Asiya bint Muzahim () was, according to the

Qur'an The Quran, also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation directly from God ('' Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which consist of individual verses ('). Besides ...

and Islamic tradition, the wife of the Pharaoh of the Exodus and adoptive mother of

Moses In Abrahamic religions, Moses was the Hebrews, Hebrew prophet who led the Israelites out of slavery in the The Exodus, Exodus from ancient Egypt, Egypt. He is considered the most important Prophets in Judaism, prophet in Judaism and Samaritani ...

. Asiya is first mentioned in Surah Al-Qasas in the Quran, identified as Bithiah in the Jewish tradition. She is revered by Muslims as one of the four greatest women of all time, and according to a prophetic narration in Sahih al-Bukhari, the second greatest ever after Mary.Muhmmad al-Bukhari. Sahih Al-Bukhari Translated into English Prose by Muhammad Muhsin Khan.Hadith 7.329 She is believed to have secretly accepted

monotheism Monotheism is the belief that one God is the only, or at least the dominant deity.F. L. Cross, Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A., eds. (1974). "Monotheism". The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (2 ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. A ...

after witnessing the miracle of Moses. The tradition holds that Asiya worshipped

Allah Allah ( ; , ) is an Arabic term for God, specifically the God in Abrahamic religions, God of Abraham. Outside of the Middle East, it is principally associated with God in Islam, Islam (in which it is also considered the proper name), althoug ...

in secret and hid her religion from her husband. However, later her faith was revealed and the Pharaoh ordered her execution. Al-Tha'labi believed that the continent of

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

was named after her.

Narrative

In Sahih Bukhari, the Prophet said "Many men were completed n faith and only Asiya, the wife of Pharaoh, and Maryam bint Imran were completed among the women". Asiya's

marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

to the Pharaoh was arranged. Unlike her husband, she was humble and accepted the faith that Moses and

Aaron According to the Old Testament of the Bible, Aaron ( or ) was an Israelite prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of Moses. Information about Aaron comes exclusively from religious texts, such as the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament ...

were preaching. Although she had exceeding wealth, she was not arrogant like the Pharaoh. She realized that faith was far more important and was thus exalted by God amongst the women of her generation, and of all time. According to a few hadiths, Muhammad will marry Asiya in Paradise.The narration states that the Prophet Muhammad mentioned: ''"Allaah married me to Maryam, mother of Jesus, and Kulthum iriam sister of Moses, and Asiyah, the wife of Pharaoh, in Jannah.'' Al-Hakim al-Nishapuri classified the hadith to be authentic, while

Ibn Kathir Abu al-Fida Isma'il ibn Umar ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi (; ), known simply as Ibn Kathir, was an Arab Islamic Exegesis, exegete, historian and scholar. An expert on (Quranic exegesis), (history) and (Islamic jurisprudence), he is considered a lea ...

as weak. Maurice Bucaille commented that the wife of Pharaoh who contended with Moses is the one in Surah At-Tahrim, while another early wife of another Pharaoh is the one who adopted him in Surah Al-Qasas. However, as there are no mentions of there being different wives or Pharaohs, the majority of Muslims and scholars believe Asiya and Pharaoh to be a singular person. Asiya and her maids found a crate floating in the Nile river. Asiya ordered that the crate be drawn ashore. The maids thought there was a treasure inside, but instead found a baby boy, Moses. Unable to conceive herself, Asiya instantly felt a motherly love towards him. She told the Pharaoh about the baby. The incident has been described in the

: According to Islamic belief, Asiya searched for a wet nurse for the baby Moses, but he rejected every woman that attempted to breastfeed him. Moses' sister, who had been ordered by their mother to watch him from afar, approached Asiya and suggested her mother, although concealing their relationship and guising her as any other wet nurse. Miraculously, Moses began to breastfeed from his biological mother and the two were reconnected. Asiya offered her to live in their household and paid her for her services, unaware of their true relationship. When she witnessed the death of a believing woman under her husband's torture, Asiya declared her faith before the Pharaoh. He tried to turn her away from Islam, but Asiya refused to reject God and the teaching of Moses. On Pharaoh's orders, she was tortured to death.

Veneration

Asiya is one of the four most respected women of all time, and is highly honored by Muslims. It is said that Asiya was a sincere believer and that she fully submitted herself to

, despite being the wife of Pharaoh. According to Hadith, she will be among the first women to enter Paradise because she accepted Moses's monotheism over Pharaoh's beliefs. The

mentions Asiya as an example to all Muslims. Her supplication is mentioned in the Qur'an: Abu Musa Ashaari narrated that once the

Islamic prophet Prophets in Islam () are individuals in Islam who are believed to spread God's message on Earth and serve as models of ideal human behaviour. Some prophets are categorized as messengers (; sing. , ), those who transmit divine revelation, mos ...

Muhammad Muhammad (8 June 632 CE) was an Arab religious and political leader and the founder of Islam. Muhammad in Islam, According to Islam, he was a prophet who was divinely inspired to preach and confirm the tawhid, monotheistic teachings of A ...

stated:

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Asiya Executed ancient Egyptian people Executed royalty Great Royal Wives Hebrew Bible people in Islam Muslim female saints People executed by ancient Egypt People of the Quran Pharaoh's daughter (Exodus)

Narrative

Veneration

See also

References