ʿĀʾISHA BINT ABĪ BAKR: WOMAN, WAR AND POWER IN PALEO-ISLAMIC ARABIA BEFORE THE FIRST FITNA

Abstract

This study deals with the lesser known part of the life of ʿĀʾisha bint Abī Bakr, namely the years prior to the civil war. I focus on her relationship with the mili- tary in the context of the wars which led to the birth of Islam as a political entity. The study revolves around three moments in which she appears as a direct or indirect protagonist, and in this last case overcoming social barriers. An ʿĀʾi- sha closer to a “lady of war” than a Muslim matron.