g. Her Knowledge of Medicine and Treatment
f. Her Knowledge of Language, Poetry, and Rhetoric
August 6, 2021Her Rectification of few Sahabah
August 6, 2021BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
g. Her Knowledge of Medicine and Treatment
Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha was not just proficient in Dini sciences. She had an extensive grasp over other sciences. One of these sciences is medicine. ‘Urwah ibn al Zubair would be flabbergasted by Umm al Mu’minin Sayyidah Aisha’s radiya Llahu ‘anha expertise in these sciences. Hisham ibn ‘Urwah rahimahu Llah reports:
كان عروة يقول لعائشة يا أمتاه لا أعجب من فهمك أقول زوجة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وبنت أبي بكر ولا أعجب من علمك بالشعر وأيام الناس أقول ابنة أبي بكر وكان أعلم الناس أو من أعلم الناس ولكن أعجب من علمك بالطب كيف هو ومن أين هو قال فضربت على منكبه وقالت أي عرية إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يسقم عند آخر عمره أو في آخر عمره فكانت تقدم عليه وفود العرب من كل وجه فتنعت له الأنعات وكنت أعالجها له فمن ثم
‘Urwah would tell Aisha, “O beloved mother. I am not amazed at your understanding, thinking to myself, ‘The wife of the Nabi of Allah and the daughter of Abu Bakr.’ I am not surprised at your knowledge of poetry and history, with the thought, ‘[you are] the daughter of Abu Bakr,’ and he was the most knowledgeable person or from the most knowledgeable of people. What surprises me is your knowledge of medicine. How is that? Where is it from?”
She patted him on his shoulder and explained, “O ‘Urayyah[1]! The Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would fall ill towards the end of his life. Arab delegations from every area would come to him and prescribe for him various treatments[2] which I would administer[3] to him. That is how I learnt.”[4][5]
This shows that Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha did not rely in her study of medicine on the education from a doctor or the training of someone experienced. Rather, she relied on her intelligence and the strength of her observation.[6]
‘Urwah would say:
ما رأيت أحدا أعلم بفقه ولا طب ولا شعر من عائشة
I have not seen anyone more knowledgeable in jurisprudence, medicine, and poetry than Aisha.[7]
NEXT⇒ Her Rectification of few Sahabah
[1] ‘Urayyah – with a dammah on the ‘ayn, fathah on the ra’, followed by a ya’ with a tashdid: the diminutive of ‘Urwah. Mashariq al Anwar, vol. 2 pg. 111.
[2] Al an’at – plural of na’t: meaning prescribed i.e. prescribed medicines/remedies. Khalil ibn Ahmed: Kitab al ‘Ayn, vol. 2 pg. 72; al Nihayah fi Gharib al Hadith wa al Athar, vol. 5 pg. 79.
[3] U’alijuha: administer these medicines/treatments. Taj al ‘Urus, vol. 6 pg. 109.
[4] Fa min thamma: in this manner I learnt medicine.
[5] Musnad Ahmed, vol. 6 pg. 67, Hadith: 24425; al Mujam al Kabir, vol. 23 pg. 182, Hadith: 295; al Mustadrak, vol. 4 pg. 218; Hilyat al Auliya, vol. 2 pg. 50. Al Hakim comments, “Sahih al isnad but they (al Bukhari and Muslim) have not documented it.”
[6] Al Sayyidah Aisha Umm al Mu’minin wa ‘Alimat Nisa’ al Islam, pg. 202.
[7] Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, vol. 8 pg. 517; al Mujam al Kabir, vol. 23 pg. 182, Hadith: 294; Sharh Usul I’tiqad Ahlus Sunnah, vol. 8 pg. 1520, Hadith: 2759.
BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
g. Her Knowledge of Medicine and Treatment
Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha was not just proficient in Dini sciences. She had an extensive grasp over other sciences. One of these sciences is medicine. ‘Urwah ibn al Zubair would be flabbergasted by Umm al Mu’minin Sayyidah Aisha’s radiya Llahu ‘anha expertise in these sciences. Hisham ibn ‘Urwah rahimahu Llah reports:
كان عروة يقول لعائشة يا أمتاه لا أعجب من فهمك أقول زوجة رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم وبنت أبي بكر ولا أعجب من علمك بالشعر وأيام الناس أقول ابنة أبي بكر وكان أعلم الناس أو من أعلم الناس ولكن أعجب من علمك بالطب كيف هو ومن أين هو قال فضربت على منكبه وقالت أي عرية إن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم كان يسقم عند آخر عمره أو في آخر عمره فكانت تقدم عليه وفود العرب من كل وجه فتنعت له الأنعات وكنت أعالجها له فمن ثم
‘Urwah would tell Aisha, “O beloved mother. I am not amazed at your understanding, thinking to myself, ‘The wife of the Nabi of Allah and the daughter of Abu Bakr.’ I am not surprised at your knowledge of poetry and history, with the thought, ‘[you are] the daughter of Abu Bakr,’ and he was the most knowledgeable person or from the most knowledgeable of people. What surprises me is your knowledge of medicine. How is that? Where is it from?”
She patted him on his shoulder and explained, “O ‘Urayyah[1]! The Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would fall ill towards the end of his life. Arab delegations from every area would come to him and prescribe for him various treatments[2] which I would administer[3] to him. That is how I learnt.”[4][5]
This shows that Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha did not rely in her study of medicine on the education from a doctor or the training of someone experienced. Rather, she relied on her intelligence and the strength of her observation.[6]
‘Urwah would say:
ما رأيت أحدا أعلم بفقه ولا طب ولا شعر من عائشة
I have not seen anyone more knowledgeable in jurisprudence, medicine, and poetry than Aisha.[7]
NEXT⇒ Her Rectification of few Sahabah
[1] ‘Urayyah – with a dammah on the ‘ayn, fathah on the ra’, followed by a ya’ with a tashdid: the diminutive of ‘Urwah. Mashariq al Anwar, vol. 2 pg. 111.
[2] Al an’at – plural of na’t: meaning prescribed i.e. prescribed medicines/remedies. Khalil ibn Ahmed: Kitab al ‘Ayn, vol. 2 pg. 72; al Nihayah fi Gharib al Hadith wa al Athar, vol. 5 pg. 79.
[3] U’alijuha: administer these medicines/treatments. Taj al ‘Urus, vol. 6 pg. 109.
[4] Fa min thamma: in this manner I learnt medicine.
[5] Musnad Ahmed, vol. 6 pg. 67, Hadith: 24425; al Mujam al Kabir, vol. 23 pg. 182, Hadith: 295; al Mustadrak, vol. 4 pg. 218; Hilyat al Auliya, vol. 2 pg. 50. Al Hakim comments, “Sahih al isnad but they (al Bukhari and Muslim) have not documented it.”
[6] Al Sayyidah Aisha Umm al Mu’minin wa ‘Alimat Nisa’ al Islam, pg. 202.
[7] Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah, vol. 8 pg. 517; al Mujam al Kabir, vol. 23 pg. 182, Hadith: 294; Sharh Usul I’tiqad Ahlus Sunnah, vol. 8 pg. 1520, Hadith: 2759.