Schoolcraft College

The Life of Aisha bint Abi Bakr

Trevor McKersie
History 134
Professor Ryan Masters
November 23rd, 2014

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In Aisha bint Abi Bakrs life ever since she was a little girl she has been under the
influence of Islam and has been at the side of Muhammads struggle. She was only around six
years old when she first met and was announced to be married to him in an arranged marriage
and lived with him until she was at a mature enough age to consummate the marriage. Until she
was only 18 years old her husband died and all the wives of Muhammad were never allowed to
remarry or bare children. Aisha was the favorite of his 12 wives and her father, one of
Muhammads best colleagues, was to be the first Caliph1.
This provided her a way into a majority of all the politics and structure of the Islamic
culture, she lived for nearly 48 years after Muhammads death this means through her adult life
her influence on the religion was key for its survival. Aisha had lost her husband then her father
and became for the most part alone after she was tossed out for losing a major civil war between
two sides of Muslims, she decided to leave and preach the teachings of her husband. Aisha alone
was the most influential women of Muhammads wives but her legacy deteriorated more as with
the support that the throne of the Caliphs was to be owned by Muhammads family not by his
colleagues. Aisha was a brave woman and her part in Islamic history still might be debated but
without her influence the respect of women at that time would have been none.
Aisha when she was only six years old was arranged to be married with someone else but
Muhammad had the choice of setting up a marriage between her and Sawdah bint Zama this
would prove as not a decision between whom because Muhammad had chosen both. The early
stages of their marriage seemed fairly different because she would bring over her childs toys
and Muhammad would play with her in a more father daughter role not a husband and wife type
1

Hewsen, Robert H. A'ishah Bint Abi Bakr (C. 613678). n.p.: Gale, 2002. Gale Virtual

Reference Library. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.

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of lifestyle. That until she was old and mature enough to consummate the marriage between the
two. The marriage was seen more as a ploy at the time to have Abu Bakr, Aisha Bint Abu Bakrs
father, to enhance their business relationship1. This sparked defiance among Muhammads
people because they would increasingly become willing to toss her in the fire and make her out
to be a terrible person. Still she was one of Muhammads favorite wives, after Muhammad had
been widowed by his first wife Khadijah; he decided to not have kids with any of the rest of his
twelve wives he had married over the course of his last ten years.
One time in the desert during a trip she got left behind accidently and was sitting there
lost until a younger man by the name of Al-Muattal. This created a huge conflict as many of
Muhammads advisors had told him that Aisha has been unfaithful and that she must be banished
or executed. Instead of believing in his wrong advisors he turned to Allah and asked him if this
truly happened when Allah told him that it didnt happen and that he should trust Aisha.
Muhammad decided to punish those who would betray his trust by penalizing them but they
could repent their sins1. This created a divide amongst the colleagues of Muhammad, the
beginning of the separate sects of Islam the Sunni and the Shia were inspired by this one time
they divided into conflict. It would happen again but not until much later after Muhammads
death that they would divide into a civil war.
After Muhammads death she became known as the Mother of Believers and inspired
knew Muslims to join and teach what her husband had preached. The first Caliph was her father,
this left her close to the seat of power for awhile until in the 36th year of hijra, (Hijra is the
exodus from Mecca to Medina in 622 A.D. and the beginning year of the Muslim calendar),
which was a civil war no one could stop from happening. Ali the son in law of Muhammad
believed that the throne of Caliph belonged to Muhammads family not his advisors and created

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the sect known as Shia2. This had Aisha at the helm of the political battle, but it was short lived
and they had lost quickly. The throne was now owned by the family of Muhammad and the
Sunni Muslims who believed in the first three Caliphs would not control the throne for many
years to come. In Aishas defeat she decided to leave her old life and decided to focus on being a
transmitter of the Hadith, or the teachings, preachings and lessons of Muhammad2.
The teachings she spread with others helped establish a central written historical record
of Islam and would help preserve the teachings of Muhammad that would be finally written
down many years after his death3. Aishas life was long lived up until her death in Medina in 678
A.D.; she lived for 66 years and for nearly 48 years after the death of her husband. Until the day
she died she would spread the word of his teachings and would inspire many women to live an
independent lifestyle. Her inspirations, until the Syrian and Iranian influenced women to be more
exclusive, were to have women be instead independent.
The way she spent most of her life was away from any man telling her what to do. Aisha
did what she wanted to do; no one forced her into preaching about Muhammad and the Islamic
culture for 20 years. However her legacy is tarnished by not only women being stripped of their
independence, they also blame part of the civil war against her. Shia Muslims despise her after
supporting her father and the first three Caliphs instead of the true heir Ali. Some Sunni Muslims
2

Elsadda, Hoda. "Discourses on Womens Biographies and Cultural Identity: Twentieth-Century

Representations of the Life of 'Aisha Bint Abi Bakr." Feminist Studies 27.1 (2001): 37.
Academic OneFile. Web. 14 Nov. 2014
3

Spellberg, Denise A. "Approaches to the Study of a Legacy: An Introduction." Politics,

Gender, and the Islamic Past: The Legacy of Aisha Bint Abi Bakr. New York: Columbia UP,
1994. 1-10. Print.

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accept her but others believe she disrupted the peace and caused the war2. Through her life,
Aisha has been through many struggles she had to overcome with the death of her husband and
father, losing political control and being a prisoner mentally in her mind. Aisha still believed in
the good Islam brought and what her husband did and that is why she was one of Muhammads
favorite wives.

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Works Cited
Hewsen, Robert H. A'ishah Bint Abi Bakr (C. 613678). n.p.: Gale, 2002. Gale Virtual Reference
Library. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.
This resource is heavily described as the partial role she played in Muhammad's life and
although there is very crucial data here; that she helped inspire women at least for a short
while to become. It mainly describes her secondary to Muhammad and doesnt give clear
enough details mainly about her life until after Muhammads death.
Elsadda, Hoda. "Discourses on Womens Biographies and Cultural Identity: Twentieth-Century
Representations of the Life of 'Aisha Bint Abi Bakr." Feminist Studies 27.1 (2001): 37.
Academic OneFile. Web. 14 Nov. 2014
Explains her relationship with the power of politics and with the little amount of work
she did with the army. Although Aisha is a powerful representation of women during that
lifetime ultimately her legacy didnt pan out that way. She is partially despised by some
Sunni and completely despised by Shi'a Muslims.
Spellberg, Denise A. "Approaches to the Study of a Legacy: An Introduction." Politics, Gender,
and the Islamic Past: The Legacy of Aisha Bint Abi Bakr. New York: Columbia UP,
1994. 1-10. Print.
Further details Aishas left until her end which was in 678 A.D., describes how her faults
in the work of politics didnt benefit the empire and divided it for many years. This caused
the Sunni and the Shia parts of Islam.