Ramadan is a time of building good habits and getting rid of old ones, and what better example to follow for good practices than Aisha bint Abu Bakr. Aisha (RA), was the wife of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, and is one of the Mothers of the Believers. Known for her knowledge, selflessness and generosity, Aisha’s life is full of lessons and benefits for us to improve spiritually this Ramadan and beyond. 

Here are some lessons we can learn from the her life:

Absolute Tawakkul (trust and reliance) in Allah

Aisha’s demonstration of trust and Tawakkul in Allah during her hardships is one of the most important lessons we can take away from her life. The story of the ifk, the forged statement, was narrated by Aisha herself in a lengthy hadith (Bukhari 4750) and there are many lessons in faith, perseverance and trust in Allah  to be taken from this hadith alone.

During expeditions, the Prophet’s ﷺ wives would be carried in a howdah (a covered seat for riding) on their camels. On one such expedition, Aisha had been missing from her howdah while searching for a lost item, and the caravan left without noticing she was gone. She decided to wait at the same place, in case they came back for her, and fell asleep while she waited. As she slept, Safwan ibn al Muattal (R.A), who was walking behind the army, recognised Aisha, and brought her back to the Prophet’s ﷺ camp. Upon seeing this, the leader of the hypocrites, Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salaul, spread a slanderous rumour about Aisha and Safwan. When they returned to Madinah, Aisha (RA) fell ill, and once she found out about the rumours, she cried for days due to the pain of the slander. When the Prophet ﷺ visited her in her parents’ house, he assured her that if she was innocent, Allah would reveal it, and if she had committed the sin, he encouraged her to repent and reminded her of Allah’s forgiveness. 

Aisha’s response to this was profound. She responded, “By Allah, I cannot find of you an example except that of Joseph’s father: ‘So (for me) patience is most fitting against that which you assert and it is Allah (Alone) Whose help can be sought.’” (Bukhari 4750)

After this revelation came down, and Allah revealed verses in Surah Nur clearing Aisha’s name and proving her innocence.

Aisha’s practice of patience and reliance on Allah,  does not only apply to this situation. We can emulate this example when reacting to the difficulties we face in our own lives. 

Her dedication to preserving and upholding the knowledge of Islam

After the passing of the Prophet ﷺ Aisha assumed the role of a teacher and imparted the valuable knowledge she collected from her time with the Prophet ﷺ to students. Her home became a centre of learning for men and women alike. 

Aisha had strong memory, intellect and desire to expand her knowledge whilst with the Prophet ﷺ. She asked many questions regarding religious rulings in order to clarify them, as well as on sensitive topics on behalf of women who may not have been able to ask the Prophet ﷺ themselves. Thus she provided Muslims of her time and future generations clarity in Islamic rulings, as well as Quranic interpretation. 

Hisham lbn Urwa said, “I  have never seen anyone who could have knowledge of an ayah, an obligatory act, a Sunnah act, poetry, history, lineage, judgement, or medicine better than Aisha.”

As women, were constantly faced with a lack of female islamic scholars, and Aisha’s profound role in preserving and spreading the knowledge of Islam should motivate us and inspire us to embark on our own journeys of seeking knowledge of our beautiful religion and spreading it to future generations for the sake of Allah.

Her selflessness and generosity even in times of hardship

In addition to being knowledgeable, Aisha was exceedingly charitable, and was known as Umm al-Teeb (the mother of fragrance) due to her well-known habit of perfuming her charity before she gave it. Her explanation for this act was that charity reaches Allah before the recipient, thus she decided to perfume it.

‘Urwah ibn al-Zubayr reported, “Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, would give seventy thousand coins in charity while her clothes were covered in patches.” (al-Zuhd wal-Raqā’iq 754) 

In another incident Aisha was gifted with one hundred thousand dirhams while she was fasting, and she distributed it to the poor and needy. Her maid asked her  “Couldn’t you have brought a dirham’s worth of meat with which to break your fast?” Aisha replied, “If I had thought of it, I would have done so.”

Aisha’s ascetic lifestyle, selflessness and generosity should inspire us to reconsider the value of our worldly possessions andprioritise the value of the Akhira and the reward for charity and helping others.

May Allah allow us to emulate the behaviour and virtuous character of our Mother Aisha (RA) and allow us to benefit from her example this Ramadan.