‘A’isha bint Abi Bakr and her Contributions to the Formation of the Islamic Tradition

Abstract

Abstract ‘A’isha bint Abi Bakr (d. 678 CE) is probably best known today as a wife of the Prophet Muhammad, whose life is particularly notable due to her involvement in several dramatic events which subsequently loomed large in inter‐Muslim sectarian polemic. However, her portrayal in many Sunni medieval texts from a variety of literary genres as an authority on subjects ranging from law to variant readings of the Quran is beginning to receive more scholarly attention. This article brings together existing critical research on the presentation of ‘A’isha in classical Muslim works as a source of legal traditions and hadiths as well as a transmitter of the Quran, summarizes some of my own research, and points to ways that her image as an intellectual figure continues to be important to many Muslims today.