When the Prophet was sent with his message, most of the Arabs could not read or write. Because of the low status of women in the Arabian society, few women could achieve that accomplishment. The Prophet, however, married women of high caliber. Khadijah, for example, was a remarkable woman in every respect. Aishah was to demonstrate a character of exceptional merits. She was brought up in a home of learning. Her father, Abu Bakr, excelled in genealogy, which was given special importance in the Arabian tribal society. Tribes sought to enhance their positions in the social order and they could only do so by stressing the merits of figures that achieved distinction in the areas to which they attached high significance, such as war, bravery, generosity, wisdom, etc. Hence, a proper knowledge of genealogy required learning the merits and demerits of practically every individual. That required study and continuous follow up.
When Aishah arrived in the Prophet’s home, she soon realized that it was a home of superior knowledge and great wisdom. The Qur’an mentions that every prophet who preached God’s message among his own people was granted a high degree of knowledge and wisdom. That was necessary for them to discharge the mission assigned to them. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was God’s last messenger, whom He sent to all mankind and whose message was to provide guidance to humanity for the rest of time. Hence, the knowledge and wisdom granted to him had to be exceptional.
Since Aishah was endowed with sharp intelligence and an excellent memory, she learned much from the Prophet. She was to become one of the major scholars who transmitted Islamic knowledge after the Prophet had passed away. Indeed, many consider her to be the top scholar of the period. She was the first point of reference concerning the Hadith and the practical Sunnah. We have reports mentioning that a number of the more distinguished figures among the Prophet’s companions used to consult her about the division of property after a person’s death. This is one of the most detailed branches of Islamic law, because of the endless variety of situations that exist in human society.
Later scholars were unanimous in praising her knowledge, giving her one of the most distinguished positions in this respect. Al-Zuhri, who was the first scholar to put together an anthology of authentic Hadiths, says: “If we were to compare Aishah’s knowledge to that of all the other wives of the Prophet, and indeed to that of all her contemporary women, hers would be superior to all theirs.” Her nephew, Urwah ibn Al-Zubayr, a highly distinguished scholar in his own right, says: “I never saw anyone superior to Aishah in her knowledge of Islamic law, medicine or poetry.” Abu Musa Al-Ashaari says: “Whenever we faced an intricate problem we referred to Aishah and, sure enough, she would provide the key to its solution.” Indeed, Aishah reported several thousand hadiths, of which no less than 2110 are mentioned in the six authentic anthologies.
What distinguished Aishah’s learning even further is that her knowledge was not a mere record of what she learned from the Prophet. She added to that fine analysis and in-depth criticism. She heard someone saying that after the Battle of Badr, the Prophet addressed the unbelievers who died in battle after they were buried, saying that they could hear him. She objected strongly, saying the Prophet never said so. She cited the Qur’anic Verse that said: “You, Prophet, cannot make those in the graves hear you.”
