Benefits of the Hadith: (… So which of the wives of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was most favored by him compared to me?)

The Shaykh : We mentioned that Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) was the most favored of the wives of the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him) in his eyes. Is she more favored than Khadijah, or is Khadijah more favored? We say that they did not coexist in marriage, because the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him) married Aisha after Khadijah. Therefore, it is not possible to rule that one is more favored than the other. If someone asks: Which is better, not which is more favored—meaning the status of being favored, which we know is not possible to compare—but which is better? We say that each of them has a virtue that the other does not possess. Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) was the mother of most of his children; all the children of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) were from her except one, who was Ibrahim (may Allah be pleased with him). Also, Khadijah supported the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in the early stages of the call, and aided him with her wealth and her person. Also, Khadijah was not superseded by another wife until she died. Also, he (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him) would mention her after her death and send meat to her friends. All these are great virtues of Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her). However, the Mother of the Believers, Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), no one doubts that she was among the most beloved, indeed the most beloved, of his wives who shared marriage with him; she was the most beloved of his wives to him. He (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him) would please her, make her happy, and race with her. In his illness before death, he would say intending to be nursed in the house of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), until they (may Allah be pleased with them) granted him permission, and may Allah reward them with good, they granted him permission to be nursed in the house of Aisha. Then Allah (Mighty and Majestic) willed, and to Him belongs the wisdom, (Glorified and Exalted is He), that the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him) should die on her day, in her house, and in her lap (may Allah be pleased with her and grant her satisfaction). These are great virtues. Furthermore, she narrated from the Sunnah what Khadijah did not share with her; she is among the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) who narrated the most from the Prophet (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him). From this perspective, she is better than Khadijah. So each of them has a virtue and a distinction (may Allah be pleased with them both). But by consensus, they are the best of the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). It is mentioned that a Rafidi and a Sunni disputed, and the Rafidi said, "Ali is better than Abu Bakr," and the Sunni said, "Abu Bakr is better." They disputed before Ibn al-Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him), the author of the famous *Tabirah* and *Mawa'izh*. They disputed before him, saying, "Which is better? We have accepted you as a judge." He said, "The better of the two is the one whose daughter is under his roof." Did the dispute remain or not? The dispute remains. "The better of the two is the one whose daughter is under his roof." Is it that the one whose daughter is the daughter of the Prophet is under his roof, making Ali the better, or is it that the daughter of the one being disputed about is under the roof of the Prophet, making Abu Bakr the better? This is among the favors of Allah upon a person that He inspires him with the argument spontaneously, because for many people the argument is lost, and there arises a dispute between them and others. Then, when they separate, they find many arguments in their hearts, but they are lost at the time of the debate. In any case, we say that the best of the wives of the Messenger (may the prayer and peace of Allah be upon him) are whom? Khadijah and Aisha. But which is better? We say that as for what is with Allah (Mighty and Majestic), we have no say in that. And as for what appears from their deeds, each of them has a virtue that the other does not share. And this is justice, for Allah commanded justice and said: