Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani...

Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani, well-known writer of Hilyat al-awliya', quoting 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn al-Qasim, says that once Mu'awiyah sent some gifts for 'A'ishah which included money, clothes and precious objects.243 He also quotes 'Urwah ibn az-Zubayr, saying that on another occasion Mu'awiyah sent 'A'ishah one hundred thousand drachmas.244 Ibn Kathir, the famous historian of the 8th century, quotes 'Ata', saying that Mu'awiyah sent a valuable necklace for 'A'ishah in Mecca, the price of which was about one hundred thousand drachmas, and she accepted it.245 The reliable book of Tabaqat al-kubra reports that Munkadir ibn 'Abd Allah visited 'A'ishah, and after some preliminary talks, she asked him: "Have you an offspring?" He said: "No!" 'A'ishah said: "If I had ten thousand drachmas, I would give it to you to buy a slave-girl and have an offspring by her." This meeting came to end, and on the same day Mu'awiyah sent 'A'ishah a huge sum of money.

'A'ishah said: "How soon we are entangled!" and then sent Munkadir ten thousand dinars, with which he bought a slave-girl.246 Ibn Kathir quotes another incident from Sa'd ibn al-'Aziz, saying that Mu'awiyah once repaid a debt of 'A'ishah for a sum of eighteen thousand drachmas. These debts were incurred by her owing to the gifts of money given by her to the people.247 These were some examples of the financial considerations of Mu'awiyah for 'A'ishah.

Such a treatment was not confined to Mu'awiyah. Other Umayyad rulers, too, acted in a similar manner, and from time to time they sent her various gifts. One of these men was 'Abd Allah ibn 'Amir, governor of Basra, 243. Hilyat al-awliya' 2/48. Hilyat al-awliya' 2/47: and Siyar al-a'lam an-nubala' 2/131,and Ibn Kathir 7/136-137: and alMustadrak4/13. Ibn Kathir 7/137, and Siyar al-a'lam an-nubala' 2/131: It adds at the end of the tradition that he divided this money among the Prophet's wives.

Tabaqat al-kubra 5/18 on the life of Munkadir. Ibn Kathir 81136, and Siyar al-a'lam 2/131 estimating the amount of debt at twelve thousand drachmas.

who once sent her money and clothes.248 Despite the time that separates us from 'A'ishah and the Umayyad period, we see that the instances and evidence of such financial considerations by the Umayyad government towards 'A'ishah are so numerous that we are compelled to conclude that the actual instances are much more numerous than what have reached us, and that history has buried most of them within itself. In view of this point, we can…