Customer Reviews

Aisha: The Beloved of Mohammed

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Aisha bint Abu Bakr was, by all accounts, a strikingly beautiful and intelligent girl. She was also the Prophet Mohammed's favorite wife and, in his words, "the only woman in whose company I receive any revelations." She came to be called "the Mother of the Believers."

It's surprising that so little has been written about her. You can fill a library with books about Mary, Christ's mother and even Mary Magdalene has been the subject of a number of books and articles. I was unable to find anything about Aisha, except for Nabia Abbott's AISHA: BELOVED OF MOHAMMED. Published originally in 1942 by the University of Chicago where its author served on the faculty, it was reprinted in 1988 and 1998 by Saqi Books in London.

The tone of Professor Abbott's writing is formal and somewhat stilted, in my opinion. She was an educated woman and fluent in the formal English of the college classroom, but I don't believe English was her native tongue. She was born in Turkey and fluent in Arabic. She was also the first woman to join the prestigeous Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago. She passed away in 1981.

Her biography of Aisha starts with her marriage to the Prophet at the age of 6. It then describes how she joined Mohammed's harem at the age of 10. She was approximately 18 at the time he died and was buried beneath the floor of her apartment.

Abbott includes a lot of information about Aisha's role after Mohammed's death. She demonstrated her mettle, as she had before, and reminded me of Elizabeth I in terms of political acumen and insight. Abbott's book includes a lot of information I've never seen anyplace else, especially about this critical period in Islam's early history.

At the end of her life, Aisha expressed the wish that she'd never been born. That's both tragic and ironic considering her contributions to Islam's formative period and the fact that her name was Arabic for "She who Lives."

If you're interested in Islam, the Middle East, women's studies, the Prophet or religion you'll like this book. Abbott strives for scholarly objectivity, but is intent on making sure the reader understands the historical context of the times into which this memorable girl was born.

This book is scholarly, well-written (if a bit dated in tone) and the only book I've seen on Aisha. I gave it five stars.

Nabia Abbott's lack of respect and insentivity to Islam and its leaders is very rude and unpardonable. The introduction and early chapters put the reader off, especially Muslims, as it un-necessarily catagorizes and opinionizes the Prophet's actions, motives and the Quran's contents. It is unfortunate to read a well researched book with such slanting views. Her account of Muslim history seems balanced and unbiased from a sectarian point of view, though her own prejudices and preferences, as customary in her times, of an orientalist are evident throughout when she comments on individual actions and events. The book carries many themes and agendas of the writer in itself. At times, it reads like a history book, though on occasions, it has a flavour of a sociological commentary of the period and at times, a critical review of Islamic Injunctions and practices. It is unfortunate that a book that could have been a valuable historical reference has lost its impact due to the biases and bigotory of the writer towards a religion that has over a billion following on earth.

An unfortunate and disgusting play on "research" -- inauthentic sources and second-hand guesses at best. Definitely a biased Orientalist book with biased and prejudiced information. Books and information by author Karen Armstrong are much less biased and more honestly developed.