Misconception: Sayyidah Aisha created doubts about the Prophethood of Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and abused Safiyyah

They claim that she created doubts about the Prophethood of Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and substantiate their baseless claim and dangerous allegation by a narration which has the following wording:

أن أم المؤمنين عائشة رضي الله عنها غضبت من رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم ذات يوم فقالت له أنت الذي تزعم أنك نبي الله

Umm al Mu’minin Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha became angry with Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam one day and said to him, “You are the one who thinks you are the Prophet of Allah.”[1]

The original narration appears from Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha in the following words:

و كانت متاعي فيه خف و كان على جمل ناج و كان متاع صفية فيه ثقل و كان على جمل ثقال بطيء يتبطأ بالركب فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم حولوا متاع عائشة على جمل صفية و حولوا متاع صفية على جمل عائشة حتى يمضي الركب قالت عائشة فلما رأيت ذلك قلت يا لعباد الله غلبتنا هذه اليهودية على رسول الله قالت فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم يا أم عبد الله إن متاعك كان فيه خف و كان متاع صفية فيه ثقل فأبطأ بالركب فحولنا متاعها على بعيرك و حولنا متاعك على بعيرها قالت فقلت ألست تزعم أنك رسول الله قالت فتبسم قال أو في شك أنت يا أم عبد الله قالت قلت ألست تزعم أنك رسول الله أفهلا عدلت و سمعني أبو بكر و كان فيه غرب أي حدة فأقبل علي فلطم وجهي فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم مهلا يا أبا بكر فقال يا رسول الله أما سمعت ما قالت فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم إن الغيري لا تبصر أسفل الوادي من أعلاه

My baggage was light and was on a fast camel whereas Safiyyah’s baggage was heavy and on a sluggish and slow camel which was delaying the caravan. Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam thus ordered, “Put Aisha’s baggage on Safiyyah’s camel and Safiyyah’s baggage on Aisha’s camel so that the caravan may proceed.”

When I saw this I said, “O servants of Allah! This Jewess has overpowered us over Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.”

Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam explained, “O mother of ‘Abdullah. Your baggage is light and Safiyyah’s baggage is heavy which is slowing down the caravan. So we moved her baggage onto your camel and your baggage onto hers.”

I said, “Do you not consider yourself the Messenger of Allah?”

He smiled and asked, “Are you in doubt, O mother of ‘Abdullah?”

I said, “Do you not consider yourself the Messenger of Allah? So why are you not observing justice?”

Abu Bakr heard me, and he was hot-tempered. So he came to me and smacked me on my face. Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Calm down, O Abu Bakr.”

He said, “O Messenger of Allah, did you not hear what she said?”

Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam enlightened, “Indeed, possessiveness cannot see the bottom of the valley from the top.

Or

Cannot differentiate the bottom of the valley from the top”[2]

Answer to this fabrication

Firstly, Abu Ya’la records this narration in his Musnad, however it is not authentic as there are two discrepancies in the isnad.

Muhammad ibn Ishaq

Muhammad ibn Ishaq is a mudallis and he has quoted the narration with ‘an (from).[3]

Salamah ibn al Fadl.

Salamah ibn al Fadl also appears in the isnad.

Al Bukhari says, “He has munkar (contradictory) traditions.”
Ibn Hajar says, “Saduq (truthful) but makes plenty mistakes.”[4]
Al Albani says, “This is a da’if sanad as it contains two discrepancies. Firstly, the ‘an’anah of Ibn Ishaq who practices tadli Secondly, the du’f of Salamah ibn al Fadl who is al Abrash. Hafiz said about him, “Saduq (Truthful) but makes plenty mistakes.”[5]

There is manifest inconsistencies in the text, for example Aisha’s question, “Do you not consider yourself the Messenger of Allah?” Al Busiri has categorised it as da’if.[6]

Secondly, if the hadith is sahih, it proves that Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would tolerate such statements from his wives. He understood that the apparent meaning was not intended and it was only said out of love and possessiveness.

Moreover, al za’m does not always mean al shakk (to doubt). Sometimes it means al qawl (to say) or al dhikr (to mention). Accordingly, Ibn Manzur[7] has quoted from Ibn Barri[8] who explains:

الزعم يأتي في كلام العرب على أربعة أوجه … و تكون بمعنى القول و الذكر

Al za’m is used in four ways in Arabic speech. It [sometimes] means al qawl (to say) and al dhikr (to mention).[9]

This is further supported by what al Bukhari narrated from Ibn Jurayh who says:

زعم عطاء أنه سمع عبيد بن عمير يقول سمعت عائشة تزعم أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم كان يمكث عند زينب بنت جحش الحديث

‘Ata’ said that he heard ‘Ubaid ibn ‘Umair saying, “I heard Aisha mentioning that Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would stay by Zainab bint Jahsh …[10]

In another narration from Ibn Shihab it appears:

زعم عطاء أن جابر بن عبد الله زعم أن النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم قال من أكل ثوما أو بصلا فليعتزلنا

‘Ata’ said that Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah mentioned that Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “Whoever eats garlic or onion should remain away from us.”[11]

Abu Ya’la narrates from a man from the Khath’am tribe:

أتيت النبي صلى الله عليه و سلم و هو في نفر من أصحابه فقلت أنت الذي تزعم أنك رسول الله قال نعم قال قلت يا رسول الله أي الأعمال أحب إلي الله قال الإيمان بالله … الحديث

I came to nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam while he was with a group of his Sahabah. I asked, “Are you the one who says that you are the Messenger of Allah.”

He replied in the affirmative.

I said, “O Messenger of Allah, which action is the most beloved to Allah?”

He answered, “Believing in Allah …”[12]

Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam did not reproach him for this statement. And it is not permissible to delay an elucidation from the time of need. So had there been anything apprehensible in his speech, Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam would have definitely reprimanded him.

Thirdly, Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha is the reporter of this hadith. It follows that she acknowledges her mistake and repented from it, and Allah accepted her repentance. Had it been as they claim, she would not have narrated it. If this hadith is authentic, then it is more appropriate to include it among her merits and virtues since it proves that her defence of the Shari’ah and narrating it in its pristine purity is more important to her than everything else, even her own self.

Fourthly, Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam excused her by asserting that possessiveness does not see the bottom of the valley from the top

Fifthly, Sayyidina Abu Bakr radiya Llahu ‘anhu scolded her for her statement, and Rasulullah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam defended her. So what position do others hold in the matter?

NEXT ⇒ Misconceptions about Sayyidah Aisha concerning the Ahlul Bayt – Aisha harboured enmity for ‘Ali

[1] Wasa’il al Shia ila Tahsil Masa’il al Shari’ah of Muhammad ibn al Hasan ibn al Hurr al ‘Amili vol. 1 pg. 33

[2] Musnad Abi Ya’la vol. 8 pg. 129 Hadith: 4670; al Amthal of Abu al Sheikh Hadith: 56

[3] Al Du’afa’ wa al Matrukin vol. 3 pg. 41; al Tabyin li Asma’ al Mudallisin of Abu al Wafa al Halabi vol. 1 pg. 171

[4] Tahdhib al Kamal of al Mizzi vol. 11 pg. 306; Taqrib al Tahdhib vol. 1 pg. 238

[5] Al Da’ifah Hadith: 2985

[6] Al Ithaf Hadith: 3190

[7] Muhammad ibn Mukarram ibn ‘Ali, Abu al Fadl al Ruwayfi’i. The linguist leader and hujjah. He was born in 630 A.H. and worked in the compilation office in Cairo. He then assumed the judge post in Tarablis. He was interested in condensing lengthy books of adab (literacy). Some of his books are Lisan al ‘Arab and Nithar al Azhar. He passed away in 711 A.H. (al A’lam vol. 7 pg. 108; Hadyat al ‘Arifin vol. 3 pg. 159)

[8] ‘Abdullah ibn Barri ibn ‘Abdul Jabbar, Abu Muhammad al Maqdisi al Shafi’i. A syntax master of his time. He was born in 499 A.H. and passed away in 582 A.H. He was the principal of the Arabic university of Egypt. Jawab al Masa’il al ‘Ashar is one of his books. (Siyar A’lam al Nubala’ vol. 21 pg. 135; Tabaqat al Shafi’iyyah vol. 7 pg. 122)

[9] Lisan al ‘Arab vol. 12 pg. 264

[10] Sahih al Bukhari Hadith: 6691; Sahih Muslim Hadith: 1474

[11] Sahih al Bukhari Hadith: 855; Sahih Muslim Hadith: 564

[12] Musnad Abi Ya’la vol. 12 pg. 229 Hadith: 6839. Al Mundhiri has categorised the isnad as jayyid in al Targhib wa al Tarhib vol. 3 pg. 304. Al Muttajir al Rabih of al Dimyati Hadith: 251; al Zawajir of al Haytami al Makki vol. 2 pg. 81. Al Haythami says in Majma’ al Zawa’id vol. 8 pg. 154, “His narrators are the narrators of Sahih al Bukhari besides Nafi’ ibn Khalid al Tahi who is reliable.” Al Albani has categorised it has sahih in Sahih al Targhib Hadith: 2522

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