Aisha and Maryam In Debating Non-Muslims

Aisha and Maryam In Debating Non-Muslims

Like the well known story of al Qaadee Abu Bakr ibn at Tayyib when he was sent to the Christian King in Constantinople. The Christians respected him and knew of his standing so they feared that he would not bow to the king when he entered upon him, so they made him enter through a small door so that he would enter bowing down. However, he became aware of their plot so he passed through the door backwards, facing them with his backside, he did the opposite of what they intended.

When he sat down, someone tried to speak ill of the Muslims and said to him; ‘What is it that is being said about ‘Aa-ishah, your Prophet’s wife?’ Intending to bring up the story of ‘al Ifk’ that the Shee’ah relate as well.

Al Qaadee stated:

‘Two women have been vilified and falsely accused of fornication; Maryam and ‘Aa-ishah. As for Maryam, she came carrying a child while not having a husband, and as for ‘Aa-ishah, she did not bear a child while having a husband.’

So he defeated the [argument of] the Christians.

The point of his argument was that the innocence of ‘Aa-ishah is a lot clearer and easier to prove than the innocence of Maryam, and that the accusation is closer to Maryam than it is to ‘Aa-ishah. This being the case, since it has been established that those who levied such an accusation against Maryam were liars, then establishing that those who accused ‘Aa-ishah of the same were liars is more rightful.

The model of this debate is that two groups are compared to each other. One group has more and greater virtues as well as less and smaller ills than the other. So if an ill were directed to them, they counter that the ills of the second group are more and greater [1], such as the statement of Allaah the Exalted:

"They ask you concerning fighting in the Sacred Months. Say, "Fighting therein is a great (transgression) but a greater (transgression) with Allaah is preventing mankind from following the way of Allaah, to disbelieve in Him, to prevent access to Al-Masjid Al-Haraam (at Makkah), and to drive out its inhabitants, and Al-Fitnah is worse than killing." [Al Baqarah: 217]

This is the case with the Jews and Christians when compared to the Muslims, and it is the case with the people of innovations when compared with the people of the Sunnah, especially the Raafidah [of the Shee’ah].

It is the same case with Ahlus Sunnah against the Raafidah concerning Abu Bakr and ‘Alee. The Raafidee cannot establish the Eemaan of ‘Alee, his trustworthiness and that he is in Jannah, let alone his Imaamah, if he does not establish the same for Abu Bakr, ‘Umar and ‘Uthmaan. Otherwise, whenever he tries to establish that for ‘Alee alone, the evidences would not support him. Just as if the Christians would like to establish the Prophet-hood of ‘Eesaa and not of Muhammad, the evidence would not support them either.

In other words: If a religion with errors accuses Islaam or the Muslims of a perceived ill or vice as is rampart in present times, then the Muslims should counter with what is worse in the accusing religion. An example is their vile attempt at an accusation that ‘Aa-ishah was young etc, the Muslims should not spend the majority of the time in defense or making excuses that may not even be legislatively accepted, rather they should counter that Maryam was between 12 and 14 when she gave birth to ‘Eesa ‘Alayhi as Salaam, which would make her a ‘child’ when she became pregnant, while ‘Aa-ishah was never pregnant at all. So when they start defending this issue saying that it was normal at the time and so forth, then the response is likewise and more so is the case with ‘Aa-ishah.

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Reference:
Author: Shaykhul Islaam ibn Taymiyyah
Reference: Minhaaj as Sunnah: Vol 2 P. 58