nocence, and assure his followers that all reports to the contrary were calumnies.
Her authority was very great among the Mahometans. After the death of their chief, they called her the Prophetess, and Mother of the Faithful. She was the living oracle of the sect, which consulted her in all difficult points, in order to learn what had been the sense of their legislator. Her answers were received as oracles, and have always passed since as authentic traditions amongst them. All those which compose their Sunna, were, according to them, from Aisha, or from some one of the ten companions of Mahomet: but Aisha's authority is esteemed the most authentic.
With respect to the government of the state, she took upon herself to condemn the caliphOthman, of impiety; though she afterwards made war with Ali, whom she had twice before disappointed of the caliphate, to revenge his death, and marched against him at the head of thirty thousand men. She was, hovever, defeated, taken prisoner by Ali, and afterwards sent back by him to Medina, where she died, under the caliphate of Moawihah, and was buried with her husband.
AISHA, a Native of Damas, who is honoured by Mussulmen with the title of Doctor,
Wrote a book on the fear with which the mercies of God ought to inspire us.
AISHA, a Poetess of Spain, during the Time the Moors had Possession of that Kingdom, who flourished at the End of the Twelfth Century.
At this time, the Moors cultivated every species of polite literature with success, while the rest of Europe
