Misconception: Aisha would beautify slave girls and parade them
Misconception: Sayyidah Aisha would not observe hijab from men
February 28, 2018Misconception: Sayyidah Aisha deceived the daughter of al Jawn, viz. Asma’ bint al Nu’man, and Mulaykah bint Ka’b until Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam divorced them
February 28, 2018BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
Misconception: Aisha would beautify slave girls and parade them
The Rawafid claim that Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha adorned[1] a slave girl and walked with her saying, “Maybe we will ensnare the youth of Quraysh with her.”
This misconception is the product of a narration of Ibn Abi Shaibah in his Musannaf from ‘Ammar ibn ‘Imran — from a man from the Zaid Allah tribe — from one of their women who narrates regarding Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha:
أنها شوفت جارية و طافت بها و قالت لعلنا نتصيد بها شباب قريش
She adorned a slave girl and paraded her saying, “Maybe we will ensnare the youth of Quraysh with her.”[2]
Answer
This misconception can be dealt with in two ways.
Firstly, the narration is centred upon majhul (unknown) narrators, i.e the woman who narrated this incident as well as the one who relted it to ‘Ammar ibn ‘Imran, and according to the ‘Ulama’ of hadith, this is one of the weakest of isnads.
‘Ammar ibn ‘Imran
- Al Dhahabi comments, “His hadith are not sahih. Al Bukhari listed him among the du’afa’.[3]
- Ibn Hajar concurs in al Lisan.[4]
There is a majhul (unknown) and da’if narrator in the isnad, hence using it as proof is incorrect. This is from the narration angle.
Secondly, if the narration is hypothetically agreed to be sahih, it is possible to answer by saying that this was a prevalent custom among them, nothing unusual. Beautifying a slave girl entails beautifying her face, which is permissible for her to display, and dressing her with beautiful garments so that she is attractive to the one who proposes or the one who intends to buy her. It is akin to displaying goods for the buyer. Therefore, Ibn Abi Shaibah recorded this narration under two different chapters with the same sanad. Chapter one reads: What they say regarding a slave girl who is beautified and paraded, and chapter two reads: Beautifying items [for sale].
This totally refutes this misconception both through narration and explanation.
NEXT ⇒ Misconception: Sayyidah Aisha deceived the daughter of al Jawn, viz. Asma’ bint al Nu’man, and Mulaykah bint Ka’b until Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam divorced them
[1] Shawwafat jariyah: i.e. beautified her. Shawwafa, shayyafa, tashawwafa means tazayyana (to beautify). Tashawwafa li al shay’ i.e. cast a glance towards something. (Gharib al Hadith of al Harbi vol. 2 pg. 817; al Dala’il wa Gharib al Hadith of Qasim al Sarqasti vol. 3 pg. 1129; al Nihayah fi Gharib al Hadith wa al Athar vol. 2 pg. 509)
[2] Musannaf ibn Abi Shaybah vol. 4 pg. 410. Ibn al Qattan says in Ahkam al Nazr Hadith: 402, “Not sahih.”
[3] Mizan al I’tidal vol. 3 pg. 166
[4] Lisan al Mizan vol. 4 pg. 272
BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents
Misconception: Aisha would beautify slave girls and parade them
The Rawafid claim that Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha adorned[1] a slave girl and walked with her saying, “Maybe we will ensnare the youth of Quraysh with her.”
This misconception is the product of a narration of Ibn Abi Shaibah in his Musannaf from ‘Ammar ibn ‘Imran — from a man from the Zaid Allah tribe — from one of their women who narrates regarding Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha:
أنها شوفت جارية و طافت بها و قالت لعلنا نتصيد بها شباب قريش
She adorned a slave girl and paraded her saying, “Maybe we will ensnare the youth of Quraysh with her.”[2]
Answer
This misconception can be dealt with in two ways.
Firstly, the narration is centred upon majhul (unknown) narrators, i.e the woman who narrated this incident as well as the one who relted it to ‘Ammar ibn ‘Imran, and according to the ‘Ulama’ of hadith, this is one of the weakest of isnads.
‘Ammar ibn ‘Imran
- Al Dhahabi comments, “His hadith are not sahih. Al Bukhari listed him among the du’afa’.[3]
- Ibn Hajar concurs in al Lisan.[4]
There is a majhul (unknown) and da’if narrator in the isnad, hence using it as proof is incorrect. This is from the narration angle.
Secondly, if the narration is hypothetically agreed to be sahih, it is possible to answer by saying that this was a prevalent custom among them, nothing unusual. Beautifying a slave girl entails beautifying her face, which is permissible for her to display, and dressing her with beautiful garments so that she is attractive to the one who proposes or the one who intends to buy her. It is akin to displaying goods for the buyer. Therefore, Ibn Abi Shaibah recorded this narration under two different chapters with the same sanad. Chapter one reads: What they say regarding a slave girl who is beautified and paraded, and chapter two reads: Beautifying items [for sale].
This totally refutes this misconception both through narration and explanation.
NEXT ⇒ Misconception: Sayyidah Aisha deceived the daughter of al Jawn, viz. Asma’ bint al Nu’man, and Mulaykah bint Ka’b until Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam divorced them
[1] Shawwafat jariyah: i.e. beautified her. Shawwafa, shayyafa, tashawwafa means tazayyana (to beautify). Tashawwafa li al shay’ i.e. cast a glance towards something. (Gharib al Hadith of al Harbi vol. 2 pg. 817; al Dala’il wa Gharib al Hadith of Qasim al Sarqasti vol. 3 pg. 1129; al Nihayah fi Gharib al Hadith wa al Athar vol. 2 pg. 509)
[2] Musannaf ibn Abi Shaybah vol. 4 pg. 410. Ibn al Qattan says in Ahkam al Nazr Hadith: 402, “Not sahih.”
[3] Mizan al I’tidal vol. 3 pg. 166
[4] Lisan al Mizan vol. 4 pg. 272