A Treasury of 'A'ishah: A Guidance from the Beloved of the Beloved: 7 (Treasury in Islamic Thought and Civilization, 7)

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The hard work Sofia Rehman has put into the beautiful and relatable interpretation of the Hadiths is outstanding. Through her collection of hadith, Sofia centralises ‘A’ishah as a figure who is both pious and empowered, and doesn’t think twice before correcting male companions (quite frequently Abu Hurayrah) when she feels they have misspoken in the Prophet’s name. Her book based on this thesis is entitled, Gendering the Hadith Tradition: Recentering the Authority of Aisha, Mother of the Believers (Oxford University Press).

Aishah is considered to be one of the greatest scholars, providing insights into the Prophet's actions. This book compiles 40 of her insights and statements in the categories of Quranic exegesis (tafsir), Jurisprudence (Fiqh), Theology (aqidah), Politics (siyasah) and Heart Softeners (al-raqaiq) with commentary for the contemporary Muslim seeking spiritual and moral direction as they traverse through daily life and its challenges and possibilities. Among the myriad merits of this book, my personal highlight lies in the collection of supplications (Duas) recited by Aishah. The hadiths are accompanied by Sofia’s commentary, which often addresses the problems with past, and present-day patriarchal attitudes that have been paraded as “religion.A Treasury of Aishah is destined to become a cornerstone in every Muslim household's library, making it a highly recommended treasure to be shared with friends and family. A collection of ahadith narrated by Aishah (ra) and reflections thereon, this easy read touches on how A'ishah's narrating of ahadith reflected her intellect, her wisdom, and her love for Allah. However, all of the above are fairly mild and we were able to catch them simply due to our book club's extensive prior readings of both Rehman and other authors she cites. I remember wishing I had an extra hour on the train to reflect on everything I read and how it can apply to my life. From lessons on humility to anger management, the scope of the Hadith transmitted by ‘A’ishah is vast, while the language they are communicated and discussed in is colloquial and relatable.

My son will also be reading as we keep telling him of all the insightful information that is in this little book.Hailed as a guiding light, a fount of wisdom and a purveyor of the Prophetic mission, Aishas words have illuminated Islamic thought in all its branches. Muslim Women on Life in Britain edited by Sabeena Akhtar (Unbound), Mapping Faith: Theologies of Migration edited by Lia Shimada (Jessica Kingsley), and Violent Phenomena: 21 Essays on Translation edited by Kavita Bhanot and Jeremy Tiang (Tilted Axis).

A woman entered the fire of Hell because of a cat she had tied up and did not feed, nor did she give it water. The woman, regardless of what she did, was a disbeliever and the believer is more honoured in the Sight of Allah than that He punish him or her regarding a cat, so when you narrate from the Prophet ponder and think carefully of how you narrate. At times, for example, she might be commenting on a particular Hadith and then breaks the fourth wall and addresses the reader directly and makes a du’a.I love how Dr Rehman has divided the book into the different areas in which Aishah RA made contributions, such as aqeedah, tafseer, Hadith, and heart softeners.

This book compiles 40 of her insights and statements in the categories of Qur'anic exegesis (tafsir), Jurisprudence (Fiqh), Theology ('aqidah), Politics (siyasah) and Heart Softeners (al-raqa'iq) with commentary for the contemporary Muslim seeking spiritual and moral direction as they traverse through daily life and its challenges and possibilities.As we say in Arabic, "البلاغة في الإيجاز" (the art of eloquent brevity), Rehman masterfully achieves this throughout the diverse sections. Dr Sofia Rehman is an independent scholar of Islam trained both traditionally in Syria, Tukey and Wales, and through academia whose PhD focused on the statements of Aisha Bint Abi Bakr as recorded in the work of the 14th century scholar, Imam al-Zarkashi. It gives you a very clear understanding about Aisha (may Allah be please with her) and the important role she played at a time where men dominated society. Dr Sofia Rehman has compiled the insights of Aishah bint Abu Bakr into categories of Tafsir, Fiqh, Aqidah, Siyasah, and Al-raqa'iq. This is not surprising as Sofia Rehman sites Mernissi in this book, and seems to be influenced by her.