The Most Learned Woman Sayyidatuna ‘Aaishah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا

It is a fact that different types of flowers have different types of attraction, beauty, fragrance and benefits. Every one of them refreshes the heart and mind. Surely no one can deny the importance of these flowers, but this fact cannot be denied either that the rose flower has attained a higher status than other flowers due to its attractiveness and beauty. Likewise, in status; rank; understanding and wisdom, all the Ummahat-ul-Mu`mineen are more skilled than other women. All of them are saints of high ranks, with amazing attributes, the real reflection of knowledge and practice and are the mothers of the Ummah, however, from the view of knowledge, Sayyidatuna ‘Aaishah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا is the most learned. She رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا was such an expertise in many arts and sciences that her judicial acumen (the ability to think quickly and make good judgments) in Islamic jurisprudence and knowledge is still being heard in the world. By the blessings of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم she رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا became a Muftiyah, ‘Aalimah (female Islamic scholar), Muhaddisah and commentator of the time. She رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا always kept herself occupied with imparting Islamic knowledge. In short, she رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا devoted herself to serve Islamic education throughout her blessed life.

Talking about her scholarly dignity and glory, the Beloved and Blessed Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم once said: If the knowledge of all the women of this Ummah along with the knowledge of the wives of the Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم is collected, then the knowledge of ‘Aaishah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا will be more than all of their knowledge.

(Majma’-uz-Zawaid, vol. 9, pp. 289, Hadees 15318)

Sayyidatuna ‘Aaishah’s juristic and medical expertise

Sayyiduna ‘Urwah Bin Zubayr رَضِىَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَـالٰی عَـنْـهُمَا who is the nephew of Sayyidatuna ‘Aaishah
رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا (he is the son of her sister Sayyidatuna Asma رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا ) has stated: Apart from Fiqh and Hadees I have not found anyone else knowing more about the couplets of the Arabs than Sayyidatuna ‘Aaishah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا . She رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا had great expertise in the science of medicine and medical treatments of patients .

(Seerat-e-Mustafa, pp. 661-662)

Furthermore, the commentator of Sahih Bukhari, ‘Allamah Badruddin ‘Ayni رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has said that she رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا is regarded amongst those blessed Companions who have excellent expertise in juristic rulings. She رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا is also one of the 6 blessed Companions who have narrated most of the blessed Ahadees, as she رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا has narrated 2,210 blessed Ahadees.

(‘Umda-tul-Qaari, vol. 1, pp. 38)

Sayyiduna Abu Musa رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ has said: Whenever we, the Companions of the Beloved Prophet
صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم came across something complicated, we would ask Sayyidatuna ‘Aaishah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا about it and we would receive its knowledge from her.

(Sunan-ut-Tirmizi, vol. 5, pp. 371, Hadees 3909)

Elaborating on this blessed Hadees, Mufti Ahmad Yar Khan رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has said: No Bibi has been born yet who is such a scholar and Faqeehah (Jurist) as the Mother of the believers, Sayyidatuna ‘Aaishah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا is. She رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا was an encyclopaedia of Quranic knowledge and the knowledge of Hadees. She رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا was a great Muhaddisah and a great Faqeeha (jurist).

(Mirat-ul-Manajih, vol. 8, pp. 505)

کیوں نہ ہو رُتبہ تمہارا اہلِ ایماں میں بڑا

سب تو ہیں مومن مگر آپ اُمُّ المُومنین

Sayyidatuna ‘Aaishah Siddiqah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا being a woman, had complete expertise in Shar’i rulings and was fully aware of the intricate matters of knowledge. Therefore, no matter of how difficult the problems were, she رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا solved them in such a brilliant manner that nothing was left in the mind of the one who was asking about it. In her life, she رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا developed expertise in many important arts and sciences and conveyed this Madani message to the women until the world exists that it is not specific only for the men to attain the blessings of Islamic knowledge , but if women also take courage, then the day is not far when she رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا can also become an Islamic scholar, Muhaddisah, commentator and even a Muftiyah can play a significant role in the reformation of our society. But alas! Now the number of Islamic sisters, who have such a mind-set, is very limited and like men, the majority of women are also deprived of Islamic knowledge. Perhaps it is for this reason that our society is facing countless religious and worldly problems.

Shaykh-ul-Hadees, ‘Allamah ‘Abdul Mustafa A’zami رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه has said: Nowadays the passion for acquiring and imparting Islamic knowledge in men and women has almost died out. That’s why non-practicing Muslims are seen everywhere. Thousands of young boys and girls are far away from Islamic values and are living in disobedience to Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and the Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم they live their lives without any rules like animals who wonder about. One of the causes of not practicing Islamic teachings is that Muslims have stopped acquiring Islamic knowledge and have not provided Islamic knowledge to their children either. Therefore, it is extremely necessary for Muslim men and women to take out some time and learn necessary Islamic knowledge as well as teach this to their children. If you cannot make your children Islamic scholars, at least provide them with that amount of Islamic knowledge through which they may remain as Muslims.

(Jannati Zaywar, pp. 472)

Indeed, knowledge is that great attribute by virtue of which the mother of believers, Sayyidatuna ‘Aaishah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا had a specific superiority over the other blessed wives, though all the Honourable wives were great in the field of knowledge according to their own levels. In the light of the blessed Hadees, if the knowledge of Sayyidatuna ‘Aaishah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا is compared with the knowledge of the entire women of the Ummah, then her superiority in knowledge can be seen over all the women of the Ummah, including the other Ummahat-ul-Mu`mineen.

Surely knowledge is a great thing. Through Islamic knowledge one gains the pleasure of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and His Beloved Prophet صَلَّى اللهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم Islamic knowledge improves a person internally and externally. Islamic knowledge erases ignorance

Keeping in mind the scholarly glory and dignity of Sayyidatuna ‘Aaishah Siddiqah رَضِیَ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی عَـنْهَا we should also acquire Islamic knowledge and pay special attention to the Islamic education and upbringing of our children. Alas! Nowadays, due to being far away from Islamic teachings and readily following the non-Muslims, many Muslims have lost their status. Unfortunately, our living style and customs have become completely contrary to Islamic teachings. Under such difficult circumstances, proper Islamic upbringing of children especially of daughters seems extremely difficult. Therefore, if we want to give our daughters a proper upbringing, then firstly we will have to get Islamic information so that we may play our real role effectively in the light of Islamic teachings. As we know that our daughter will one day become someone’s wife and a daughter-in-law, then she will become a mother and then a mother-in-law. Therefore, today it is necessary to pay attention to the upbringing of that daughter so that tomorrow she may not become heedless of the best upbringing for her children.

اٰمِيۡن بِجَاهِ النَّبِيِّ الۡاَمِيۡن صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيۡهِ وَاٰلِه وَسَلَّم

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد