Aisha's happiness at Ali's death

One of the most frequently asked questions the youths present regarding Aisha bt. Abi Bakr is regarding her relationship with Ali. It is well known that she fought him at the Battle of Jamal, but following his victory over her and her allies Imam Ali (as) sent her back to Medina under armed escort. Within a few short years, she would receive the news that Ali had been assassinated at the hands of the Kharijite Ibn Muljim (la). What was her reaction to this news and what does it reveal about her? Had she indeed repented for her misdeeds and the role she played in causing the first civil war or did she still hold the grudge all those years later?

We read in the History of al Tabari Vol. 17 pg. 224 (Arabic):

ولما انتهى إلى عائشة رضي الله تعالى عنها قتل علي رضي الله تعالى عنه قالت : فألقت عصاها واستقر بها النوى كما قر عينأ بالإياب المسافر

When news of Ali’s death reached Aisha, she said: And she threw down her staff and settled upon her place of abode, like a traveler happy to return home.

This incident is well attested and can also be read in the following sources:

1. Baladhuri’s Ansab Al Ashraf, Vol 3, pg. 263

2. Ibn Sa’ad’s Tabaqat Ibn Saad, Vol 3, pg. 29

3. Sibt Ibn Al Jawzi’s Tadhkirat al Khawwas, Vol 1, pg. 647 - 648

4. Al Damiri’s Hayat al-Haywan, Vol. 1 pg. 75

5. Mahmud Abu Raya’s Shaykh ul Mudhira pg. 187

Regarding the proverb which Aisha uttered, English translator, Professor G. R. Hawting states in the footnote:

“…the verse is proverbial and is cited to indicate pleasure at something.”

Those familiar with Arabic grammar and literature will know that this proverb is indeed famously used to indicate pleasure at something, and this can be proven using a number of sources, including the oldest Arabic dictionary ever written. We read in Kitab Al Ayn Vol 2, pg. 197 -198 by the titan of Arabic grammar Khalil Ibn Ahmed Al Farahidi: 

When a traveler reaches his destination he casts his staff; it is said ‘And she threw down her staff and settled upon her place of abode, like a traveller happy to return home.’ And this verse has become a proverb used to express satisfaction at something. (This comes from) a woman kept marrying and getting divorced until at last she settled on a spouse. Her sign was that she would refuse to uncover her head, until she met her final spouse then she cast off her staff, ie, her headscarf.

More examples of this proverb being used to indicate happiness as a reaction to something can be seen in the following sources:

1. Al-Muhkam wal-Muhit, vol. 2, pg. 215 by Ali b. Isma'il b. Sayyida.

2. Kitab Zahr al-Akmi, vol. 3, pg. 74 - 75 by al-Hasan b. al-Yusi.

3. Tahdhib al-Lugha, vol. 3, pg. 77 by Abi Mansur al-Azhari.

4. Kitab Mufid al-Ulum, pg. 323 by Abu Bakr al-Khawarizmi. 

5. Hayat al-Hayawan, vol 1, pg. 17 by al-Darimi. 

6. Nihayat al-Ereb, vol. 5, pg. 59 and vol 25, pg. 28 by al-Nuwayri.

   
   

In a second instance, we see A'isha doing Sujud al-Shukr (a prostration of thanks) after the death of Ali (as). This can be read from Allamah Abu al-Faraj al-Asbahani's work, Maqatil al-Talibiyyin, pg. 55:

حدثني محمد بن الحسين الأشناني ، قال : حدثنا أحمد بن حازم قال : حدثنا عاصم بن عامر وعثمان بن أبي شيبة ، قالا : حدثنا جرير عن الأعمش عن عمرو إبن مرة عن أبي البختري قال : لما أن جاء عائشة قتل علي ع سجدت.

Narrated Muhammad b. al-Husayn al-Ashnani from Ahmed b. Hazim from ‘Asim b. Amir and Uthman b. Abi Shaybah who both narrated from Jarir, from al-'Amash from Amru b. Murrah from Abu al-Bakhtari said:

‘When Aisha was informed about Ali’s murder, she prostrated’.

As indicated by the links above, the chain is hasan, as some of the narrators are al-Saduq but none of them are weak. Some may try to weaken Abu al-Faraj al-Asbahani, but this is laughable as Abu al-Faraj is a well-known and reliable historian. We read regarding him in al-Dhahabi’s Siyar A'lam Al Nubala Vol 16, pg. 201 - 203:

العلامة الأخباري أبو الفرج علي بن الحسين بن محمد القرشي الأموي الأصبهاني الكاتب ، مصنف كتاب " الأغاني "... قلت: لا بأس به

The scholar and historian Abu al-Faraj Ali b. al-Husayn b. Muhammad al-Qurashi al-Umawi al-Asbahani, the writer and author of the book 'al-Aghani'. I (Dhahabi) say: There is no issue with him 

Al-Dhahabi also recorded about him in Mizan al-I’tidal Vol 5, pg. 151 - 152:

فكتب مالا يوصف كثرة حتى لقد اتهم. ‌والظاهر ‌أنه ‌صدوق… قال العلوي وكان أبو الحسن ‌البتى يقول: لم يكن أحد أوثق من أبي الفرج الأصبهاني.

He wrote so much that it cannot be described, so much so that he was accused. But the apparent is that he is truthful... Al-Alawi said that Abul Hassan al-Batti would say: No one was more truthful than Abi al-Faraj al-Asbahani.

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani also quoted al-Dhahabi’s verdict in Lisan al-Mizan, vol 5, pg. 526 - 527 and did not voice any disagreement with him. He also added:

وقد روى الدارقطني في غرائب مالك عدة أحاديث عن أبي الفرج الأصبهاني ولم يتعرض له … 

...and al-Daraqutni also narrated from him in 'Gharaib Malik' multiple narrations from Abi al-Faraj al-Asbahani and he did not voice any criticism of him

In conclusion, We have provided multiple reports proving that she recited happy verses when she got the news of his death, as well as an authentic report that she gave a prostration of thanks when she received the news. From these reports we can clearly see that she was an enemy of Ali until the end of his life, and we leave our readers to conclude what this says about her.