twenty-five.
Khadijah died in the tenth year after ordainment when she was sixty-five. She was the only wife of the Prophet for twenty- five years, and during this period, she spared no effort in offering her wealth and devotion to him to promote the divine mission of her husband.
The Prophet’s children, with the exception of Ibrahim, came from Khadijah, and so long as she lived, he did not marry another, and to the end of his life, he remembered Khadijah as the first lady of Islam. With the abundant alms she offered, he kept alive and respected her memory. The year Khadijah died, the Prophet had gone through fiftieth year of his very active life.
2-Sudah, daughter of Zam‘ah
At first, Sudah had married her cousin, as-Sakran, and accompanied the second group of Muslim emigrants to Abyssinia. as-Sakran died after his return from Abyssinia in Mecca and left Sudah without a guardian. After the death of Khadijah, the Prophet married Sudah who was then of an advanced age and had no one to take care of her. She died at the time of caliphate of Mu‘awiyah in Medina in the year 54 AH.
3-‘A’ishah, daughter of Abu Bakr
The Prophet proposed marriage with ‘A’ishah in the same year as with Sudah, but he took the former to his house in Medina after the battle of Badr upon the insistence of her father, Abu Bakr.
4-Hafsah, daughter of ‘Umar
Hafsah, daughter of the second caliph, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, was born five years before the ordainment of the Prophet of Islam. At first she wedded Khunays, son of Hudhafah, and immigrated with him to Medina. In the battle of Badr, he died after being wounded, leaving Hafsah a widow. Her father, ‘Umar, was looking for a husband for her among the Prophet’s friends, and at first made a proposal to ‘Uthman who was rich and of the Umayyads, and though his wife Ruqayyah who was the Prophet’s daughter, had died, ‘Uthman did not agree to this proposal of marriage and gave a negative answer. ‘Umar asked Abu Bakr to marry Hafsah, but Abu Bakr, too, refused. So ‘Umar who was offended with the refusal of two distinguished friends of the Prophet, complained to the Prophet against them, and the Prophet settled the matter by himself marrying Hafsah. Hafsah died in the lunar month of Sha‘ban in the year 45 AH in the caliphate of Mu‘awiyah. Marwan, governor of Medina, performed her burial prayer, and she was buried in al-Baqi‘.
5-Zaynab, daughter of Khuzaymah
Zaynab had married twice before being wedded to the Prophet. Her second husband was killed in the battle of Uhud. The Prophet proposed to marry her, and she left the decision to himself. The Prophet married her in the lunar month of Ramadan in the third year after Hijrah. Zaynab died eight months after this marriage in the lunar month of Rabi‘ al-Awwal (Rabi‘ I) in the fourth year after Hijrah.
6-Umm Salamah, daughter of Abu Umayyah
Her name was Hind, and she was the daughter of Abu Umayyah al-Makhzumi, and her mother was ‘Atikah, daughter of ‘Amir al-Makhzumi. At first she was the wife of Abu Salamah ‘Abd Allah, son of ‘Abd al-Asad al-Makhzumi, both of whom embraced Islam in Mecca. When the misconduct of the Quraysh towards the Muslims in Mecca became intolerable, the Prophet ordered them to emigrate to Abyssinia, where Umm Salamah gave birth to her children. Then the family returned to Mecca, and when the Prophet emigrated to Medina, Abu Salamah mounted his wife and a child on a camel, took the halter and proceeded towards Medina.
Umm Salamah narrates the story as follows:“When my relatives realized our intention to depart, they said to Abu Salamah: ‘You yourself fled from us to become a Muslim. But we swear to God that we will not let you carry a woman of our family from one city to another,’ and they pulled the halter out of his hand. When the relatives of Abu Salamah saw this, they protested angrily to them, and said: ‘If you separate Umm al-Salamah from her husband, we will not let you take her child with you since he is our child.’ In this dispute the child’s arm was dislocated, but finally Abu Salamah took away the child with him and my relatives kept me with them, and Abu Salamah departed for Medina.”
She then adds:“They separated me from my husband. Every day I went to the valley of al-Abtah in Mecca, and sat there weeping till evening. This went on for seven days until one of my cousins, while passing by, saw me. He went to our relatives asking them why they did not leave the poor woman alone and why they separated her from her husband. This protest had a positive effect, and they told me I could join my husband if I wished. When the relatives of my husband saw this, they brought back my child to me. I took him in my arms, mounted a camel and proceeded towards Medina, without any companion until I reached the land of at-Tan‘im. ‘Uthman, son of Talhah ‘Abd ad-Dari al-Qurayshi, saw me and shouted: ‘O daughter of Umayyah, where are you going to?’ I said: ‘I am going to my husband in Medina.’ He asked: ‘Is anyone accompanying you?’ I said: ‘No, by God, except God and this son of mine.’ He said: ‘By God, I cannot let you go alone.’ Then he took the camel’s halter and walked ahead. I swear to God I have never seen a man more chivalrous than him on this journey. Whenever we reached a halting place, he caused the camel to kneel down, and himself stayed some distance away to rest under a tree, and when it was time to move, he came and tied the saddle on the camel’s back and stood aside telling me to mount. After I did so, he took the halter and pulled the camel behind him. This continued till we came close to Medina. He showed me the village of Quba’ and said: ‘This is where your husband is staying.’ Then he went away and I joined my husband there.”
When Umm Salamah reached Medina, it was said that she was the first lady to emigrate to Medina. The family stayed there until the battle of Uhud took place. Abu Salamah joined the Prophet to participate in that battle when he was wounded and eventually succumbed to the same wound in Medina and Umm Salamah was left without a guardian. The Prophet married Umm Salamah who was now old and sterile, and thus he took her and her children under his protection and support.
Umm Salamah died during the caliphate of Yazid ibn Mu‘awiyah and after the martyrdom of Imam al-Husayn.
7-Juwayriyah, daughter of al-Harith
The story of the marriage of the Prophet with Juwayriyah is a long one, but briefly speaking, al-Harith was the chief of the tribe of Banu al-Mustalaq that lived about thirty kilometers away from Medina. It was in the fifth or sixth year after Hijrah that al-Harith, with the aid of other tribes, collected a large force intending to carry out a surprise ride upon Medina and annihilate the Muslims.
The Prophet, who was aware of this plan, sent one of his companions to keep a watch on the tribe of al-Harith in order to find out the position and number of the enemy and report it. His envoy carried out the mission successfully and brought the Prophet useful information about the enemy’s military position.
Meanwhile, a spy too came from the army of al-Harith among the Muslims to collect information, but he was captured before he could render any service. The Muslims invited him to embrace Islam but he refused, and thus they were forced to kill him. After this incident, the Prophet made the first move and attacked the tribe of Banu al-Mustalaq.
When the men from other tribes in the army of al-Harith saw themselves confronted with an unexpected attack, they fled and left al-Harith’s army alone to engage in battle. The crier of Islam proposed the acceptance of this faith to al-Harith’s troops but they did not only refuse the invitation but also killed the crier with arrows.
When the Muslims saw this, they rushed at once upon the enemy and in a hard battle, which ensued, the tribe of al-Harith surrendered after defeat. Of the Muslim army only one soldier was killed, while al-Harith’s army lost ten men. The Muslims captured much spoil and many men as prisoners. Juwayriyah whose husband had been killed in this battle, was one of the captives, and she was given to one of the Ansar (Prophet’s helpers) as his share.
When they returned to Medina, she went to the Prophet begging him for freedom. The Prophet said the ransom, freed and then married her. When the Prophet’s companions heard this news, as a sign of respect to this marriage, they set free all the captives in their possession.
al-Harith, on hearing this report came to Medina and embraced Islam, and on his return to his tribe, made them all embrace Islam.
8-Umm Habibah, daughter of Abu Sufyan
Umm Habibah’s father, Abu Sufyan was the archenemy of the Prophet of Islam and instigator and ringleader of the Quraysh battles against the Prophet. Unlike her father, Umm Habibah embraced Islam and emigrated to Abyssinia with her husband and he died there, leaving her without a caretaker. When the Prophet heard of this he sent someone to her in Abyssinia, asking her hand in marriage and eventually he married her in the seventh year after Hijrah.
The news of his daughter’s marriage with the Prophet deeply enraged Abu Sufyan who was enemy of God and His prophet, and uttered such words which showed his defeat in the face of the greatness and exalted moral and spiritual position of the Prophet. He said:“One cannot punch this male in the nose.”
One year after this marriage, the peace treaty of al-Hudaybiyah took place in the 8th year AH and the Quraysh, despite all of their obstinacy, were vanquished by the greatness and power of Islam, thus actually and formally recognizing this divine faith.
Do you suppose this marriage has been devoid of effect in securing such a great advantage?
9-Safiyah, daughter of Huyay
Safiyah was the daughter of Huyay ibn Akhtab from the progeny of Aaron, brother of Moses, and her mother was Barrah, daughter of Samuel, from the Banu Qurayzah tribe.
Her first husband was Salam, son of Mushkim, and after being divorced, she was wedded to Kinanah, son of ar-Rabi‘, from Banu an-Nadir tribe. But ar-Rabi‘ was killed by the Muslims in the battle of Khaybar, and the infidels in Khaybar were taken captive by the Muslims after the battle. The Prophet took her to himself as a war prisoner and when he noticed a blue mark on he face he asked how it had come about. She answered:“One night I dreamt that a moon rose from Medina and settled on my lap. I related my dream to my husband, Rabi‘, and he felt very uneasy and shouted at me: ‘Do you hope to become a king’s consort who has risen in Medina?’ and he slapped me so hard on the face that it went blue, and this is the effect of that blow.”
After hearing the story, the Prophet said to Safiyah:“If you embrace Islam, I will marry you, and if you remain a Jew, I will set you free to return to your people and tribe.”
She said:“Prior to invitation to Islam, I had already embraced it. Moreover, I have no parents and have nothing to do with the Jews for you to give me the choice between faith and infidelity. God and His prophet are much more important to me than freedom and return to my kins.”
The Prophet told her to observe the period of waiting related to her husband’s death, and then wedded her and settled her in the al-‘Aliyah locality of Medina in the house of one of the members of Banu Harithah tribe.
‘A’ishah, while veiled, secretly visited Safiyah. The Prophet asked her:“How did you find Safiyah?”
She answered:“I found her a Jewess.”
He said:“Don’t call her a Jewess since she has embraced Islam and is a good Muslim.”
Safiyah loved the Prophet deeply and did not abstain from expressing affection. One example of this love emerged when the Prophet had fallen ill and his consorts had gathered around him, Safiyah said anxiously to the Prophet:“I swear to God that I long to have your pain transferred to my body.”
On hearing the words of Safiyah, other wives of the Prophet winked at each other and raised their eyebrows, considering her words to be ostentatious. But this unfair conduct of the ladies was duly observed by the Prophet. So he addressed them, saying:“Go and cleanse yourself of wrong thoughts.”
They asked the reason, and he said:“Your gestures and hints. I swear to God that she is truthful sincere in her words.”
Safiyah died in the year 52 AH in Medina during the caliphate of Mu‘awiyah and was buried in al-Baqi‘ cemetery.
10-Maymunah, daughter of al-Harith
Maymunah, daughter of al-Harith al-Hilaliyah, was at first the wife of Mas‘ud ath-Thaqafi, and after being divorced she married Abu Rahm ibn ‘Abd al-‘Uzza and lived with him until his death. In the year 7 AH when the Prophet was on a pilgrimage to Mecca, she wedded him. The sermon was read by his son-in-law Abbas (husband of his sister) and the Prophet’s uncle. She accompanied him to Medina.
Maymunah was the last lady to marry the Prophet. There is no agreement about the date of her death, but the most accepted view is that she died in the year 51 AH on her return from pilgrimage at a halting place called Sarf.
11-Zaynab, daughter of Jahsh
The stories of the Prophet’s marriages were so far similar to each other, having a clear reason. But there was another reason for his marriage with Zaynab, which requires an introduction.
As we know, reformers in the world usually took the first step themselves in carrying out their plan of reform for society, and began with themselves and their family. They spared no effort and self-sacrifice necessary for attaining their sacred goal and then went on to invite their kith and kin, and afterwards other human beings to act upon the plan.
The Prophet of Islam, as a unique reformer of humanity, was no exception to this law, and he began with himself to reform society and do away with the hated customs of pagan times upon the order of God. For this reason in his last Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca he said:“Usury of any type is null and void, and the first usury I abolish is the usury of my uncle al-‘Abbas.(32) Every blood that is shed in pagan times is lost, and the first blood I waste is the blood of Rabi‘ah son, grandson of ‘Abd al-Muttalib.”
In the biography of the Prophet, there is much evidence about this episode. His marriage with Zaynab, daughter of Jahsh, is one of those cases where the Prophet sought it to break up the system of ignorance and ugly customs of pagan times.
The Prophet by this marriage pursued the following two fundamental objectives:
1-To remove class distinction.
2-To abolish the verdicts related to adopt sons.
Zayd ibn Harithah, the Prophet’s adopted son, was in his childhood attacked by a group of Arabs and kidnapped, and then put up for sale in Mecca. The Prophet was present at the sale, and upon feeling an attachment for him bought him for his wife, Khadijah, and she offered the child to the Prophet.
Zayd’s parents, who were afflicted at the disappearance of their endeared child, knew nothing of his fate. One day some members of Zayd’s tribe happened to see him in Mecca and they recognized each other, and Zayd sent a poem through them for his parents, saying:“Be not worried. I live in the family of the noblest of Arab tribes and I am well-looked after.”
Zayd’s father and uncle who were informed of his situation and residence took some money with them and left for Mecca, hoping to buy him back. When they met the Prophet and explained their purpose, he said:“If Zayd wishes to leave me, I have no objection.”
He summoned Zayd, and when he saw his father and uncle, he admitted his kinship. Then the Prophet explained to him their purpose and gave him the option to stay or to leave. Zayd answered:“I shall never prefer anyone to you.”
His father said:“My boy, do you prefer slavery to the freedom of living with your father?”
He answered, pointing to the Prophet:“Yes, with such a person.”
Then the Prophet took Zayd’s hand and brought him to the rock of Isma‘il (in the Ka‘bah) and said in a loud voice:“Be witness that Zayd is my son; he inherits from me and I inherit from him.”
When Zayd’s father and uncle heard this, they were overjoyed and returned home. After Zayd’s freedom, the people called him“Zayd ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah.”
Zaynab, daughter of Jahsh, who was a niece of the Prophet, was his ward, and a marriage proposal for her came from some of the Quraysh tribe. She asked the Prophet what to do. He proposed her marriage with Zayd. Zaynab protested and said:“Would you give me, your niece, to a freed slave of yours?”
Zaynab’s brother and sister did not approve of this marriage either, on account of the existing class difference until a divine revelation descended about this matter, saying:
“And it behoves not a believing man and a believing woman that they should have any choice in their matter when Allah and His Apostle have decided a matter; and whoever disobeys Allah and His Apostle, he surely strays off a manifest straying.”
This verse silenced all three of them and they expressed their agreement, with Zaynab declaring her readiness to marry Zayd. The Prophet solemnized the ceremony with the same lofty goal of removing class differences and aristocratic pride.
Zaynab went to Zayd’s house and lived along with the other wife of Zayd, called Umm Ayman, who had also been freed by the Prophet, and with her child Usamah. Such a life made Zaynab uneasy and she began to maltreat Zayd. This misbehavior continued until Zayd complained of her to the Prophet and asked his permission to divorce her. But the Prophet said:
“Keep your wife to yourself and be careful of your duty to Allah”
However, her misconduct made Zayd so weary that upon his insistence, the Prophet agreed to their separation and she was eventually divorced.
When her legal period of separation was over, the Prophet was ordered by God to break another custom of pagan times by marrying Zaynab, so as to show that the laws related to one’s own son do not apply to an adopted son, and one can marry the divorced wife of one’s adopted son.
It was hard for the Prophet to carry out this matter, and he was worried about the people’s attitude and their idle talk, until the following verse descended showing his intense anxiety:
“Do you fear people, while it is worthier for you to fear God? Now that Zayd has freed that woman, We allow you to wed her so that believers would not be blamed for marrying the divorced wives of their adopted sons.”
On the basis of this verse and its explicit comment the Prophet married Zaynab to break by divine order, the despised and illogical customs of pagan times.
What has been said shows that most of the Prophet’s marriages were based on the advisability, policy and interest of the society, execution of divine laws, as well as breaking the wrong customs of pagan times, not for the sake of satisfying carnal desires or animal instincts.
The ladies who offered themselves to the Prophet without a dowry
There were other women who offered themselves to the Prophet without demanding a dowry. What is meant by the word“offer”
according to the Qur’an is proposal of marriage. Books of biography and history mention several such women, one of whom is Khulah, daughter of Hakim.
12-Khulah, daughter of Hakim al-Hilaliyah
She was a woman who proposed marriage to the Prophet, but he postponed giving an answer. She served in his house until the Prophet wedded her to ‘Uthman ibn Maz‘un and she lived in the latter’s house till his death.
13-Another lady
Sahl ibn Sa’d narrates: A woman came to the Prophet and offered herself in marriage. The Prophet remained silent. A Muslim man, who was present, said:“O Prophet! If you have no need of this woman, wed her to me.”
The Prophet said:“What have you to give her as dowry?”
He answered:“Only the shirt I am wearing.”
The Prophet said:“If you give it to her, you will go naked. Try to find something else.”
He said:“I have nothing.”
The Prophet said:“Not an iron ring?”
He said:“Not even that.”
The Prophet said:“Do you remember any verses of the Qur’an?”
He said“yes”
and recited several of them. The Prophet said:“Then I; offer you this woman in marriage, her dowry being those very verses of the Qur’an.”
In the Prophet’s biography there are mentioned the names of several other ladies who proposed marriage to the Prophet such as Umm Sharik and Umm Layla. Some of them had spent a heart-rending life in the way of Islam before going to the Prophet, but it is explicitly stated that the Prophet married none of them.
A special verdict for a particular person
We have already spoken of the distress and homelessness of Muslim women of that time in the city of Medina, and saw how necessary it was in the sublime interests of Islam for the Prophet to get married with women of some unruly Arab tribes. As every Muslim is allowed to take four wives, we see that an exception was made in the case of the Prophet.
This exception is mentioned in verses 50-52 of Chapter al-Ahzab, as follows:
“O Prophet! Surely We have made lawful to you your wives whom you have given their dowries, and those whom your right hand possesses out of those of whom Allah has given to you as prisoners of war, and the daughters of your paternal uncles and the daughters of your maternal uncles and the daughters of your maternal aunts who fled with you; and a behaving woman if she gave herself to the Prophet if the Prophet desired to marry her - specially for you, not for the rest of believers, We know what We have ordained for them concerning their wives, and those whom their right hand possess in order that no blame may attach to you; and Allah is Forgiving Merciful.
You may put off whom you please of them, and you may take to you whom you please, and whom you desire of those whom you had separated provisionally; no blame attaches to you; this is most proper; so that their eye may be cool and they may not grieve, and that they should be pleased, all of them, with what you have given them, and Allah knows what is in your hearts; and Allah is Knowing Forbearing.
It is not allowed to you to take women after wards, nor that you should change them for other wives, though their beauty be pleasing to you, except what your right hand possesses; and Allah is Watchful over all things.”
These were God’s commands given explicitly in the above verses, leaving it to the Prophet to take steps about what he thinks advisable. Thus, the number of his wives reached nine by the end of his life. This number was allowed only to the Prophet, while other men were allowed no more than four wives.
In the above verses, the limit of the Prophet’s freedom is fixed at minus women’s beauty, and this is a well-devised matter, and for this reason he is not allowed, unlike other men, to change by means of divorce any of his wives for new wives. The Prophet made use of this option for safeguarding the sublime interests of Islam and spiritual and political leadership in order to meet the human needs of the society’s honorable women.
But when after the capture of Mecca the Muslims found a sound position, the Prophet did not marry again since he had no further need of the above verdict.
Conclusion of the survey
It is clear now concerning the Prophet’s marriages that he lives with a lady who was fifteen years his senior, down to the age of fifty which is the height of a man’s natural growth; a lady who died at the age of 65, and during that period he married no one else, and after Khadijah he married another woman advanced in years. Such was the Prophet’s married life in Mecca until he emigrated to Medina and took charge of the grave responsibility of managing the Muslim society. At that time, the number of indigent and exiled believers who came to him every day reached eighty. They settled on the platform of the Prophet’s mosque and some of them were inadequately dressed. At such a time, there were Muslim women who had lost their guardians in the battles of Muslims with infidels or in other happenings, and they could not return to their relatives since the latter were regarded as infidels and enemies of God and His prophet, and were thus looked upon as untouchables. All this happened in a community where women were anyhow regarded as a burden, and many fathers buried them alive for fear of falling short of subsistence for them. In the battles against the Prophet, too, they proposed to divorce his daughters in order to defeat him. The situation became so difficult in Medina for believing women that if a widow had a father, he insisted that one of his friends should marry her.
In such a case, was the Prophet’s marriage with Hafsah not aimed at compensating her mental affliction and removal of her vexation with his two companions, Abu Bakr and ‘Uthman? At such a time, what could another old lady, Umm Salamah who had lost her husband in the battle of Uhud, do with so many children in a strange city? Could she possibly return to Mecca to the same family whose tyranny had forced her to flee to Abyssinia in Africa?
Or how could the other lady, Zaynab daughter of Khuzaymah, who had already married twice before getting married to the Prophet and whose second husband was killed in the battle of Uhud, continue her life?
Similarly, what remedy was there but for the Prophet’s protection for Umm Habibah daughter of Abu Sufyan, who due to molestation by her family was compelled to run away with her husband to Abyssinia where she lost him? Umm Habibah is the daughter of the same Abu Sufyan who spared no crime for the annihilation of Islam and humbling the Prophet. He was the man behind all rebellions against the Prophet, who tried to preserve the honour of the same Abu Sufyan to an unimaginable degree. Indeed, if the Quraysh led by Abu Sufyan often had tried to send the Prophet’s daughters back to his house, the same Prophet wedded Abu Sufyan’s daughter in Abyssinia and brought her with all respect and dignity to Medina. He made her the wife of the noblest Arab, the grandson of ‘Abd al-Muttalib - an action which so overjoyed Abu Sufyan that he uttered his famous proverbial remark.
What reaction was produced in the other men of the Umayyad household by such noble acts? There is nothing at hand that could have quoted them, but concerning the marriage with Juwayriyah, of the Banu al-Mustalaq tribe, we hear of an extensive reaction.
This tribe which was a branch of Khuza‘ah tribes lived about thirty kilometers from Medina. Their chief, al-Harith, gathered a large army of Arab tribes to fight the Prophet, but the Prophet made a surprise raid against him that led to the flight of other tribes who had come to help al-Harith. The Prophet proposed that they embrace Islam, but they refused. In the ensuing battle, al-Harith’s tribe was defeated, and its combatants surrendered. Among the prisoners was the daughter of al-Harith, chief of the tribe. The Prophet bought her from the man who had taken her prisoner, and after freeing and marrying her, put her on an equal footing with the other ladies of his house, whereas he could use her as a slave-concubine. To show respect to the Prophet’s action, the Muslims freed all the prisoners of this tribe. When al-Harith heard of this matter, he came to Medina and embraced Islam, and then his whole tribe followed his example.
In the peace of al-Hudaybiyah this tribe and Khuza‘ah tribe joined the Prophet against the Quraysh and their allies.
Now we can see the reason for the custom prevalent among the war-stricken Arab tribes. When they desired peace and reconciliation, the victorious tribe offered girls in marriage to the oppressed tribe, thus creating a political tie between them. Obviously, the Prophet’s marriages with females from the defeated tribes were no exception to this rule, such as his marriage with Safiyah of the Khaybar Jews, and marrying Rayhanah of the Banu an-Nadir Jews with a Jew of the Banu Qurayzah.
The purpose of the Prophet was clear in such marriages: to join together unruly Arab tribes. And this point becomes more evident when we see that none of his marriages took place with his Ansar tribes, since the widows of this group lived with their families and had no need of financial support. It was the Ansar themselves who at the beginning of the Muslims’ emigration to Medina always helped such women with dwelling, food and clothes. The Prophet’s wisdom is evident in all his marriages. Only in two cases there is a need for inquiry. The marriage with ‘A’ishah is the first case, since he wedded her at the age of nine and this is contrary to prevalent custom especially of the urban people. In answer to this, we have already said that it is not right to compare the custom of that time and place with one of our own time and place.
The Prophet was not the only person who married a girl of that age. He gave his own daughter Fatimah az-Zahra’ in marriage at the same age, and this is a prophet’s action from the viewpoint of Islamic law. Moreover, in hot regions, Human beings reach the stage of natural puberty sooner and also get old sooner. This is often seen in India today and many a time a girl reaches puberty and becomes pregnant even before the age of nine and also gets old and infirm sooner, whereas in the mountains of Tibet the reverse is true, to the extent that it is said a man may reach the age of two hundred there, and the age of one hundred is considered young for him.
The second case is the Prophet’s marriage with Zaynab, divorcee of Usamah, the adopted son of the Prophet, the reason for which has been explained by us earlier.
After these explanations about the reason for the plurality of the Prophet’s wives, there arises the question as to why there has come about a misapprehension and cynicism about his marriages. The answer is that our study of biographies and traditions shows that such pessimism and misunderstanding is due to the annals narrated about this issue from ‘A’ishah Umm al-Mu’minin, in which the Prophet has been presented as a women-loving man, and this is the motive for writing this book.
In the next chapter, we will discuss some of these narrations.
‘A’ishah in the Prophet’s house
Woe upon her (‘A’ishah)! She is capable of every deed!
Uttered by the Prophet
Jealousy and Ardor
We have said that ‘A’ishah was an ambitious and hot-tempered woman who was jealous of her husband’s heart, and did not wish to see anyone win his affection.
An example of her intense jealousy and ardor can be seen in her conjugal life especially when the Prophet married another woman.
She speaks of this jealousy and mental uneasiness unreservedly when Umm Salamah, Zaynab and other ladies found their way into the Prophet’s house, and she most openly expressed her violent ardor concerning futile thoughts especially about the nights when the Prophet left the house for his nightly devotions.
In dark nights when there prevailed deep silence and tranquility the Prophet was usually engaged in communion with his God, and thus he spent certain of the nights in privacy and devotion. As the Prophet spent each night turn by turn, in the house of one of his consorts, those acts of devotion compelled him to spend some hours of each night outdoors in the mosque or al-Baqi‘ Cemetery. Consequently, in the nights when he was to be with ‘A’ishah, as soon as he left the house for his usual devotion, her womanly jealousy was so roused as to follow him and see where he went and what he did.
She herself gives an account of these nightly pursuits on various occasions.
Nightly pursuits
She says:“One night I noticed that he was not in his bed. Uneasy thoughts so disturbed my mind as to fancy that he was visiting another of his wives. So I got up to find Out where he had gone. Suddenly I found him prostrating in the mosque, praying: ‘O God! Forgive me.’ “
Elsewhere she says:“One night I noticed the Prophet was not in his bed. I said to myself he must have gone to one of his other wives. I listened and then searched for him to find him in genuflection before God.”
She further says:“On another night he was not in bed, and I got up to locate him, and in that darkness I felt my way here and there when suddenly my hand touched the sole of his feet. He had prostrated himself praying.”
Elsewhere she says:“One night when he was scheduled to be in my house, he took off his cloak and put it aside. Then he removed his shoes and placed Them near his bed Then he pulled one side of his garment over his face and lay down, remaining in that position for some time, so that I thought he had gone to sleep. Then he got up, put on his cloak and shoes quietly, opened the door, went out and quietly closed the door. I rose at once, got dressed, put on my veil and cloak and hurriedly left the house to follow him, and found him in the al-Baqi‘ cemetery. He stood there for a long time. Then he lifted his arms three times and left for home. I, too, returned. He made haste and so did I. He increased his pace and so did I. Then he began to run and so did I. At last I got home before him, and managed to throw myself on the bed and lie down. I was panting when he entered and he asked me: ‘Why are you panting so hard ‘A’ishah?’ I said: ‘It’s nothing.’ He said: ‘Will you tell me yourself, or will Omniscient God inform me of it?’ I told him what had taken place. Then he said: ‘That dark figure I saw was you then?’ I said ‘Yes’, and then he slapped me so hard on the back that it pained me. He said: ‘Did you think that God and His prophet are unjust to you?’ “
She further notes:“One night the Prophet went out of my house. I felt very jealous and uneasy. When he came back and saw my discomfort, he asked the reason, saying: ‘What has happened, ‘A’ishah? Do you feel jealous and uneasy again?’ I said: ‘Why should a person like me no t be jealous of a man like you?’ He said: ‘You are again captivated by your devil.’ “
She says also:“When some hours of the night passed, the Prophet rose and went out. I thought he had gone to visit one of his other wives. I rose and followed him quietly, until he reached the cemetery. He stood there and addressing the believers, who had gone to eternal sleep there, said: ‘Salutation to you, O group of believers!’ He turned round suddenly and noticed me behind him, and said: ‘Woe upon her! What would she not do if she could!’ “
‘A’ishah and other wives of the Prophet
Encounters and reactions
‘A’ishah’s jealousy, womanly envy and hot temper have been observed in various ways, some examples of which are seen in her mental reaction in breaking the dishes and throwing away the food of other ladies of the Prophet, and in her behavior towards them. We will discuss these two points separately. At first we will describe her reaction to the dishes the other ladies prepared for the Prophet, and then deal with her violent encounters with his consorts.
1-Reactions
When I saw the slave-girl carrying the food, I trembled. So that I lost my head and seizing the dish, I threw it away.
‘A’ishah
It sometimes happened that while the Prophet was in ‘A’ishah’s house, one of his other consorts prepared some food and sent it for him. On such occasions, ‘A’ishah lost self-control and showed her anger at this with a violent reaction. Here are some examples of these reactions:
‘A’ishah and Umm Salamah’s dish
One day when the Prophet was in ‘A’ishah’s house, Umm Salamah sent him a dish prepared by her. ‘A’ishah who had been aware of such pleasing acts of Umm Salamah, arrived at that very moment dressed in her cloak and holding a stone in her hand. She threw the stone at the dish and broke it. The Prophet observing this act, sent a dish of ‘A’ishah back to Umm Salamah to compensate for the broken dish.
‘A’ishah and Hafsah’s dish
‘A’ishah says:“I had prepared some food for the Prophet when I learnt that Hafsah had done the same. I ordered my slave-girl to be on the alert and if Hafsah sent him a dish prior to mine, she (the slave-girl) should take it and throw it away. She did as she was told thus breaking Hafsah’s plate, and throwing the food on the leather tablecloth. The Prophet gathered the remnants and said to me: ‘Send one of your plates to Hafsah for the broken dish.’ “
‘A’ishah and Safiyah’s dish
We have already spoken of Safiyah earlier in this book, and now we hear ‘A’ishah’s account of breaking Safiyah’s dish and throwing away the food. She says:“One day when the Prophet was in my house, Safiyah sent him a dish she had prepared. When I noticed the slave-girl is carrying the dish, I trembled, lost my head and seizing the plate threw the food away. I observed the Prophet staring at me and noticed signs of anger and dislike on his face. So I said: ‘I seek refuge with God at His prophet’s rage and hope that you will not curse me.’ He said ‘Repeat it’. I said: ‘How can I make amends for my deed?’ He answered: ‘Prepare a food like hers, find a plate like hers and send them to her.’ “
2-Encounters
‘A’ishah was very jealous of her husband so that she was not prepared to see another woman find a place in his heart.
The author
It is now time to describe ‘A’ishah’s sharp encounters and clashes with the other wives of the Prophet.
‘A’ishah and Safiyah
In a domestic encounter ‘A’ishah and Safiyah severely abused and insulted one another. When the Prophet learnt of the incident, he said to Safiyah who had been deeply hurt at ‘A’ishah’s insults and boasts:“Why did you not tell her that your father is Aaron and your Uncle Moses?”
‘A’ishah says:“I told the Prophet of Safiyah’s misconduct and called her names. The Prophet said: ‘You have used about Safiyah such words whose pollution contaminates a sea.’ “
Safiyah says:“I was weeping when the Prophet entered and on seeing my lamentation, he said: ‘O daughter of Huyay, why are you weeping?’ She said: ‘I have heard that ‘A’ishah and Hafsah have slandered me.’ “
‘A’ishah and Sudah
The quarrel and assault of ‘A’ishah with Sudah happened as follows: One day ‘A’ishah heard Sudah murmuring a poem meaning:“ ‘Adi and Taym (two tribes) are trying to find allies for themselves.”
‘A’ishah lost her temper and turning to Hafsah, daughter of ‘Umar, said:“Sudah is trying to mock you and me allusively. I will retaliate this insolence. When you see me grappling with her, come to my aid.”
Then she rose and attacked Sudah with fist and kicks. Hafsah, too, joined in as preplanned. Umm Salamah, too, who was watching the scene, came to the aid of Sudah. Thus, these four women caused much noise and disturbance, and when the Prophet heard of it, he came and addressed them in these words:“Woe upon you! What do you think you are doing?”
‘A’ishah said:“O Prophet! Didn’t you hear Sudah saying that ‘Adi and Taym are seeking allies?”
The Prophet said:“Woe upon you! This poem refers neither to your Taym nor to her ‘Adi, but she means the ‘Adi and Taym of Banu Tamim tribes.”
‘A’ishah and dowryless women
‘A’ishah says: My blood boiled upon observing the women who freely and without expectation of dowry offered themselves in marriage to the Prophet, and I said in anger and hatred:“Could a noble woman of character offer herself?”
When the following verse descended:
“You may put off whom you please of them, and you may take to you whom you please, and whom you desire of those whom you had separated provisionally; no blame attaches to you.”
I turned to the Prophet and said:“I see that God, too, approves of your heart-felt wishes”
Ibn Sa’d speaks in detail in his book“Tabaqat”
about the ladies who offered themselves in marriage without expecting a dowry, and says that the above verse refers especially to Umm Sharik Ghaziyah.
and Ibn Hajar speaks of the same matter elaborately in his book“al-Isabah”
.
But there is a difference of opinion among the scholars about the name of the woman referred to in the above verse, claiming that the number of such ladies who offered themselves freely in marriage to the Prophet and were thus subjected to the unkindness and jealousy, and probably anger and hatred of ‘A’ishah was more than one, even though the verse has descended about one person only, and unfortunately the said lady has not been truly recognized yet.
But the reason as to why there have been more than one such women is that ‘A’ishah refers to them in the plural, saying:“I... upon observing the women who freely and without expectation of dowry... in marriage...”
Ahmad, in his“Musnad”
, speaks of this same subject in the plural, attributing it to ‘A’ishah and says:“ ‘A’ishah reproached the women who desired marriage with the Prophet without a dowry and offered themselves to him.”
Muslim in his Sahih narrates quoting Hisham: Khulah, daughter of Hakim, was one of the women who proposed marriage to the Prophet without a dowry and offered herself. Hearing of it, ‘A’ishah felt very uneasy and said:
“Is it not shameful for a woman to offer herself to a man and propose marriage with him without a dowry?”
‘A’ishah with Malikah
After the capture of Mecca, the Prophet wedded Malikah, daughter of Ka’b who had been killed by Khalid ibn al-Walid in that battle. She is said to have been a very beautiful and attractive woman who greatly roused ‘A’ishah’s anger and hatred with this marriage. ‘A’ishah, with her opportunist character and unruly womanly temper, went to Malikah and said:“Are you not ashamed to be the wife of the killer of your father?”
This reproach by ‘A’ishah was enough to deceive Malikah and she avoided the Prophet, and so he divorced her. Her kins came to him, saying:“She is too young and has been deceived, and her reaction in this matter has not been of her own accord. So forgive and take her back.”
But the Prophet did not agree.
‘A’ishah with Asma’
Asma’, daughter of an-Nu‘man of Kindah tribe, was one of the women envied by ‘A’ishah. The Prophet wedded Asma’, and ‘A’ishah showing her sensitivity and bringing a pretext on Asma’ being a stranger said sarcastically:“Now it is strangers’ turn and they will soon seize him from us for themselves.”
A group of envoys of the Kindah tribe came to the Prophet, among whom was an-Nu‘man, Asma’’s father, and the Prophet proposed marriage with her.
When the Prophet’s wives saw her, they envied her and to bring disfavor upon her they resorted to trickery and said to her:“If you wish to have a happy life, when the Prophet comes to you, say to him: ‘I take refuge with God from you.’ “
Asma’ was easily deceived and did as she was told. The Prophet said:“Anyone who takes refuge with God will be secure. So you can go back to your house!”
And he angrily went out.
Hamzah, son of Abu Usayd as-Sa‘idi,
quotes his father’s account of Asma’, saying: The Prophet wedded Asma’, daughter of an-Nu‘man from the Kindah and Jawn tribe, and sent me to fetch her. Upon her arrival, ‘A’ishah and Hafsah arranged that one of them should dye Asma’’s hair and the other should comb it Meanwhile one of them said to Asma’:“The Prophet likes the ladies who use the phrase ‘I take refuge with God from you.’ And if you wish to be endeared by him, repeat this phrase.”
When the Prophet came, Asma’ repeated the phrase she had been taught. On hearing those words, the Prophet covered his face with his sleeve and said three times:“So you have taken refuge with the asylum!”
Then he left the room and said to me:“Abu Usayd! Take her back to her family and offer her two full pieces of canvas cloth.”
Asma’, who was shocked at this occurrence and extremely unhappy at being so tricked, always spoke sadly and regretfully of that incident and said:“Do not call me Asma’ any longer. Call me the unhappy one.”
These stories show that the ladies, who were tricked by ‘A’ishah to use the above phrase upon encountering the Prophet, were more than one.
‘A’ishah with Mariyah
In the seventh year after Hijrah, al-Maquqis
, governor of Alexandria sent Mariyah and her sister, Shirin, as a gift to the Prophet. They were accompanied by their very old brother Mabur and Hatib,
son of Abu Balta‘ah, along with a present of five thousand grams of gold, and twenty suits of fine silk and also his famous mule, Duldul, and his personal donkey, ‘Afir.
On the way, Hatib encouraged Mariyah and her sister to embrace Islam and they accepted this invitation. But Mabur maintained his creed until he arrived at Medina and met the Prophet.
The Prophet kept Mariyah for himself and settled her in a house in the al-‘Aliyah quarter,
which is known as Mashrabah Umm Ibrahim today. She was made to wear a veil and was married to him. She became pregnant and gave birth to a boy named Ibrahim in the same house, and Salma,
the Prophet’s slave-girl acted as midwife and Abu Rafi‘, her husband, brought the news to the Prophet and received a reward.
Ibrahim’s birth occurred in the eighth year after Hijrah, and the group of Ansars who were overjoyed at the birth of this son of the Prophet, did their best to help Mariyah and provide all she needed. They tried to make her housework light, so that she could take a greater care of the Prophet, since they were aware of his affection for her.
Thus when the other wives of the Prophet were informed of Ibrahim’s birth, they became very envious of Mariyah and lodged increasing complaints, but none of them showed as much jealousy as ‘A’ishah.
‘A’ishah tells this story
“I have never been so jealous of any woman as I have of Mariyah. She was very beautiful, had curly hair and was deeply loved by the Prophet. At first he settled her in the house of Harithah, son of an-Nu‘man(70), and when we noticed the Prophet’s affection for her we began to treat her badly, and at last she was so vexed that she complained to him, and he settled her in the al-‘Aliyah quarter and visited her there. We could not bear it, and our jealousy was roused very intensely when God granted Mariyah a son whereas we were deprived of having one.(71)
After the birth of Ibrahim, one day the Prophet brought him to us and said: “See how he resembles me!”
I said:“No, he doesn’t resemble you at all.”
He said:“Don’t you see that his whiteness and body resemble mine?”
She said:“Naturally, anyone who is given sheep milk, will grow white and fat.”
It was as a result of such jealousies of ‘A’ishah that the chapter at-Tahrim (Prohibition) of the Qur’an descended.
According to reliable came to Mariyah in Hafsah’s house, and when Hafsah learnt of it, she was hurt and began to complain of the Prophet’s conduct, and this went on to such an extent that the Prophet was forced to forbid himself of contact with Mariyah so as to console Hafsah. But in return, he asked Hafsah not to divulge this matter to anyone, and keep to herself this secret as well as other secrets he had told her.
But, despite all the commands of the Prophet, she disregarded his instruction and divulged his secret to ‘A’ishah to join her in her machinations. Their intrigue and misbehavior went on to such an extent that chapter at-Tahrim descended for admonishing them and revealing their acts.
Chapter at-Tahrim (Prohibition)
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
1-O Prophet! Why do you forbid yourself that which Allah has made lawful for you; you seek to please your wives; and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
2-Allah indeed has sanctioned for you the expiation of your oaths and Allah is your Protector and He is the Knowing, the Wise.
3-And when the Prophet secretly communicated a piece of information to one of his wives-but when she informed others of it, and Allah made him to know it, he made known part of it and avoided part; so when he informed her of it, she said: Who informed you of this? He said: The Knowing, the One Aware, informed me.
4-If you both turn to Allah, then indeed your hearts are already inclined to this; and if you back up each other against him then surely Allah it is Who is his Guardian, and Gabriel and the believers that do good, and the angels after that are the aiders.
5-Maybe, his Lord, if he divorce you, will give him in your place wives better than you, submissive, faithful, obedient, penitent, adorers, fasters, widows and virgins.
6-O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a fire whose fuel is men and stones; over it are angels stern and strong, they do not disobey Allah in what He commands them, and do as they are commanded.
7-O you who disbelieve! Do not urge excuses today; you shall be rewarded only according to what you did.
8-O you who believe! Turn to Allah a sincere turning; maybe your Lord will remove from you your evil and cause you to enter gardens beneath which rivers flow, on the day on which Allah will not abase the Prophet and those who believe with him; their light shall run on before them and on their right hands; they shall say: Our Lord! Make perfect for us our light, and grant us protection, surely Thou has power over all things.
9-O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites, and be hard against them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the resort.
10-Allah sets forth an example to those who disbelieve the wife of Nuh and the wife of Lut: they were both under two of Our righteous servants, but they acted treacherously towards them so they availed them naught against Allah, and it was said: Enter both the fire with those who enter.
11-And Allah sets forth an example to those who believe the wife of Pharaoh when she said: My Lord! build for me a house with Thee in the garden and deliver me from Pharaoh and his doing, and deliver me from the unjust people.
12-And Mary, the daughter of Imran, who guarded against her chastity, so We breathed into her of Our inspiration and she accepted the truth of the words of her Lord and His books, and she was of the obedient ones.
Quranic Chapter“at-Tahrim”
was descended about ‘A’ishah, daughter of Abu Bakr, and Hafsah, daughter of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, and this fact is confirmed by tens of traditions which have come through Ibn ‘Abbas, the Prophet’s cousin, and ‘Umar the second caliph.
When we discuss the Traditions of ‘A’ishah, we will speak in detail about them.
‘A’ishah and memoirs of Khadijah
Although I had not seen Khadijah, levied none of the Prophet’s wives as much as I envied Khadijah.
‘A’ishah Umm al-Mu’minin
‘A’ishah says:“The reason for my jealousy towards Khadijah was that he often spoke of her and praised her, especially as God had informed him through revelation that a very magnificent palace had been granted to her in heaven.”
She further says: Although I had never seen Khadijah, none of the Prophet’s wives were envied by me as much as she was, for, the Prophet often spoke praising of her, and he frequently sacrificed a sheep in her name, cutting it up and distributing it in her name.
She also narrates:
“One day Halah, daughter of Khuwaylad, Khadijah’s sister, asked the Prophet to see him. When he heard her voice, he seemed suddenly to remember Khadijah and was deeply moved, and said: ‘O God, it is Halah!’
My jealousy was so roused towards Khadijah that I said at once: ‘Why do you speak so much of that toothless Qurayshi old woman? She has been dead long ago and God has granted you someone better than her!’ “
In another narration, she says:
“After this protest, he frowned and was so moved the like of which I had only seen at the moments he received a revelation, waiting anxiously either for a heavenly message to descend to him or punishment!”
In another narration she notes:
“In that condition, the Prophet said: ‘No, God has never given me one better than her for at a time when everyone negated my mission, it was Khadijah who believed in me; and at a time when they took me as a liar, it was Khadijah who confirmed my truthfulness; and at a time when the people had left me in straitened circumstances, it was Khadijah who made me share her immense wealth; and when God had given me no child from other women, it was Khadijah who brought me offspring’s.’ “
The Prophet always spoke well of Khadijah and kept alive her memory through the reminiscences about her generosity and benevolence towards his relatives and friends, and giving priority to them. It was these matters that filled ‘A’ishah with jealousy and hatred towards Khadijah, and made her protest frequently to the Prophet for mentioning her name and repeating his reminiscences. Moreover, what was worse is the promises she heard the Prophet utter about Khadijah, maddened her with envy, while she herself received only reproaches. Consequently this resulted in greatly straining her relations with Fatimah, the daughter of Khadijah, her husband and his children who were greatly liked by him.
One example of this is observed in a story narrated by Ahmad in this Musnad quoting an-Nu‘man son of Bashir. He writes: One day Abu Bakr intended to see the Prophet, and at the same moment he heard ‘A’ishah’s shouting:“I swear to God I know well that you love ‘Ali more than me and my father.”
‘Ali ibn Abi Talib speaks as follows about ‘A’ishah’s enmity towards him¬self:“...‘But she has totally disregarded intelligence and wisdom, and her heart is inflamed with the sparks of rancor and enmity towards me like the furnace of blacksmiths. If she were asked to act towards others what she has done to me, she would never agree.’ The Imam concludes his remark by saying: ‘Nevertheless, the respect due to her is intact, and God will be the judge to her deeds. He can forgive or punish anyone He pleases.’ “
Some remarks about
Ibn Abi al-Hadid al-Mu’tazili
Fatimah was deeply annoyed with ‘A’ishah, since the women of Medina reported to her the offending words of ‘A’ishah.
Ibn Abi al-Hadid
Next to the remarks of Imam ‘Ali about ‘A’ishah’s long-standing rancor towards him, we now hear the words of Ibn Abi al-Hadid about this matter. He says: When I was studying theology, I read out this sermon of the Imam in the presence of my master, ash-Shaykh Abi Ya‘qub Yusuf, son of Isma‘il al-Lama‘ani (may God save him), and asked him to explain the philosophy behind Imam’s utterance. He complied with my request and gave an elaborate explanation, whose summary I quote here. I cannot remember all his words, so I must confine myself to this brief account. A part of it comprises his own words, while the rest is mine based on his own ideas. Shaykh Abu Ya‘qub says:
A step-mother for Fatimah
The hostility between ‘A’ishah and Fatimah began when the Prophet mar¬ried ‘A’ishah upon Khadijah’s death, and she took her place. It was natural for Fatimah to be dissatisfied at having a stepmother, and also natural for a woman to be vexed at her husband’s affection for this daughter of his former wife and for the second wife too.
Similarly a daughter dislikes her father’s attention to another woman who is a rival of her mother, even though she is no longer alive. Even if Khadijah were still alive and ‘A’ishah entered the Prophet’s house, their quarrel would be more noisy and violent. Now that she was dead, this hostility would be transferred to and inherited by her daughter.
Moreover, it is said that the Prophet loved ‘A’ishah very much
and showed her favour. So the more the Prophet showed affection to the new wife, the more uneasy became Fatimah and was more deeply hurt.
Fatimah as the Prophet’s darling
The Prophet loved Fatimah more than people expected, and respected her much more than men show affection to their daughters. This went beyond the limit of a parent’s love for his child.
The Prophet had repeatedly and on different occasions declared in both private and public meetings that“Fatimah is the lady of all ladies in the world, and she is the equal of Mary, daughter of Imran.”
On the day of Resurrection when Fatimah walks on, the herald of the Empyrean will proclaim:“Turn your eyes down, for, Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad, is passing.”
These are all traditions about the truth of which there is no doubt. It is also stated that the marriage of Fatimah and ‘Ali was solemnized in heaven and testified by favorite angels.
The Prophet often used to say:“What pains Fatimah pains me, and what angers her angers me. She is a part of me, and her anxiety makes me worried and anxious.”
These and similar matters roused the envoy and uneasiness of ‘A’ishah, and to the same extent that the Prophet honoured and endeared Fatimah, ‘A’ishah’s jealousy became intense. But we know that even more trifling matters can produce rancor and envy in human hearts.
But to the same extent that ‘A’ishah suffered from the respect shown to Fatimah by the Prophet, Imam ‘Ali felt pleased, and Fatimah became dearer to him. It often happens that women create enmity in the heart of their husbands, and as the proverb says,“They are companions of the night.”
Fatimah often complained of ‘A’ishah when some women of Medina and her neighbors came to her and reported the latter’s words. Then the same women went to ‘A’ishah and told her Fatimah’s remarks. As Fatimah complained to ‘Ali about ‘A’ishah, that lady, too, complained of Fatimah to her own father, since she knew that the Prophet, her husband, would not pay heed to her complaint of Fatimah.
Multilateral rancours
This matter, in its turn, had an undesirable effect on Abu Bakr’s spirit and pained him. When he saw that the Prophet spared no chance to praise ‘Ali and had become very intimate with him, the former, too, felt envious of ‘Ali and his closeness with the Prophet, while in his capacity as the Prophet’s father-in-law, he regarded himself superior to ‘Ali.
Talhah, ‘A’ishah’s cousin, too, was not free from this envy and mental anxiety, and ‘A’ishah often went to her father and cousin to listen to their words of expectation and complaint, while they, in turn, paid attention to hers. Thus they exchanged with each other their feelings of hostility towards ‘Ali and Fatimah, and hardened their hearts towards them. I cannot exonerate ‘Ali from engaging in these matters either.
Moreover, during the Prophet’s lifetime there had occurred some alter¬cations between ‘A’ishah and ‘Ali, each of which was enough to rouse latent feelings, and cause mischief.
It is narrated that one day the Prophet was strolling and talking with ‘Ali, and their private conversation lasted for quite some time.
‘A’ishah who was following them unawares, suddenly came upon them and said:“What matter of importance has engaged you two for such a long time?”
It is said that the Prophet became angry at this interruption. It is also narrated that some food was brought for him and he ordered his servant to throw it down; a reaction which is commonly shown by a husband or wife.
The Prophet’s intense affection
for Fatimah’s children
On the one hand, Fatimah had given birth to several male and female children, whereas ‘A’ishah had none, and more painful than that, from her viewpoint, was the fact that the Prophet regarded Fatimah’s children as his own and called them thus:“Bring my child...Don’t stop my child...What is my son doing?”
How would a woman feel who had no children of her own, and saw that her husband called his grandchildren as his own children, showed them a fatherly affection, and loved them deeply? Would she, too, love them and their mother? Or would she dislike and even hate them? Would she wish them a happy life or would she desire their annihilation?
The most painful of all was the fact that the Prophet ordered to shut the entrance of her father’s house facing the mosque while he allowed the door of ‘Ali’s house leading to the mosque to be left open.
It was also hard for ‘A’ishah to tolerate the fact that the Prophet replaced Abu Bakr with ‘Ali in the mission of taking Quranic chapter Bara’at to Mecca and reading it to the infidels after having initially assigned this task to him.
When God gave Ibrahim to the Prophet by his wife Mariyah, ‘Ali did not abstain from expressing his joy, and offered more willing help to her than he had done for the other ladies of the Prophet. When Mariyah was accused of a blunder, it was ‘Ali who did his best to exonerate her and prove the baselessness of the charge in such a tangible way that it left no room for babblers to utter another word.
All these events filled ‘A’ishah’s heart with rage and hatred of ‘Ali and made her more determined for vengeance.
With the death of Ibrahim, a great sorrow was felt by Mariyah, and there came an end to sarcasm and wounding words. Both ‘Ali and Fatimah, too, became deeply sad at Ibrahim’s death, since they preferred Mariyah to ‘A’ishah and wished her to remain superior to other wives of the Prophet in having a son. But destiny did neither realize their wishes nor those of Mariyah.
‘Ali and the issue of caliphate
‘Ali had no doubt that after the Prophet, the caliphate would belong to him and there would be no rival.
It was owing to this assurance that when his uncle al-‘Abbas at the Prophet’s ablution ceremony said to him:“Give me your hand that I may swear allegiance to you so that the people would say that the uncle of the Prophet has sworn allegiance to his cousin. This would benefit you and no one would oppose you any longer,”
he answered:“O uncle! Is there anyone beside me who covets the caliphate?”
He answered:“You will see soon enough.”
‘Ali said:“I have no wish to see the issue of my caliphate being settled behind closed shutters and I want all people to participate openly in it, and vote for me.”
Then he remained silent.
When the Prophet’s sickness became serious, he ordered the Usamah army to depart
and told Abu Bakr and other Emigrant and Ansar leaders to take part under that commander in this expedition. If this had taken place and the Prophet passed away, ‘Ali’s caliphate would be certain.
‘Ali himself supposed that with the passing away of the Prophet, Medina would be devoid of a rival to his caliphate, and the people would easily show allegiance to him, and it would be impossible for his rivals and opponents to disagree with it, thus compelling them to obey him.
But Abu Bakr receiving a message from ‘A’ishah about the approaching death of the Prophet, left Usamah’s army and returned to Medina.
Abu Bakr’s performance
of prayer with the people
As far as I know, ‘Ali has introduced ‘A’ishah herself as the factor responsible for this scene. It was she who ordered Bilal, his father’s slave, to tell him to perform his prayer with the people; for the Prophet is said to have stated that someone should perform the morning prayer with the people without naming that person. But after issuing that order, the Prophet in his last moments while he was leaning on the arms of ‘Ali and al-Fadl ibn al-‘Abbas, came out and stood at the altar and after performing the prayer, returned home and his last at sunrise.
‘Umar considered Abu Bakr’s readiness and standing for prayer with the people as a sufficient reason and merit for being chosen as caliph and said:“Which of you allow yourself to be superior to him who has been given precedence in prayer by the Prophet?”
The fact that the Prophet came Out of the house and personally performed the prayer with the people was not taken as an act to check Abu Bakr’s Imamate for the people, as only it was said that the Prophet desired to perform that task personally to the possible extent.
Thus, on the basis of this incident and subject, they showed allegiance to Abu Bakr, while ‘Ali accused ‘A’ishah of being the main element behind that scene and its originator. He repeatedly described this matter in the gatherings of his friends and said: It was not without reason that the Prophet told this to Hafsah and ‘A’ishah:“You are the little friend of Yusuf!”
In this way, he wanted to show his dislike of what they had done, and indicate especially his anger with ‘A’ishah, for, there were Hafsah and ‘A’ishah who took advantage of the Prophet’s order to take the lead in sending their fathers to act as Imam of the prayer. As the Prophet was aware of their intention, he left the house in a sickly state and by taking Abu Bakr’s place at the altar, he himself acted as Imam of the ummah to the last moments of his life. With this action, he wanted to nullify ‘A’ishah’s role in paving the way for his father’s caliphate.
Nevertheless this act of the Prophet in countering the efforts and extensive propaganda of ‘Umar and his friends for making possible Abu Bakr’s caliphate, did not succeed, especially as ‘Umar and his accomplices had already taken preliminary steps for the domination of Abu Bakr as caliph, and had already won the approval of a number for this action. A number of Emigrant and Ansar elites had joined them in favour of this plan, and it seemed that time and heavenly destiny, too, assisted them.
These happenings were the most painful and shattering of all for ‘Ali - a great calamity which hurt his spirit, for which he blamed none but ‘A’ishah. He often spoke of this to his intimate friends and asked God for judgment. Above all, he suffered much and bore many discomforts in refusing allegiance to Abu Bakr until they forced him to submit to it.
From the moment of the death of the Prophet till the burial of the sick body of his daughter, Fatimah, a short time afterwards, ‘A’ishah regularly cut biting remarks at Fatimah, and both ‘Ali and Fatimah could do nothing but remain patient, and only disclose their complaint and suffering with God.
‘A’ishah benefited from the support of her father and other authorities of the caliphate, and was shown greater respect every day, whereas ‘Ali and Fatimah were regarded as vanquished ones, driven away from the center of power and influence. They seized Fadak from her and despite all her efforts she could not get it back.
Meanwhile, the women who visited Fatimah, repeated ‘A’ishah’s harsh words for her and badly hurt her feelings. The same women carried the remarks of her husband and herself back to ‘A’ishah and fanned up the fire of rancor and hostility between both sides.
But there were great differences between the two sides, namely the victor and the vanquished, the ruler and the ruled. Under such a situation, the stings and sarcasm of the victor is most painful for the vanquished and obviously such mental tortures inflicted by the enemy are much more terrible than any other calamity.
Here I interrupted the words of the ash-Shaykh and said:“Do you affirm this too? The Prophet did not appoint anyone for leading the prayer, and it was ‘A’ishah who waywardly took steps for sending her father on this mission.”
In answer, the ash-Shaykh said:“I do not say so; it is ‘Ali who says so, and his account is not mine. He himself was involved with the matter and was a witness. But the reports I have received show that the Prophet had appointed Abu Bakr for the prayer, whereas ‘Ali’s evidence is based on his own knowledge of the affairs, and he has witnessed the center of this activity or has at least strongly suspected it.”
Then the ash-Shaykh continued: Eventually Fatimah died, and the Prophet’s wives took part in the funeral ceremony except ‘A’ishah who did not only pretend sickness and abstained from attending the mourning ceremony of the Prophet’s daughter, but also her words of gladness about this happening were reported to ‘Ali.
After Fatimah’s death, ‘Ali pledged allegiance to Abu Bakr and it is said that following ‘Ali’s allegiance ‘A’ishah openly expressed her joy that no rival or opponent was left for her father’s caliphate and ‘Ali’s claim of caliphate proved of no avail.
Conditions remained the same until ‘Uthman’s caliphate, but the old rancor continued to exist and blood continued to boil.
As time passed, ‘Ali’s sufferings increased and his mental pressure became more intense until ‘Uthman was assassinated. ‘A’ishah herself played an effective role in rousing people’s antagonism for ‘Uthman as she stubbornly opposed him and in encouraging people to kill him, she said:“May God kill ‘Uthman!”
The reason why she rose against him and instigated people to kill him, was the fact that she hoped that with the death of ‘Uthman who came from the Umayyads, caliphate would once more return to her own house namely Taym tribe and in order to attain that goal, she had, in anticipation nominated Talhah, her cousin, for the position of caliph.
But when ‘Uthman was killed, the people, contrary to ‘A’ishah’s expectations chose ‘Ali as caliph and swore allegiance to him. When ‘A’ishah heard the report, she cried out involuntarily:“Pity for ‘Uthman! He was innocently killed!”
It was thus that ‘A’ishah showed her old hostility towards ‘Ali, worked hard in rousing the opportunists against the Imam, and finally started the battle of“al-Jamal”
in the way we have already described.
This was a brief account of the remarks of ash-Shaykh Abu Ya‘qub who was neither a follower of the faith of the Prophet’s household nor did he support the Shi‘ah.
We have given the main but brief account of the writing of Ibn Abi al-Hadid in describing the Imam’s sermon wherein ‘A’ishah’s old rancor has been explicitly described. Scholar Ibn Abi al-Hadid has clearly and impartially ex¬plained the ambiguous points of ‘A’ishah’s life during her marital life, her relations with the near kins of the Prophet and her actions after his death. We merely confine ourselves to what we have already stated about other aspects of her life; for, if we were to engage in further research about various periods of her life and her influence on the Islamic society (which would in itself require the compilation of a separate book) it is feared that this task might deviate us from our main purpose which is a discussion and investigation of her traditions.
Summary
What we have described in this chapter briefly shows that ‘A’ishah was a very stubborn and envious woman. The examples of her character may be seen in her marital life with the Prophet, and her conduct towards other wives and members of his family.
Moreover, as we have only briefly narrated the events in this chapter, we will elaborate upon them in the following pages to denote that she showed the same intense ardor and attachment to preserve the interests of her own relatives, family and party
and was deeply prejudiced. This, coupled with violence, made her commit horrible deeds and utter sharp, biting and insulting words.
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Author: Allamah Sayyid Murtadha Askari
