Abstract:

It is significant for true understanding of Islam to carry out research on the sahaba (the companions of the Prophet) who were the first interlocutors of Islam. Some sahaba were acquainted with certain features, and they became a source in the history and civilization of Islam. In this respect, this study examined the life of ʿĀʾisha bt. Abī Bakr (d. 58/678), the third wife of the prophet Muḥammad. It aimed to find out her life, personality, her place as a woman in the social and political life of the time and underline her scientific personality as she was a student of the Prophet. Initially her place in the life of Muḥammad and scientific personality were examined.  Her transmission of hadith to the next generations and her contribution to the Islamic knowledge were further explored. The study also examined Ifk (accusation of adultery) and Camel (Jamal) war which became a source a real debate in the history of Islam and they still affect the Muslims. The research examined her age at the time of her marriage to the Prophet and indicated that her marriage age was not disputed at the time of her marriage; rather it became a subject of discussion in later periods.  It was underlined that she was nine or ten years old when she married to the Prophet as this was a custom at that time. The research revealed that the Ifk incident brought about a real problem to the society which caused Muḥammad to sorrow and shuttered ʿĀʾisha. It was also underlined that Jamal war was the first war among Muslims, ʿĀʾisha lost the war, which caused her to sorrow and to isolate herself from the political affairs. It was underscored that despite her isolation herself from the daily politics, she did not hesitate to issue political declarations such as warning to Muaviya ibn Abū Sufyan, a Caliph of Umayyads, to be just and to follow the footsteps of the earlier Caliphs.

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