492 AISHA. [APP.

to tell the people not to wait for Aisha's day with their gifts, but to bring them on the day of any of his other wives, he said to her, 'O Om Selma, do not trouble me about Aisha.' She replied, 'O Apostle of God, I repent towards God for having given thee trouble.' So, despairing of Om Selma, they sent Fatima on the same errand. To her the Prophet said, 'O sweet daughter, dost thou not love whomsoever I love?' and when she replied, 'Yes, O Apostle of God, I do,' he added 'Then love Aisha.'

It is established that Aisha narrated as follows; 'When once I asked the Prophet, "O Apostle of God, how much lovest thou me?" he answered, "As the knot of the cord." Thereafter I would ask him from time to time, "O Apostle of God, how is the knot of the cord?" and he would answer, "As before," i.e. I love thee as much as at first; my love to thee has not changed.' When the Calif Omar assigned a pension to Mohammed's widows, he gave each 10,000 dirhems; but to Aisha he gave 20,000, on the ground of her having been the Prophet's best beloved.

It is recorded that Aisha stated; 'When the Apostle of God married me, I was in my sixth year, and when he consummated the marriage with me, I was in my ninth year, and was still playing with other little girls. These girls would run away when that prince came near me, being ashamed; but he would go after them and bring them back to continue our play. 1 One day he visited me, when I had been playing with my dolls, whom I had laid on a cushion, and drawn a curtain over them. After a while the wind blew the curtain aside, and the Prophet seeing them, asked, "What is that?" I answered, "These are my dolls." Then seeing something like a horse with wings on both sides, he inquired again, "And what is that other thing I see amongst them?" I replied, "A horse."

1 Dr. Ludolf Krehl, who, in his Leben des Muhammed, shows a decided disposition to take the most favourable view of Mohammed the prophet, yet unhesitatingly calls his marriage with Abu Bekr's youthful daughter 'open to objection, and offensive beyond a doubt' (p. 104). He also, on the same occasion, makes the following just remarks: 'Mohammed, obviously, was not capable of clearly recognising, and fully estimating woman's true worth. He, in effect, saw nothing more in woman than a ministering slave; and this entire view has been adopted into Islam, to its great disadvantage. Amongst the nations professing Islam, the refining element which lies in the intercourse with ladies, and in the influence of educated mothers on the early training of their children, has never been duly recognised, and this is a fatal cancer from which Islam will always suffer.' The reader who wishes to see more on the inferiority of woman's position in Islam, is referred to Part II. Chapter v. section 6 of the pamphlet — Food for Reflection: a Comparison between the three Monotheistic Religions, Church Missionary House, London.
I.] AISHA. 493

He, "And what is that on both its sides?" I, "Those are its wings." He, "Have horses wings, then?" I, "Hast thou not heard that Solomon had winged horses?" Upon this his Excellency laughed so heartily that the whole row of his teeth was seen.'

It is also recorded that Aisha narrated, 'When, on one occasion, the Apostle of God said to me, "I know when thou art pleased with me, and when thou art angry with me;" I asked, "O Apostle of God, whereby dost thou know it?" He replied, "When thou art pleased with me and swearest, thou sayest, By the Lord of Mohammed! but when thou art angry with me and swearest, thou sayest, By the Lord of Abraham!" I then said, "O Apostle of God, it is exactly as thou hast stated; but, O Apostle of God, it is not, that I wish thee away from me or to leave thee; I only omit thy name, but my love for thee is unalterable."'

It is further recorded of Aisha: 'The Apostle of God said to me, "O Aisha, if thou wishest to reach my state, and to remain united with me, then so live in this world that the provisions of a rider may suffice for thee, and never call a dress old as long as it has not been patched; also, be very careful in having to do with riches."' According to another account, Aisha also narrated 'When one day I begged of the Prophet, saying, "O Apostle of God, pray for me, that the Most High may also make me one of thy wives in Paradise," that Excellency replied, "If thou aspirest after that dignity, thou must never store up food for the next day, or put off a dress before it is patched; and thy provision from this world must be no more than a horseman takes with him for a journey."' It was by the blessing of this advice that Aisha so much preferred poverty to wealth, that she never stored any provisions; and Arwa Ibn Zobeir states, 'I saw Aisha give away 70,000 dirhems in the cause of God, and yet a corner of her own chemise was patched.' On another occasion, when 100,000 dirhems were sent her, she forthwith distributed them all amongst her relatives and the poor, though she herself was fasting. Her fast being over when she had finished the distribution, she ordered a slave to bring her breakfast, which was then seen to consist only of a bit of bread and some dry dates. It is said that her marriage portion from his Excellency, amounted only to 50 dirhems, or, according to another account, to 500 dirhems, which he had borrowed for the purpose. The honoured books record 2210 traditions from her, 174 of which are generally received.

It is recorded that when Aisha was near her death, Ibn Abbas visiting her, said, 'Be glad that thou hast been the wife of the