Aisha was a beautiful wife, with a light body. She had a reddish face so the Prophet used to praise her saying: Take one half of your religion from this reddish young lady. This was because Aisha was the most knowledgeable Muslim woman of her time. She used to teach many things related to women to the senior companions of the Prophet. She also transmitted quite a large number of the Prophet's traditions.
If Hazrat Khadija played a great role in the formative part of the Prophet's life, Aisha took care of him the rest of his life, especially in his old age despite the presence of other wives along with her. This does not mean that the Prophet did not treat them with equal justice, but rather that Aisha Siddiqa was his most beloved wife during this period. As a result of this she was an extremely jealous wife in the sense that she wanted him all for herself. It is narrated that one day the Prophet had some honey in the house of Mary, the Copt. Aisha got jealous and plotted with Hafsa, another wife of the Prophet to tell him as soon as he approaches any one of the two, that he smelt of Maghafeer, a bad smelling drink in Arabia.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, did approach these two wives each of whom told him the same thing, so he swore not to have honey any more. But God Almighty revealed the following lesson which was directed to the two plotting wives as well as to the Prophet himself. For how could he make something prohibtted which has been made permissible by God. A separate chapter in the Holy Quran deals with this important theme. It starts as follows:
O Prophet! Why hold you to be forbidden that which God has made lawful for you? You seek to please your wives; but God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. God had ordained for you (O Muslims) the dissolution of your oaths (in some cases); and God is your Protector, and He is full of Knowledge, and Wisdom. When the Prophet disclosed a matter in confidence to one of his wives, and she then divulged it to another, and God made it known to him, he confirmed part of it and dropped a part. Then when he told her thereof she said: Who told you this? He said: He told me who Knows and is well-acquainted with all things.
Then the Quran addresses Aisha and Hafsa in the following words: If you two turn in repentance to Allah, your hearts are indeed so inclined; but if you back each other against him, truly God is his Protector, and Gabriel, every righteous one among the believers, and furthermore, the angels will back him. ( 66-1-4 ) It was indeed a decisive lesson which was, in fact, nothing but a prelude to another more important one. One day the wives of the Prophet including Aisha, held a meeting and decided to ask the Prophet to entertain them in the pleasures of this world, no more could they bear the life of asceticism the Prophet used to lead in favoure of seeking the After-life and preferring others to himself. For indeed the Prophet led a poor life despite his being the head of the first Islamic state.
This was a greater plot against the Prophet. All his wives agreed to demand a more entertaining and a pleasurable life from the Prophet. He, however, could not at all change his course being the best example for others to follow. When the Prophet came to know this, he boycotted all his wives including Aisha. The boycott continued for one whole month until the following verses were revealed: O Prophet! Tell your wives: " If it be that you desire the life of this world and its glitter, then come! I will provide for you enjoyment and set you free in a handsome manner. But if you seek God and His Apostle and the Home of the Here-after, verily God has prepared for the well-doers among you a great reward ". ( 33-28-29 ) So the Prophet asked Aisha to consult her parents to make up her mind either to stay with him or leave him in a handsome way. This he did with the rest of his wives as well most of whom preferred to keep matrimony with the Prophet. When he asked Aisha to get her parent's opinion she said: Should I consult them concerning you? Never. I do choose God and His Apostle.
We cannot cover the extensive biography of Aisha Siddiqa in these few pages; but suffice it to say that she was the most devoted wife of the Prophet, the most learned and brilliant one and the most pious. Once she was fasting. During the same day she had a sheep. Her servant slaughtered it for her, but she asked her servant to distribute the greater part of it. At sunset Aisha asked the servant: What have you left behind of that sheep? The servant replied: Nothing is left but its arm. All the rest has gone but Aisha's comment here was this: " All is kept but its arm ". She meant to say that all that has been given to the poor and needy will be rewarded by God, while the remaining arm will go. See how pious this young wife of the Prophet was.
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