the Battle of Badr. He married no other virgin besides her, and he loved her with an intense affection that he displayed openly. Indeed, ʿAmr ibn al-ʿĀṣ—who embraced Islam in the eighth year after the Hijrah—once asked the Prophet ﷺ:

“Messenger of Allah, who among the people is dearest to you?”
He replied, “ʿĀʾishah.”
He then asked, “And among the men?”
He answered, “Her father.” (1)

This is an authenticated report, much to the chagrin of the Rāfiḍīs, and the Prophet ﷺ could only love what is pure.

He also said, “If I were to take anyone from this community as an intimate friend, I would have taken Abū Bakr as an intimate friend; but the bond of Islamic brotherhood is superior.”

Thus he loved the finest man of his nation and the finest woman of his nation. Whoever harbors enmity toward the two beloved ones of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is surely deserving of being detested by Allah and His Messenger.

His ﷺ love for ʿĀʾishah was widely known. Do you not see how people would choose to present their gifts on her day in order to win his pleasure?

Ḥammād ibn Zayd narrated from Hishām ibn ʿUrwah, from his father, from ʿĀʾishah, who said:

“People used to time their gifts for the day of ʿĀʾishah.”

She continued: “My co-wives gathered around Umm Salamah and said, ‘People reserve their gifts for the day of ʿĀʾishah, yet we too desire good just as ʿĀʾishah desires it. Speak to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and ask him to order the people to offer their gifts to him wherever he may be.’

Umm Salamah mentioned that to him, but he remained silent and did not reply. She repeated it a second time, and he still did not respond. When she raised it a third time, he said, ‘O Umm Salamah, do not upset me regarding ʿĀʾishah, for—by Allah—revelation has never come down to me while I was under the blanket of any woman among you except her.’”