Aisha’s Jealousy and Love for the Prophet ﷺ: The Camel Incident Explained
Aisha, Hafsa, and the Prophet ﷺ: The Camel Incident Explained
Table of Contents
- The Narration
- The Response
- Explanation from Fath Al-Bari
- Additional Explanation
- Meaning of the Incident
- Conclusion
The Narration
[!quote] Narration
Abu Naim narrated to us, Abd al-Wahid ibn Ayman narrated to us, he said: Ibn Abi Malekah narrated to me, on the authority of al-Qasim, on the authority of Aisha,
that whenever the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, went out, he would cast lots among his wives, and the lot fell to Aisha and Hafsa. When it was night, the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, would walk with Aisha and talk, and Hafsa said: Why don’t you ride my camel tonight and I will ride your camel, and you will watch and I will watch? She said: Yes, so she rode, and the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, came to Aisha’s camel, and Hafsa was on it, and he greeted her, then he walked until they stopped, and Aisha missed him, and when they stopped, she put her feet between the idhkhir and said: O Lord, send upon me a scorpion or a snake to sting me, and I will not be able to say anything to it.
The Response
Explanation from Fath Al-Bari
[!quote] His saying: “Hafsa said”
His saying ( Hafsa said )
meaning to Aisha.
[!quote] His saying: “won’t you ride my camel tonight, etc.”
His saying ( won’t you ride my camel tonight, etc.)
It is as if Aisha responded to that because she was eager to see what she was not seeing. This indicates that they were not close together while walking, but rather each one of them was on one side, as is the custom in walking, two trains. Otherwise, if they were together, neither of them would have been privileged to see what the other was not seeing. It is possible that she meant by looking the camel’s tread and the quality of its gait.
[!quote] His saying: “when they dismounted, she put her feet between the idhkhir”
His saying ( when they dismounted, she put her feet between the idhkhir ) It is as if when she knew that she was the one who committed the crime in what Hafsa responded to, she reproached herself for that crime. The idhkhir is a well-known plant in which vermin are often found in the wild
.