Sofia notably points out A’ishah’s tendency to “safeguard against an excessive attitude towards religious rights and rituals, which, if one becomes too prescriptive in regarding, can become a distraction from the spiritual activity at hand. My son will also be reading as we keep telling him of all the insightful information that is in this little book. Whoever seeks Allah’s Pleasure by incurring the wrath of the people, Allah will suffice for him as a support against the people, and whoever seeks the pleasure of the people by incurring the wrath of Allah, then Allah leaves this person to the people. I particularly enjoyed reading ‘A’ishah’s correction of a hadith pertaining to the purification “ghusl” shower.

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. Divided into six chapters, this book pays homage to Aishah's profound impact on various facets of Islamic teachings and historical narratives. 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. Aisha bint Abu Bakr (RA) has been an inspiration and paragon for Muslims since the first generation of Believers emerged.

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.

I love that the book also addresses a modern-day Muslim readership, with phrases like “throwing shade” and discussions on the dangers of the clout-chasing, “snap-caption-post-repeat” lifestyle that focuses so much on “filtering” life at the risk of neglecting the states of our hearts.

By using the Web site, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by the Terms and Conditions. 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.