Shaykh al-Islām—may Allah Most High have mercy on him—was asked:

“Which of the two Mothers of the Believers, Khadījah and ‘Ā’ishah, is superior?”

He replied:

Khadījah’s precedence, her contribution in the early days of Islam, and her support and service to the religion were qualities in which neither ‘Ā’ishah nor any other Mother of the Believers shared. ‘Ā’ishah’s contribution in the later period of Islam, her preservation of the religion and its transmission to the Muslim community, and her attainment of knowledge in which neither Khadījah nor anyone else shared were among the qualities that distinguished her from others.