Muhammad SAW and Aisha RA, the Love Story :

Is love about dying for the one you love or living every breath with him?

If you want to read the perfect love story, I recommend that you don't read "Romeo and Juliet" but read the story of Muhammad(saw) and Aisha(ra)..

No Muslim should start their married life without studying the prophet's SAW marriages, especially the love story with Aisha RA.

The reason for narrating this tale of love between the Prophet and Aisha is that the feeling and relationship of love these days is the most vulgarised, commercialised, sensualised and morally disgraced. I narrated this tale to remind you that there exists a model of love and romance that deserves imitation from us, while keeping all the moral and legal limitations prescribed by our religion in mind.

This is the pure, married love between the Prophet Muhammad(saw) and his beloved, Lady 'Aa'ishah(ra)...

The two came together in circumstances that are a stark contrast to today's conventional love story. He(saw) was a devoted Messenger of God, embarking on the tenth year of prophethood; she was the daughter of his best friend and companion, Abu Bakr.(ra)

She was called the "most truthful daughter of the most truthful one." She was most devout. Most beautiful. And she was wed to the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in the latter part of his lifetime.

Abu Bakr RA, was the prophet's closest, lifetime and most entrusted friend, so from where else would you expect the prophet's wife to be? And the love story started with a dream. The prophet SAW saw Aisha twice in his dreams; and each time he was told this is your wife. Let each girl ask herself today how romantic it is, if her husband-to-be dreamed of marrying her twice, before the dream came true! Even based on today's romantic standards, this is one of the most romantic scenes a couple could ever experience. Muhammed(saw) and Aisha!..

Aisha RA said that the Prophet SAW said to her, "You have been shown to me twice in my dream. I saw you pictured on a piece of silk and some-one said (to me). 'This is your wife.' When I uncovered the picture, I saw that it was yours. I said, 'If this is from Allah, it will be done." {Bukhari :: Volume 5 :: Book 58 :: Hadith 235}...

The story of the marriage of Lady 'Aisha started after the death of lady Khadeejah, the prophet's first wife and the mother of his children. One of the prophet's lady companions, Khawlah bint Hakim who was the wife of 'Uthman ibn Madhz'un, came over to Prophet Muhammad(SAW) and suggested to him to marry lady 'Aisha and she described her as the daughter of the most beloved person to Prophet Muhammad(SAW).

Prophet Muhammad(SAW) in turn agreed and asked her to mention the prophet's marriage proposal to Abu Bakr and his wife, Um Ruman. Khawlah went over to Abu Bakr's house and said to Um Ruman;

"what do you think God has singled you out to bestow you with from his blessings and bounties?" so Um Ruman replied "and what would that be?", Khwlah said in response "the Messenger of God sent me over to offer you his marriage proposal to 'Aisha" so Khawlah asked her to wait till Abu Bakr comes over. When Abu Bakr heard about the Prophet's marriage proposal he said "and would she be lawful to him and he is my brother?" so Khawlah went back asking the Prophet (SAW) and he replied "we are brothers in Islam and your daughter is lawful to me".

When Abu Bakr received an affirmative answer from the Prophet, he went over to Mut'am ibn 'Addey because he offered to marry his son to lady 'Aisha and she was about to betrothed to him. Abu Bakr was a man of his promise so he went over to Mut'am house asking him if he still wanted to marry off his son to 'Aisha. So the wife of Mut'am said " O Abu Bakr you might want to lead our son to your religion if he got married to your daughter".

So Abu Bakr looked at Mut'am and asked him "Do you concur with what she says?" and Mut'am affirmed her opinion. Abu Bakr went out of Mut'am's house feeling comfortable about not breaking his promise and at ease that his daughter is free from any commitments of engagement to Mut'am's son...

Prophet married her when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage when she was nine years old, and then she remained with him for nine years (i.e., till his death).

Although Aisha was ready for married life, the Prophet SAW made the marriage and its duties a gradual process for her. The prophet SAW made sure Aisha carried on with the many joys of childhood as he SAW was the most understanding and patient husband. For every newly married couple, the so called honeymoon period is usually the happiest, then challenges and trying moments begin to arise. But for the prophet SAW and Aisha, this honeymoon period rather set the base for their love and romance to grow on daily basis! How?!

The prophet SAW would kiss Aisha, each time he leaves the house or exits to lead the daily prayers; every time and every day! Despite all his duties and responsibilities for the final message, the prophet SAW would still find time for Aisha; special moments for her. And in those special moments, he SAW would only think about the things Aisha would love and enjoy.

Like what? Racing for instance!

He SAW used to take Aisha for a romantic walk in the desert, and then he would tell her "Aisha, let's race!", and the first time she won. Then later on, Aisha gained weight, and raced the prophet SAW again, but this time he won and jokingly told her "This time I won!".

The romance in this marriage was not limited to just fun and games. As their marriage continued, intimacy was ultimately inter-woven in their daily affairs.

The prophet SAW used code language to denote his love for Aisha. She once asked him how he would describe his love for her. Now please pause for a moment, and try to think of the most romantic words to describe your love for your husband/wife? Seriously, Do it! The prophet used four words to describe his love for Aisha as follows "Like a strong binding knot" (The more you tug,the stronger it gets). And the beauty of this love story isn't just about how the prophet SAW described his love for Aisha, but also about how she cherished it! Every once in a while Aisha would playfully ask "How is the knot?" and the Prophet would answer "As strong as the first day (you asked)"...

Their love manifested equally through their mutually shared emotional inclinations, mental or imaginative flights, and their overall conduct.

They would sit and eat together and Aisha would take a sip and then the Prophet(SAW) would do so from the same spot her lips touched. She would have some meat or chicken, and then he would eat from the same spot she ate from. This is just one of many ways they infused romance and affection in even the simplest of acts. These small gestures show that in this marriage, romance was not a superficial bouquet of roses. Rather, it was natural and existed in their everyday life.

Love has several expressions. However, it is known to all and that for a woman, nothing expresses love like the words a man simply speaks from his heart.

The Prophet was most forthcoming in expressing his love for 'Aa'ishah and this is evident in multiple sayings (ahaadeeh) in which he publicly declares that 'Aa'ishah is the most beloved to him.

Such profound love he held for his wife that he referred to her as one with the complete qualities of a believing woman. This is a clear sign of the kind of respect he held for his wife.

This respect was possible because he actually put forth the time and effort in getting to know and understand his wife enough to recommend her as an example for other women to follow.

The prophet SAW stopped a whole army, in times of hostility in the desert, to look for Aisha's misplaced bead necklace.

Now let us ponder upon one of the most romantic scenes between prophet Muhammed SAW and his beloved Aisha. Concentrate now! Once the prophet was fixing his shoes and Aisha happened to look to his blessed forehead and noticed that there were beads of sweat on it. Mesmerized by the beauty of her beloved husband, Aisha remained transfixed staring at him long enough until the prophet noticed. So he asked her "what's the matter?" Aisha replied "If Abu Bukair, the poet, saw you, he would know that his poem was written for you".

Oh wait, the loving wife is going to use poetry now to describe her beloved husband. Now pay attention to the chosen words. Aisha explained "Abu Bukair said that if you looked to the majesty of the moon, it twinkles and lights up the world for everybody to see". Wallah the words would make any sane and sensitive person cry of joy. Yes indeed, he SAW was as beautiful as the moon lightening for us.

And would you think this romantic scene ended there? Then you're terribly wrong, because theirs was a non-stop love story full of romance. The Prophet SAW got up, walked to Aisha, kissed her between the eyes, and told her "Wallahi ya Aisha, you are like that to me and more".

You were told at the beginning that you can't start your married life without studying Muhammad SAW and Aisha's love story. Now you know why!....

Some brothers and sisters are shy to show their love, but what if you know that the whole Medina was aware of the prophet's love for Aisha? As long as it's 'Halal', there's nothing to be ashamed of, and the prophet's SAW love for Aisha RA should be your model example.

When the people of Medina had a gift for the prophet SAW, they would wait until it's Aisha's day and they'd give to him. Why is that? Because they knew he SAW loved Aisha the most, so they'd wait until he's in her house and they'd give him the presents.

Every marriage of the prophet SAW had a lesson(s) for the Ummah, as for Aisha's case, they were lessons in love, romance and tenderness. So one day the other wives asked Um Salamah to speak to the prophet SAW about it, so that people would give the presents in any house, not just that of Aisha.

Um Salamah indeed told the prophet SAW about it, but he didn't respond. So the other wives asked her to discuss it with him one more time. But this time the prophet SAW had to respond, the loving husband SAW had to defend his great love for Aisha RA. And this was his response:

"Don't hurt me regarding Aisha, as the Divine Inspirations didn't come to me when I'm in the cloth (blanket) of any of wives except Aisha" [Bukhari].

There was never hesitation from Aisha to become the wife of the Prophet of Islam. She loved him so much; she wanted him all to herself. It was a personal struggle for her to relinquish him to his other wives (who he was fair in dividing his time for) and to the people. Aisha shared tender moments with her husband and they lovingly teased each other.

She even harbored some jealousy of her husband's love for his first wife, Khadija, with good reason. Khadija was his ultimate love because of how she was the only person he could rely on during his darkest days. His love for Aisha, however, was so deep- it made him truly happy.

Now Sisters, please pay attention, because there was one distinct quality about Aisha, which drew the Prophet SAW so close to her. That is, being content regardless of circumstances, which helped her overcome many challenges she faced as the Prophet's SAW wife.

There was a time in the Prophet's home, when they had no fire or food for cooking and they simply lived off of dates and water. Yet 'Aaishah went through this hardship and showed the mark of a true companion — one who can offer unrelenting support even under the most trying circumstances. Aisha made the prophet's home a romance nest.

A truly dynamic woman, complete with the qualities of virtue, intelligence and even possessiveness over her husband — there was something quite distinct about 'Aa'ishah which drew the Prophet so close to her.

A crucial dimension to their equation was the student-teacher relationship they shared. Aisha being younger than the Prophet but having a rich intellectual capacity to understand Islamic wisdom and philosophy, more profoundly than other wives, made a great impression on the Prophet's heart and mind. In addition to the power of comprehension, she possessed wonderful oratory skills and a wonderfully expressive tongue, as narrated by Ahnaf bin Qais who said that he had never heard anyone whose skills of oratory were as beautiful and expressive as Aisha's.

A'isha's enthusiastic and inquisitive nature made her one of the foremost students of the Prophet. She was a woman of substance. And as a teacher to mankind, the Prophet SAW implemented this role most effectively in his very own home. The prophet SAW led by example and his beloved wife was his student.

Their blessed companionship came to a peaceful end after nine years, when the Prophet drew his last breath in 'Aa'ishah's arms. The virtues of lady 'Aisha reached its highest when God chose for his beloved Prophet to die within her arms as a commemoration of their love story.

Upon the Prophet's demise, 'Aa'ishah's youth gave her the capacity to continue to preach Islam's message. With the death of the Prophet ended the most pious and sacred romance that featured Allah's Messenger and his beloved wife, Aisha.

The Prophet's demise may have ended their companionship in this world. However, it did not put a stop to his mission nor did it end 'A'isha's role in carrying out her beloved's message.

It was after the Prophet's demise that one can truly see the divine purpose behind this marriage. Because she spent the most formative years of her life with the Prophet, she was able to learn all of his teachings.

This became a tremendous asset after the Messenger passed away and was only possible because of 'A'ishah's age. Upon his demise, 'Aishah's youth gave her the capacity to continue to preach Islaam's message for the many years she lived thereafter.

Many companions of the Prophet and new followers of Islaam would come to Lady Aishah for advice on various Islamic matters. Her contribution in relating numerous sayings of the Prophet and providing clarification on questions related to faith soon catapulted her to the status of a prominent Islamic scholar.

The love story between the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Lady 'Aa'ishah provides a realistic perception of how true love can be found within a marriage.

'A'isha's role in this marriage was one that God destined in order to ensure that the teachings of Islaam will be successfully transmitted to coming generations even after the Prophet SAW passed away.

The sole purpose of marriage in Islaam is to fulfill an individual's need for companionship and true love. Islaam emphasizes and encourages this fulfillment but only within the bond of marriage.

Today, this is a marriage which many may choose to slander or demean. Yet one needs only to take a look at the evidence Prophet Muhammad SAW and Lady 'Aa'ishah left behind, in the form of numerous sayings they related, which testify so dearly to the love and intimacy they shared.

The most famous love stories in this world are those that were a figment of someone's imagination. Yet this is a love which actually existed.

It was a love created and destined by God Himself. We as believers are left to follow the Prophet's life not only in moral, intellectual and political character, but also as a man who taught how to love and to be loved by legally wedded wives. His character as a husband and his management of domestic affairs with all the practical and ideal aspects contains a beautiful example that needs to be emulated by one and all.

Muhammad SAW and Aisha's story wasn't love at first sight, but rather exponential love with every glance, word and act.

THE END.....

.what a great love story!
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