Aisha: The Wife, the Companion, the Scholar by Resit Haylamaz

Author:Resit Haylamaz [Haylamaz, Resit]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Biography & Autobiography, Religious, Religion, islam, General
ISBN: 9781597842662
Google: RrnmygAACAAJ
Publisher: Tughra Books
Published: 2012-11-15T23:42:53.855520+00:00

The Prohibition (tahrim)

The Messenger of God got into the habit of visiting his wives after the Afternoon Prayer. He asked about their well-being and spent some time with them. He established a regular time for each of them, to just be with them. After the visits became habit, the Prophet’s wives began to expect his arrival, and began to await the visit of God’s Messenger after every Afternoon Prayer.

One day, as they sat and waited for God’s Messenger, the time became late and they did not hear from him. Every passing minute made them anxious because they were concerned they would miss the time with the Messenger of God to which they were accustomed.

God’s Messenger suddenly appeared, and they became excited and welcomed him immediately. Even though it was late, his shining face appeared, honoring their home with his presence. But a suspicion lurked in their hearts. Aisha spoke on behalf of the other wives and asked the reason for the delay. The Prophet said:

“A woman from Zaynab’s tribe brought me a bowl of honey as a gift.”

The women understood that the reason for the delay was Zaynab. They were slightly envious, but they did not reveal this to God’s Messenger.

Speaking amongst themselves, they remembered that the Messenger of God was sensitive to bad smells and avoided them.214 So they decided to ask when God’s Messenger came near, “What did you drink?” and “What is this smell?” Then, when he responded, “I drank honey sherbet,” each wife would reply something to the effect of, “perhaps that bee gathered pollen from malodorous flowers.”

It happened as they planned. Whomever he approached, the Messenger of God got the same reaction. Each time, he said:

“No, I only drank honey sherbet near Zaynab.”

Though his reply was mild, God’s Messenger was offended and saddened, and he even swore that he would never drink honey sherbet again.215

Such a minor oath by an ordinary person would mean very little, but the Messenger of God was not ordinary. He was the sole recipient of revelation, which was ongoing. The religion was shaped under the light of revelation. Therefore, a judgment was established on every sentence that passed his lips, and would become an example for his followers.

A short time later, Gabriel came with a new revelation. The Messenger of God was sweating and seemed to be suffering under the burden of responsibility settled on his shoulders, almost as if he were crippled.

Afterward, a smile appeared on his face again. God the Almighty had addressed him:

O Prophet! Why do you forbid (yourself) what God has made lawful to you, seeking to please your wives? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful (at-Tahrim 66:1).

From the verse, the warmth of being close to God was felt, and revealed new aspects of religion to humanity on the behalf of God’s Messenger. The first was that a person should never regard something that God permitted as unlawful. The second was that such a position would require forgiveness, and the knowledge that we can only be forgiven by God, through His All-Forgiving and All-Merciful attributes.

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