Fatwa ID: 01416

Answered by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah

Question:

Did the Prophet of Allah  ever hit Saaidah Aaisha  

Answer:

In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.

I will firstly mention the hadith where it seems as though the Prophet of Allah  hit Saaidah Aaisha .

Muhammad Bin Qais said (to the people): Should I not narrate to you (a hadith of the Holy Prophet) on my authority and on the authority of my mother? We thought that he meant the mother who had given him birth. He (Muhammad Bin Qais) then reported that it was ''Aaisha who had narrated this: Should I not narrate to you about myself and about the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him)? We said: Yes. She said: When it was my turn for Allah''s Messenger (may peace be upon him) to spend the night with me, he turned his side, put on his mantle and took off his shoes and placed them near his feet, and spread the corner of his shawl on his bed and then lay down till he thought that I had gone to sleep. He took hold of his mantle slowly and put on the shoes slowly, and opened the door and went out and then closed it lightly. I covered my head, put on my veil and tightened my waist wrapper, and then went out following his steps till he reached Baqi''. He stood there and he stood for a long time. He then lifted his hands three times, and then returned and I also returned. He hastened his steps and I also hastened my steps. He ran and I too ran. He came (to the house) and I also came (to the house). I, however, preceded him and I entered (the house), and as I lay down in the bed, he (the Holy Prophet) entered the (house), and said: Why is it, O ''Aaisha, that you are out of breath? I said: There is nothing. He said: Tell me or the Subtle and the Aware would inform me. I said: Messenger of Allah, may my father and mother be ransom for you, and then I told him (the whole story). He said: Was it the darkness (of your shadow) that I saw in front of me? I said: Yes. He pushed me on the chest which caused me pain, and then said: Did you think that Allah and His Apostle would deal unjustly with you? She said: Whatsoever the people conceal, Allah will know it. He said: Gabriel came to me when you saw me. He called me and he concealed it from you. I responded to his call, but I too concealed it from you (for he did not come to you), as you were not fully dressed. I thought that you had gone to sleep, and I did not like to awaken you, fearing that you may be frightened. He (Gabriel) said: Your Lord has commanded you to go to the inhabitants of Baqi'' (to those lying in the graves) and beg pardon for them. I said: Messenger of Allah, how should I pray for them (How should I beg forgiveness for them)? He said: Say, Peace be upon the inhabitants of this city (graveyard) from among the Believers and the Muslims, and may Allah have mercy on those who have gone ahead of us, and those who come later on, and we shall, God willing, join you. (Sahih Muslim)

The word used here is 'lahaza' , which is translated as "push". Therefore, the correct translation would be He pushed me (lahadani) in the chest (fi sadri) with a push (lahdatan)which made me sore (awja'atni).

When we look through the seerah and life of the Prophet of Allah we find numerous examples and situations where he would strike or push people on their chest, not with the intention of hitting, but with the intention to ward off evil. 

For example, Saaiduna Ubbay Bin Kaab had some doubts about Islam, doubts which did not occur to him before converting to Islam. When the Prophet of Allah saw how I was affected, he struck my chest. I broke into a sweat and felt as if I were looking at Allah in fear.” (Sahih Muslim)

In another narration the Prophet of Allah hit the chest of Umar bin Khattab with his hand three times when he embraced Islam and he said, ‘O Allah remove the malice from his heart and replace it with faith.’” (Mustadrak al-Hakim)

Furthermore, Saaidah Aaisha never thought for one moment she had been hit or struck (violently) by the Prophet of Allah .

Saaidah Aisha reported that Allah's Messenger, may Allah bless him, never beat anyone with his hand, neither a woman nor a servant, but only, in the case when he had been fighting in the cause of Allah …” (Sahih Muslim)

Only Allah Knows Best

Mohammed Tosir Miah

Darul Ifta Birmingham