Aisha bint Abi Bakr (ra)

𝑨𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒂 (𝒓𝒂) 𝒘𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒕 ﷺ; 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒉𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒉, also knowledgeable of medicine and poetry owing to a photographic memory. She related poems; from Sa’d ibn Muadh’s (ra) recited on the Battle of Trench [Muslim], to Madinan women’s poetry at weddings. [Bayhaqi]

Her mind, a treasure trove of poetry shared at opportune moments in speeches, using its beauty to declare values she held fast to.

She’d say:

“Feed your children poetry so that their tongues shall be sweet.” [Ibn Abdirabbih]

She thought it important to help children speak more fluently; to express themselves well. Though Aisha (ra) had no children of her own, still she had children around in her life. She was a guardian of orphans. She raised them with love and care, in doing so did she see the ups and downs of parenting in education and discipline.

Aisha (ra) took care of Qasim ibn Muhammad (ra), her brother’s son and grandson of Abu Bakr (ra). She cut his hair and dressed him up for festivals.

Qasim (ra) said; “On the Day of Arafah, my aunt Aisha would shave our heads and send us to the mosque. The next day she would then make the sacrifice in front of us.”[Ibn Sa’d]

She dealt with the tantrums of her brother’s child; Shumaysah al-Atakiyyah said Aisha (ra) said, “I would discipline the orphan child even though he would lie on the floor.”[Adhab al Mufrad] Or a familiar bedtime scene in the woes of parenting,  Aisha (ra) would send them to bed after evening prayer, saying;

 “Won’t you let the recording angel rest?” [Malik].

Of the children raised in her shadow two grew up to become notable successors to her knowledge; Qasim (ra) and Amra bint Abdurrahman (ra) (the Prophet’s ﷺ relative). They learnt from Aisha (ra) knowledge of hadiths [Ibn Hajar]. Aisha felt it a responsibility to spread knowledge she had accumulated during her time with the Prophet ﷺ especially amongst children whose talents she had noticed. 

Qasim (ra ) and Amra (ra) both became leading scholars of their time as did her sister’s son, Urwa ibn Zubayr (ra) who frequented Aisha’s home. And as for his older brother Abdullah ibn Zubayr (ra), it was on his account that the Prophet ﷺ nicknamed Aisha, Umm Abdullah. 

Narrated from

‘A’isha (ra) that she said: O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, all my friends have a nickname (kunya) except me! He ﷺ said: “Take a nickname from the name of your sister's son ‘Abdullah ibn Zubayr (ra).” So she was called Umm ‘Abdullah until she died. [Abu Dawud]

Books will call them her students but they’re more. For Aisha (ra) cared for them and was cherished in return. Aisha (ra); mother to orphans, mother to nephews and Mother of the Believers.🌹

𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 of 𝗦.𝗡.𝗝𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗹𝗶 ✍🏼 (𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓 of 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗜𝗯𝗻 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀, Islamic chapter books for kids📚)