Reports that Aisha bint Abi Bakr was 6 or 7 years old when she became engaged and 10 when she married [1] have been the most basic factor in the formation of the view regarding her age of marriage. Also, it should not be forgotten that factors such as similar practices being quite widespread at the time and the physical development of children becoming complete at an earlier age at that time also contributed to the dispersion of this view. For this reason, this subject was not made a current issue for discussion until very recently.

Orientalists who do not consider the conditions of the time period in which an action occurred and who examine Islam from “outside” have made this a current issue. The Muslim world’s reaction to this different stance has been mixed. While some have insisted that Aisha’s above-mentioned age at marriage is correct [2], others are of the opinion that Aisha was older [3]. In this situation, where it is not always possible to maintain a balanced view, various approaches have developed as an answer to Orientalists’ claims, including those that choose to deny the reports or ignore the existence of other alternatives as a response to this view.

First of all, we should know that everyone is a child of the time they live in and therefore must be evaluated according to the cultural context of the relevant time. There are certain values that form a society’s customs and when a society is evaluated, these values have to be taken into consideration. Otherwise, were we to attempt to evaluate historical events within today’s conditions, we should remember that we are fated to make mistakes.

It is known that during the time of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, young girls were married at an early age [4] and that age difference was not important in marriage [5]. Especially in regard to young girls, it should not be forgotten that there was social pressure for this, that they matured earlier due to climatic and geographical conditions and that they were seen as goods that needed to grow in their husband’s house. Moreover, this is not a matter just related to girls; boys were also married at ages 8, 9 and 10 and they became the head of a family at an age that is perceived as very young today [6]. Perhaps it is this culture that lies at the basis of this issue’s not having been questioned until recent times. Otherwise, it was impossible for a mentality that wanted to brew a storm in regards to the Prophet’s marriage with Zaynab bint Jahsh and that slandered Aisha after her return from the Muraysi expedition to not criticize such an issue at that time.

In the verses of the Qur’an that came at the same time, the age for marriage was mentioned and it was emphasized that children should be married when they come of age [7]. So, opposing a divine suggestion cannot be considered. Using the mentality of Umar, if intervention had been a matter of consideration here, the Prophet would surely have been warned in a coming revelation and a step would have been taken to resolve the issue. At any rate, the Prophet’s wedding to Aisha took place in accordance with direction from divine will [8].

Now, if you like, putting the extremes behind us and using moderate criteria, let’s examine sources related to Aisha’s age at marriage once again.

1. While listing names of Muslims during the first days of Islam, Aisha’s name, together with her older sister Asma, are listed immediately after the names of the Sabiqun al-Awwalun (the first ones) like Uthman ibn Affan, Zubayr ibn Awwam, Abdurrahman ibn Awf, Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas, Talha ibn Ubaydullah, Abu Ubayda ibn Jarrah, Arqam ibn Abi al-Arqam and Uthman ibn Maz’un. Being the 18th person to accept Islam, Aisha’s name precedes the names of Umayr ibn Abi Waqqas, Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, Salit ibn Amr, Ja’far ibn Abi Talib, Abdullah ibn Jahsh, Abu Hudayfa, Suhayb ibn Sinan, Ammar ibn Yasir, Umar ibn Khattab, Hamza ibn Abdilmuttalib, Habbab ibn Aratt, Said ibn Zayd and Fatima bint Khattab [9]. This means she was living then and was mature enough to make such a choice and exercise her will. In addition, the information in reports that “she was a small girl then” shows that her name was mentioned in a conscious way [10].

This date refers to the early days of Islam. For it is known that Aisha’s sister Asma, who was born in 595, was 15 when she became a Muslim [11]. This indicates the year 610, when the Prophet started to receive the revelation and this then shows that Aisha was at least 5, 6 or 7 that day and that she was at least 17 or 18 when she married the Prophet in Medina.

2. In regard to days in Mecca, Aisha said, “I was a girl playing games when the verse, ‘Indeed, the Last Hour is their appointed time [for their complete recompense], and the Last Hour will be more grievous and more bitter’ [12] was revealed to God’s Messenger [13].” This information opens other doors for us regarding her age.

The verse under consideration is the 46th verse of Surah Qamar, the 54th chapter of the Qur’an, which explains the miracle of the split moon [the splitting of the moon is one of the miracles performed by the Prophet Muhammad]. Revealed as a whole, this surah came while the Prophet was in Ibn Arqam’s home in the fourth (614) [14] or eighth (618) or ninth (619) [15] year of his mission, according to differing reports. Looking especially at necessity, some scholars focused on the date being 614; when this date is taken, Aisha either had not been born or had just been born. While when this date is taken it appears that she must have been born at least eight or nine years earlier, the situation does not change much when 618 or 619 are taken. In that situation she would have only been 4 or 5 years old, neither an age at which she would be in a position to understand this event and relate it years later. According to the second possibility, she was probably born when Muhammad’s prophethood had just begun [16].

Another matter worth mentioning here is that while describing that day, Aisha stated, “I was a girl playing games.” The word she used to describe herself, jariya, is used to describe the passage into puberty. Ibn Yara, an Arab poet, describes this passage as follows: “When a girl becomes 8 years old, she is not a ‘jariya.’ She is a bridal candidate that I can marry to Utba or Muawiya.” Some scholars say that it is used for girls who are older than 11.

If we look at the issue taking 614 as the year that Surah Qamar was revealed, Aisha would have been born at least eight years before the prophetic mission, or in 606. If we accept 618, then the year of birth would have been 610; this event alone makes it impossible for her to have been 9 when she married.

When this information is combined with her name being on the list of the first Muslims, we get the result that Aisha’s date of birth was probably 606. Consequently, she would have been at least 17 when she married.

3. Of course, Aisha’s memories of Mecca are not limited to this. In addition to this, the following memories confirm this matter:

a) Her saying that she had seen two people begging who had remained from the Year of the Elephant (the year in which Yemeni King Abraha sent an army of elephants to Mecca in order to destroy the Ka‘ba; the elephants were pelted with pebbles dropped on them by birds), which occurred 40 years before the prophetic mission and is accepted as a milestone for determining history, and her handing down this information with her sister Asma only [17].

b) Her describing in detail that during difficult times in Mecca, God’s Messenger had come to their house morning and evening and that her father, Abu Bakr, who could not endure this hardship, attempted to migrate to Abyssinia [18].

c) Her stating that first it was mandatory to offer two cycles of obligatory prayer and that later it was changed to four cycles for residents, but that during military campaigns two cycles were performed [19].

d) In reports about the early days, there being statements like, “We heard that Isaf and Naila had committed a crime at the Ka‘ba and for this reason God turned them into stone as a man and woman from the Jurhum tribe [20].”

4. Being betrothed before the engagement: Another factor that supports the above view is that at the time when the Prophet’s marriage was a topic of discussion, Aisha was engaged to Mut’im ibn Adiyy’s son Jubayr. The suggestion for the Prophet to marry Aisha came from Hawla bint Hakim, the wife of Uthman ibn Maz’un, someone not from the family. Both situations show that she had come to the age of marriage and was known as a young marriageable girl.

As is known, this betrothal was broken by the Ibn Adiyy family due to the possible religious conversion of their son to Islam, and it was only after this that Aisha’s engagement to Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, took place [21]. Consequently, the marriage agreement was either made before the prophetic mission or when the call to Islam was being made openly (three years after the Prophet began receiving revelation). If it was made before the mission, together with the idea that Aisha was 9 years old when she married being shaken from its foundation, it implies that Aisha was born even earlier than has been thought. For this reason, some say that she was a 13- or 14-year-old girl then [22].

It should not be overlooked that this decision was made during the period when the call to Islam had begun to be made openly. In regard to time, this means 613-614. If it is assumed that Aisha was born four years after the mission, it has to be accepted that she had not yet been born, so it is not possible to talk about a marriage agreement under these circumstances. In this case, it has to be accepted that she was at least 7 or 8 when her engagement was broken, so the year was probably 605 [23].

Here, another possibility can be mentioned; namely, an agreement of arranged future marriage similar to “cradle tallying,” an agreement between parents in the early years after the birth of a baby. However, there are no details in the texts under consideration to confirm this.

5. The age difference of Aisha’s siblings should be taken into account. As is known, Abu Bakr had six children. Asma and Abdullah were born from Qutayla bint Umays, Aisha and Abdurrahman from Umm Ruman, Muhammad from Asma bint Umays and Umm Kulthum from Habiba bint Harija. Asma and Abdullah have the same mother as do Aisha and Abdurrahman. The age difference between children from the same mother can enlighten our subject matter.

a) Abu Bakr’s first daughter, Asma, was born in 595, 27 years before the Hijra, Prophet Muhammad’s emigration to Medina [24]. At the time of the Hijra, she was married to Zubayr ibn Awwam and was six-months pregnant [25]. Her son Abdullah was born three months later in Quba while she was migrating to Medina. She died in the 73rd year of the Hijra at the age of 100; her teeth had not even fallen out.

Here there is another critical piece of information. The age difference between Aisha and her sister Asma was 10 years [26]. According to this, Aisha’s year of birth was 605 (595+10=605) and her age at the time of the Hijra was 17 (27–10=17). Since her marriage took place six, seven or eight months after the Hijra, or just after Badr [27], this means Aisha was 17-18 years old at that time.

b) The age difference between Aisha and her brother Abdurrahman is also striking. Abdurrahman became Muslim after the Treaty of Hudaibiya was signed, six years after the Hijra. He was careful not to encounter his father at the Battle of Badr, in the second year after the Hijra, and that day Abdurrahman was 20 years old [28]. In other words, he must have been born in 604. Taking into consideration the conditions of that time, the probability is low that the sister of a child born in 604 would be born 10 years later in 614. Put another way, at a time when the age difference between brothers and sisters is one or two years, a large difference such as 10 years between Aisha and her brother is highly unlikely.

6. Reports regarding Aisha’s death are also of a nature to illuminate this issue. The year in which she died is listed as the 55th, 56th, 57th, 58th or 59th year after the Hijra [29] and her age at that time as 65, 66, 67 or 74 [30]. Just as there is no agreement regarding her date of birth, there is no agreement regarding her date of death.

Reports to the effect that she died in the 58th year after the Hijra and that she was 74 when she died give the impression that they are sounder than others because they give detailed information such as the day she died as being Wednesday, that it corresponded to the 17th day of Ramadan, that upon her request she was buried at night after the Witr prayer in the Jannah al-Baqi graveyard, that again upon her last request the funeral prayer was lead by Abu Hurayrah and that she was lowered into the grave by persons like her sister Asma’s two sons, Abdullah and Urwa, her brother Muhammad’s two sons, Qasim and Abdullah, and her brother Abdurrahman’s son Abdullah [31]. Therefore, when calculations are made according to this date, we see she lived 48 years after the Prophet’s death (48+10=58+13=71+3=74). This means she was born three years before his prophethood and, in view of this information, she was 17 when she married (74–48=26–9=17).

In support of the above, her being on the battle front at Uhud, in the third year after the Hijra, when even boys were turned away; her depth in scholarly matters and the mature attitude and statements she put forth in regard to the matter of slander; the age difference between her and the Prophet’s daughter Fatima; her knowledge and awareness of the Hijra and later developments; after arriving in Medina, her marriage being consummated at her father’s suggestion and after the mahr had been paid [32]; the position of the Prophet as a guide in the society; the sensitivity of the Prophet and fatherly compassion; the differences in reports regarding the date of marriage and their having no finality [33]; Aisha’s using the doubtful expression “six or seven” when referring to her age; dates of birth and death not being as clearly determined in that society as they are today-all this strengthens the probability that she was born before the commencement of Islam, was engaged at 14 or 15 years of age and was married to the Prophet at the age of 17 or 18.

In this situation, it is up to us to attribute the meaning “I appeared to be” to the report “I was 6 or 7 when I was engaged and 9 when I married” and reconcile the two [34]. The fact that Aisha was physically thin strengthens this interpretation. She was affected by physical events faster and had a smaller body than her peers. Events like her becoming ill during the migration to Medina [35], her mother’s showing her special attention and trying to make her well [36], her losing her necklace after the Muraysi expedition and the enclosed litter being put on the camel thinking that she was in it [37] all show this.

In short, regardless of whether Aisha’s age at marriage was 9 or 17 or 18, there is nothing strange about it. It is necessary to evaluate every society according to its own rules. When we look at examples, it was quite a widespread custom to marry both boys and girls at a young age. However, when we look at information passed down to us, it should not be forgotten that this information to the effect that Aisha, may God be pleased with her, was born in 605, engaged at the age of 14 or 15 and married at the age of 17 or 18 is too strong to be ignored.

Dr. Resit Haylamaz is the editor-in-chief of Kaynak Publishing Group.

Notes

1. Bukhari, Manaqib al-Ansar, 20, 44; Muslim, Niqah, 71; Fadail al-Sahaba, 74; Abu Dawud, Adab, 55; Ibn Maja, Niqah, 13; Nasai, Niqah, 78; Darimi, Niqah, 56.
2. Azimli, Mehmet, “Hz. Âise’nin Evlilik Yas? Tartismalarinda Savunmaci Tarihciligin Ç?kmaz?,” Islâmî Arastirmalar, Vol. 16, Issue 1, 2003.
3. See Doðrul, Ömer Riza. Asr-? Saâdet, Istanbul: Eser Kitabevi, 1974, 2/141; Nadwi, Sayyid Sulayman. Hazreti Aise, (trns. by Ahmet Karatas), Istanbul: Timas Yay?nlar?, 2004, p. 21; Savas, R?za. “Hz. Âise’nin Evlenme Yasi ile ilgili Farkl? Bir Yaklasim,” D. E. Ü. ilâhiyât Fak. Derg. Issue 4, Izmir, 1995, pp. 139-144; Yüce, Abdülhakim, Efendimiz’in Bir Günü, Istanbul: Is?k Yayinlari, pp. 82-83, 2007.
4. Abdul Muttalib, the grandfather of the Prophet, married Hala bint Uhayb, who was young then. Since he married off his son Abdullah to Amina at an early age at around the same time of his own marriage with Hala, the Prophet was almost of the same age with his uncle Hamza.
5. In order to have family relationship with the Prophet and thus further his close relation with God’s Messenger, Umar ibn Khattab married Ali’s daughter Umm Qulthum, and this marriage was not found strange at that time at all.
6. Amr ibn As, for instance, was 12 years older than his son Abdullah. This means that he was around 10 when he got married. For further information see Ibn al-Athir, Usud al-Gaba, 3/240.
7. Nisa 4:6.
8. Bukhari, Ta’bir, 21, Manakib al-Ansar, 44, Niqah, 9; Muslim, Fadail al-Sahaba, 79; Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 6/41, 128.
9. Ibn Hisham, Sira, 1/271; Ibn Ishaq, Sira, Konya, 1981, 124.
10. Ibn Hisham, Sira, 1/271; Ibn Hisham, Sira, 124.
11. Nawawi, Tahzib al-Asma, 2/597; Hakim, Mustadrak, 3/635.
12. Qamar 54:46.
13. Bukhari, Fadail al-Qur’an, 6; Tafsir al-Sura, (54) 6; Ayni, Badruddin Abu Muhammad Mahmud ibn Ahmad, Umdat al-Qari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, Dar alIhya al-Turas al-Arabi, 20/21; Asqalani, Fath al-Bari, 11/291.
14. Suyuti, Itqan, Beirut, 1987, 1/29, 50; Doðrul, Asr-i Saadet, 2/148.
15. The month difference stems from the lunar calendar.
16. Taking this information into account, some people calculate Aisha’s age at marriage as least 14 or 22, up to 28. We have not focused on these as they are not supported by the sources.
17. Ibn Hisham, Sira, 1/176; Haysami, Majma al-Zawaid, 3/285; Ibn Kathir, Tafsir, 4/553; Bidaya, 2/214; Qurtubi, Tafsir, 20/195.
18. Bukhari, Salat, 70, Kafala, 5, Manaqib al-Ansar, 45, Adab, 64; Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 6/198.
19. Muslim, 3/463; Mu’jam al-Kabir, 2/285, 286; Mu’jam al-Awsat, 12/145; Ibn Hisham, Sira, 1/243.
20. Ibn Hisham, Sira, 1/83.
21. Bukhari, Niqah, 11; Ibn Hanbal, Musnad, 6/210; Haysami, Majma al-Zawaid, 9/225; Bayhaqi, Sunan, 7/129; Tabari, Tarih, 3/161-163.
22. Savas, Riza, D. E. Ü. ilahiyat Fak. Dergisi, Issue 4, izmir, pp. 139-144, 1995.
23. Berki, Ali Hikmet, Osman Eskioðlu, Hatemü’l-Enbiya Hz. Muhammed ve Hayati, 210.
24. Nawawi, Tahzib al-Asma, 2/597.
25. Nawawi, Tahzib al-Asma, 2/597.
26. Bayhaqi, Sunan, 6/204; Ibn Manda, Ma’rifat al-Sahaba, Köprülü Kütüphanesi, No: 242, p. 195; Ibn Asakir, Tarih al-Damascus, Tarajim al-Nisa, Damascus, pp. 9, 10, 28, 1982; Mas’udi, Muruj al-Zahab, 2, 39; Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat al-Kubra, Beirut, 8/59, 1968.
27. Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, 8/58; Ibn Abdilbarr, Istiab, 4/1881; Nadwi, Sirat al-Sayyidati Aisha Umm al-Mu’minin, Edition critique by Muhammad Rahmatullah Hafiz al-Nadwi, Dar al-Kalam, Damascus, 40, 49, 2003.
28. Ibn Athir, Usud al-Gaba, 3/467.
29. Ibn Abdilbarr, Istiab, 2/108; Tahzib al-Kamal, 16/560.
30. Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, 8/75; Nadwi, Sirat al-Sayyidat Aisha, 202.
31. Ibn Abdilbarr, Istiab, 2/108; Doðrul, Asr-i Saadet, 2/142.
32. Tabarani, Kabir, 23/25; Ibn Abdilbarr, Istiab, 4/1937; Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, 8/63.
33. For such differences in narrations as “one and a half or two years before the Hijra,” “when she was 6 or 7 years old,” “when Khadija passed away or three years after Khadija passed away,” “seven or eight months after the Emigration or the first year of the Hijra,” “Right after the Battle of Badr,” see Bukhari, Manakib al-Ansar, 20, 44; 36.
34. There are even those who react to this information as the mistake of the narrator, claiming that it should be, “I was 6 or 7 when the first revelation came.”
35. Bukhari, Manakib al-Ansar, 43, 44; Muslim, Niqah, 69; Ibn Maja, Niqah, 13.
36. Bukhari, Manakib al-Ansar, 44; Muslim, Niqah, 69; Abu Dawud, Adab, 55; Ibn Maja, Niqah, 13; Darimi, Niqah, 56; Tabarani, Kabir, 23/25; Ibn Abdilbarr, Istiab, 4/1938; Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, 8/63; Ibn Ishaq, Sira, Konya, 239, 1981.
37. Bukhari, Shahada, 15; Magazi, 34; Tafsîr, (24) 6; Muslim, Tawba, 56; Tirmidhi, Tafsir, (63) 4; Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, 2/65; Ibn Hisham, Sira, 3/310.

It was at this time, before his call to prophethood, that Muhammad said to his uncle, al-‘Abbas:

‘Your brother, Abu Talib, has a large family. People, as you see, have been afflicted by this severe drought and are facing starvation. Let us go to Abu Talib and take on the care of some members of his family. I am ready to look after one of his sons and you might do the same for another’

Al-‘Abbas agreed; they went together to Abu Talib and made their offer Abu Talib accepted:

‘If you allow me to keep ‘Aqil [one of his sons older than Ali], you may do otherwise as you please.

In this way ‘Ali came into the household of the future Prophet, upon him be peace, Jafar into the household of al-‘Abbas.

Ja’far closely resembled the Prophet. It is said there were five men from the Hashim clan who resembled the Prophet, so much as to mistaken for him. They were: his two cousins Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith and Qutham ibn al-‘Abbas; Al-Sa’ib ibn ‘Ubayd, the grandfather of Imam al-Shafi’-i; Hasan ibn ‘Ali, the grandson of the Prophet, who resembled him most of all; and Ja’far ibn Abi Talib.

Ja’far stayed with his uncle, al-‘Abbas, until he was a young man. Then he married Asma bint Umays, a sister of Maymunah, later to become a wife of the Prophet. After his marriage, Ja’far went to live on his own. He and his wife were among the first persons to accept Islam. He became a Muslim at the hands of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, may God be pleased with him.

The young Ja’far and his wife were devoted to Islam. They bore the harsh persecution of the Quraysh with steadfast patience, because they understood that the way to Paradise must pass through hardship.

The Quraysh made life intolerable for them as for all their brothers and sisters in faith. They would prevent them from observing the duties and rites of Islam or, failing that, from tasting the sweetness of worship undisturbed. They would waylay them and hamper their freedom of movement.

Ja’far eventually went to the Prophet, peace be upon him, and sought permission for himself and a small group of the companions, including his wife, to emigrate to Abyssinia. With great sadness, the Prophet gave his permission. It pained him that these pure, upright souls should be forced to leave their homes, the cherished scenes of their childhood and youth, not for any crime but only because they said, ‘Our Lord is One. God is our Lord’.

The group of Muhajirin (Emigrants) left Makka under the leadership of Ja’far and settled down in Abyssinia under the protection of the Negus, its just and righteous ruler. For the first time since becoming Muslims, they enjoyed freedom and security, and could practise their worship undisturbed.

When the Quraysh learnt of the departure of this small group, and of the peace they enjoyed, they made plans to secure their extradition back to Makka. They sent two of their most formidable men, ‘Amr ibn al-‘As and ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Rabi’a, providing them with many valuables to aid their ‘persuasion’ of the Negus and his bishops.

In Abyssinia, the two Quraysh emissaries first presented their gifts to the bishops and to each of them they said:

‘There are some wicked young people moving about freely in the King’s land. They have attacked the religion of their forefathers and caused disunity among their people. When we speak to the King about them, advise him to surrender them to us without troubling to ask about their religion. The respected leaders of the people [meaning the bishops] are more knowledgeable of them and understand better what they believe.’ The bishops agreed.

‘Amr and ‘Abdullah then went to the Negus and presented him with gifts which he greatly admired. They said to him;

‘O King, there is a group of evil persons from among our youth who have escaped to your kingdom. They practice a religion which neither we nor you know. They have forsaken our religion and have not entered into your religion. The respected leaders of their people, their own parents and uncles included, and from their own clans – have sent us to you to request their return. They know best what trouble they have caused.’

The Negus looked towards his bishops who said:

‘They speak the truth, O King. Their own people know them better and are better acquainted with what they have done. Send them back so that they themselves may judge them.’

The Negus was incensed at this suggestion and said:

‘No, by God, I will not surrender them to anyone until I myself call them and question them about what they have been accused of. If what you two men have said is true, I will hand them over. If not, I will protect them so long as they desire my protection.’

The Muslims were summoned. Before appearing in the King’s court, they consulted one another and agreed that Ja’far lbn Abi Talib and no one else should speak for them all.

In the court, the bishops, dressed in green surplices and impressive headwear, were seated on the right and left of the Negus. The Quraysh emissaries were also seated when the Muslims entered and took their seats. The Negus turned to them and asked:

‘What is this religion which you have introduced for yourselves and which has led you to be cut off from the religion of your people? You have not adopted my religion nor the religion of any other community.’

Ja’far ibn Abi Talib then delivered a most moving, eloquent speech, still considered a most compelling brief account of Islam, of the appeal of the noble Prophet, and of the condition of Makkan society at the time. He said:

‘O King, we were a people in a state of ignorance and immorality, worshipping idols and eating the flesh of dead animals, committing all sorts of abomination and shameful deeds, breaking the ties of kinship, treating guests badly, and the strong among us exploited the weak. We remained in this state until God sent us a Prophet, one of our own people whose lineage, truthfulness, trustworthiness and integrity were well-known to us.

‘He called us to worship God alone and to renounce the stones and the idols which we and our ancestors used to worship besides God.

‘He commanded us to speak the truth, to honour our promises, to be kind to our relatives, to be helpful to our neighbours, to desist from all forbidden acts, to abstain from bloodshed, to avoid obscenities and false witness, and not to appropriate an orphan’s property or slander chaste women.

‘He ordered us to worship God alone and not to associate anything with Him, to uphold salah, to give zakah and fast in the month of Ramadan.

‘We believed in him and what he brought to us from God and we follow him in what he has asked us to do and we keep away from what he has forbidden us from approaching.

‘Thereupon, O King, our people attacked us, visited the severest punishment upon us to make us renounce our religion and take us back to the old immorality and the worship of idols. They oppressed us, made life intolerable for us, and obstructed us from observing our religion. So we left for your country, choosing you before anyone else, desiring your protection and hoping to live in justice and peace in your midst.’

The Negus was impressed and eager to hear more. He asked Ja’far:

‘Do you have with you something of what your Prophet brought concerning God?”

‘Yes,’ replied Ja’far

‘Then read it to me,’ requested the Negus.

Ja’far, in his rich, melodious voice recited for him the first portion of sura Maryam which deals with the story of Jesus, the son of Mary, upon him be peace. The Negus was moved to tears and said to the Muslims: ‘The message of your Prophet and that of Jesus came from the same source.’

Turning to ‘Amr and his companion, he said: ‘Go. For, by God, I will never surrender them to you.’

That, however, was not the end of the matter. The wise and determined ‘Amr made up his mind to go to the King the following day ‘to mention something about the Muslims’ belief which will certainly fill his heart with anger and make him detest them’.

‘O King, these people, to whom you have given refuge and protection, say something terrible about Jesus the son of Mary [that he is a slave]. Send for them and ask them what they say about him.’

The Negus summoned the Muslims once more with Ja’far again acting as their spokesman. The Negus put the question:

‘What do you say about Jesus, the son of Mary?’

‘Regarding him, we only say what has been revealed to our Prophet,’ replied Ja’far.

‘What is that?’ enquired the Negus.

‘Our Prophet says that Jesus is the servant of God and His Prophet, His spirit and His word which He cast into Mary the Virgin.’

The Negus was obviously excited by this reply and exclaimed:

‘By God, Jesus the son of Mary was exactly as your Prophet has described him.’

The bishops around the Negus grunted in disgust at what they had heard, but were reprimanded by the Negus. He turned to the Muslims and said:

‘Go, for you are safe and secure. Whoever obstructs you will pay for it and whoever opposes you will be punished. For, by God, I would rather not have a mountain of gold than that anyone of you should come to any harm.’

Turning to ‘Amr and his companion, he instructed his attendants:

‘Return their gifts to these two men. I have no need of them.’

‘Amr and his companion departed broken and frustrated. The Muslims stayed on in the land of the Negus who proved to be most generous and kind to his guests.

Ja’far and his wife Asma spent about ten years in Abyssinia which became a second home for them. There, Asma gave birth to three children whom they named ‘Abdullah, Muhammad and ‘Awn. Their second child was possibly the first child in the history of the Muslim ummah to be called Muhammad after the noble Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace.

In the seventh year after the Hijra, Ja’far and his family left Abyssinia with a group of Muslims and headed for Madina. When they arrived there, the Prophet was just returning from the conquest of Khaybar. He was so overjoyed at meeting Ja’far that he said:

‘I do not know what fills me with more happiness, the conquest of Khaybar or the coming of Ja’far

Muslims in general and the poor among them especially, were just as happy with the return of Ja’far as the Prophet was. Ja’far was so concerned for the welfare of the poor and indigent that he got the nickname, the ‘Father of the Poor’. Abu Hurayrah said of him:

‘The best of men towards us indigent folk was Ja’far ibn Abi Talib. He would pass by us on his way home and give us whatever food he had. Even if his own food had run out, he would send us a pot in which he had placed some butter-fat and nothing more. We would open it and lick it clean…’

Ja’far’s stay in Madina was not long. At the beginning of the eighth year after the Hijra, the Prophet mobilized an army to confront Byzantine forces in Syria after one of his emissaries, who had gone there in peace, had been treacherously killed by a Byzantine governor. He appointed Zayd ibn Haritha as commander of the army and gave the following instructions:

‘If Zayd is wounded or killed, Ja’far ibn Abi Talib must take over the command. If Ja’far is killed or wounded, then your commander must be ‘Abdallah ibn Rawaha. If Abdullah ibn Rawaha is killed, then let the Muslims choose for themselves a commander.

The Prophet had never given such instructions to an army before. The Muslims took it as an indication that he expected a tough battle with major losses.

When the Muslim army reached Muta, a small village situated among hills in Jordan, they discovered that the Byzantines had amassed a hundred thousand men hacked up by a massive number of Christian Arabs from the tribes of Lakhm, Judham, Quda’a and others. The Muslim army numbered only three thousand.

Despite the great odds against them, the Muslim forces engaged the Byzantines in battle. Zayd ibn al-Haritha, the beloved companion of the Prophet, was among the first to fall. Ja’far ibn Abi Talib then assumed command. Mounted on his ruddy-complexioned horse, he penetrated deep into the Byzantine ranks. As he spurred his horse on, he called out:

‘How wonderful is Paradise as it draws near!

How pleasant and cool is its drink!

Punishment for the Byzantines is not far away!’

Ja’far continued to fight vigorously but was eventually slain. The third in command, Abdullah ibn Rawaha, also fell. Khalid ibn al-Walid, the inveterate fighter who had recently accepted Islam, was then chosen as commander. He made a tactical withdrawal, redeployed the Muslims and renewed the attack from several directions. Eventually, the bulk of the Byzantine forces fled in disarray.

The news of the death of his three commanders reached the Prophet in Madina. The pain and grief he felt was intense. He went to Ja’far’s house and met his wife Asma. She was getting ready to receive her absent husband. She had prepared dough and bathed and clothed the children. Asma said:

‘When the Messenger of God approached us, I saw a veil of sadness shrouding his noble face and I became very apprehensive. But I did not dare ask him about Ja’far for fear that I would hear some unpleasant news. He greeted and asked, “Where are Ja’far’s children?” I called them for him and they came and crowded around him happily, each one wanting to claim him for himself. He leaned over and hugged them while tears flowed from his eyes.

“O Messenger of God,” I asked, “Why do you cry? Have you heard anything about Ja’far and his two companions?”

“Yes,” he replied. “They have attained martyrdom.”

The smiles and the laughter vanished from the faces of the little children when they heard their mother crying and wailing. Women came and gathered around Asma.

‘O Asma,’ said the Prophet, ‘don’t say anything objectionable and don’t beat your breast.’ He then prayed to God to protect and sustain the family of Ja’far and assured them that he had attained Paradise.

The Prophet left Asma’s house and went to his daughter Fatima who was also weeping. To her, he said:

‘For such as Ja’far, you can (easily) cry yourself to death. Prepare food for Ja’far’s family, for today they are beside themselves with grief.