Do You Understand Why Aisha, the Wife of Muhammad, Committed Adultery with Safwan ibn al-Muattal?

Friday, August 26, 2016
Do You Understand Why Aisha, the Wife of Muhammad, Committed Adultery with Safwan ibn al-Muattal?

Furthermore, why did Aisha refuse to bear children for Muhammad?

It is common to hear Muslims boast that Aisha is the "Mother of the Believers," meaning the Mother of Muslims. A companion of Muhammad, Amr bin Al-Aas, once asked the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him):
“O Prophet of Allah, which of your wives do you love the most?”
The Prophet Muhammad replied, “Aisha.”
As we read above, Muhammad loved Aisha more than all his other wives.

However:

Aisha, the daughter of Abu Bakr, was discovered engaging in sexual relations with Safwan bin al-Muattal.

It is narrated by Ibn Hisham and by Ibn Ishaq that Aisha was caught in adultery (“zina”) with Safwan ibn al-Muattal, one of the companions of Muhammad. This event, commonly referred to as the “Safwan Incident,” took place in Medina. News of the incident spread throughout the city, prompting the Prophet of Allah to send Aisha back to her parents’ home.

Ali, who was Muhammad’s cousin and the husband of his daughter Fatimah, reportedly advised Muhammad to divorce Aisha to conceal the great shame caused by the accusation of adultery.

This is a highly sensitive secret among Muslims, and there is a reluctance to acknowledge that Aisha committed adultery with Safwan ibn al-Muattal, leading Muhammad to return her to her parents.

If Aisha was so dearly loved by Muhammad above all his other wives, why did she decide to commit adultery with Safwan ibn al-Muattal?

This was a great calamity for Muhammad and the Muslim community.

Perhaps this explains why Aisha refused to bear children with Muhammad—or perhaps it was due to Muhammad’s own misconduct, including his alleged sexual relations with his female slaves (see: Islam Watch article).

The Muslims of Medina, led by Abdullah bin Ubai, publicly declared that Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) had committed adultery with Safwan. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) heard these accusations, he summoned his companions to consult with them on what action to take, and some advised him to divorce her. The Prophet visited Aisha and told her:
“If you are not guilty, then surely Allah will acquit you; but if you are, then seek forgiveness from your Lord.”

Aisha wept and asked her parents for forgiveness for the adultery she allegedly committed with Safwan, but her parents had nothing to say in her defense.

References:

1. Ibn Sa’d, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 8 (Arabic)

2. Ibn Hisham, Sira al-Nabawiyya (Arabic)

3. Dr. Sami Alrabaa, Karen in Saudi Arabia

4. Sahih al-Bukhari, Chapter of Washing, narrated by Anas (Arabic)

5. Al-Lulu wa Al-Marjan fima ittafaqa alayhi al-shaykhan: Muslim and Bukhari, Hadith No. 168; 173 (Arabic)

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Questions for Reflection:

• Why did Aisha refuse to have children with Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah, especially knowing that Muhammad loved her so dearly?

• How do these incidents influence our understanding of Islamic history and the character of its central figures?

With all due respect to all Muslims, it is evident that this religion is filled with many oddities and contradictions.

Source: www.maxshimbaministries.org
Posted on August 26, 2016

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For further academic discussion, these accounts should be critically examined in light of classical Islamic sources, modern scholarship, and the historical context in which they were written.

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