Mother Aisha (RA), the wife of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), was an incredibly generous person. She never sent away anyone empty-handed if they came to her for help. Whenever she received any gifts, she would quickly share them with everyone.
After the Prophet (PBUH) passed away, Mother Aisha (RA) never kept any wealth or goods for herself.
Once, she received a massive gift of 100,000 dinars (gold coins) from Yemen. She did not keep even a single coin for herself and gave it all away to charity. She also received money from the public treasury (Bayt al-Mal), but she gave that away to the needy as well, choosing to live a very simple life without any love for worldly wealth.
The Misunderstanding with Her Nephew
One day, some people came to Mother Aisha (RA) and told her something. They said, “Mother Aisha! Your sister Asma’s son, Ibn Zubayr (RA), spoke about how you give away everything as gifts. He said, ‘My aunt (Aisha) must stop doing this. If she doesn’t stop, I will have to restrict her from handling her own things.'”
When Mother Aisha (RA) heard this, she asked in shock, “Did Ibn Zubayr really say that?” The people replied, “Yes.”
Hearing this, Aisha (RA) became very upset. She made a strict oath (promise) to God, saying, “I will never speak to Ibn Zubayr again!” and she cut off all ties with him.
The Long Silence and the Search for Peace
For several months, the two of them did not speak to each other.
Ibn Zubayr (RA) felt terrible and deeply regretted what happened. He sent many people to apologize on his behalf and ask Aisha (RA) to talk to him again. But Mother Aisha (RA) refused. She said, “I will not accept anyone’s recommendation regarding Ibn Zubayr, and I will not break my oath.”
Being ignored by his aunt caused great pain to Ibn Zubayr (RA). So, he tried one more time. He went to two close companions of the Prophet, Miswar ibn Makhrama (RA) and Abdur Rahman ibn Aswad (RA). He begged them, “Please, somehow take me to Mother Aisha (RA). She has broken ties with me and made an oath. This situation is not good for me.”
The Plan to Reconnect
So, Miswar (RA) and Abdur Rahman (RA) took Ibn Zubayr (RA) with them to Mother Aisha’s (RA) house. They knocked on the door, greeted her with Salam, and asked, “Can we come inside?”
Mother Aisha (RA) replied, “Yes, you may come in.” Then they asked, “Can all of us come in?” Aisha (RA) replied, “Yes, all of you can come in.”
Mother Aisha (RA) did not know that Ibn Zubayr (RA) was also with them. As soon as the three of them entered the house, Ibn Zubayr (RA) went directly behind the curtain where his aunt was. He held her, started crying, and said, “Please forgive my mistake.”
At the same time, Miswar (RA) and Abdur Rahman (RA) also pleaded with her. They said, “O our Mother! Please forgive Ibn Zubayr and talk to him. He is in deep pain.” They also reminded her that Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “It is not allowed for a Muslim to stop talking to their brother for more than three days.”
Forgiveness and Making Amends
Mother Aisha (RA) started crying and said, “But I have already made an oath to God! Breaking an oath is a very serious matter.”
The two companions kept requesting and urging her gently. Finally, Mother Aisha (RA) agreed to break her oath and spoke to Ibn Zubayr (RA). To make up for breaking her oath (as required in Islam), she freed 40 slaves.
Even long after this happened, whenever Mother Aisha (RA) remembered this incident, she would cry so much that her scarf would get soaked with tears. She kept remembering this and regretting her harsh oath for the rest of her life.
Lessons from This Story
This story shows the beautiful character of the Prophet’s companions. Mother Aisha (RA) got so angry only because someone asked her to stop giving charity. Her passion for doing good deeds was so strong that it moved her to make such a strict oath.
On the other hand, her nephew Ibn Zubayr (RA) did not actually want to stop her from doing good. He only spoke up because he loved his aunt and did not want her to suffer in poverty. This story of generosity is a great lesson for all Muslims.
It is also a well-known fact that Mother Aisha’s father, Hazrat Abu Bakr (RA), was also a highly generous man.
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) once beautifully praised him by saying: “No one’s wealth has benefited Islam as much as Abu Bakr’s wealth. I have repaid every person who did me a favor, but as for the favors of Abu Bakr, only Allah will reward him for them.”
