The Jewel Of Medina

The Jewel of Medina

A Novel

SHERRY JONES

The Jewel of Medina
is a work of fiction. All characters, with the exception of well-known historical figures herein, and all dialogue, are products of the author’s imagination.

Copyright © 2008 by Sherry Jones

FIRST EDITION

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

C
OVER
I
MAGE
: The Queen of the Harem (oil on canvas) by Max Ferdinand Bredt (1868–1921) used with permission of the Bridgeman Art Library

M
AP
: Kat Bennett, 360Geographics
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Jones, Sherry, 1961–

The jewel of Medina : a novel / Sherry Jones.

   p. cm.

ISBN-13: 978-0-8253-0518-4 (alk. paper)

ISBN-10: 0-8253-0518-7 (alk. paper)

1. ‘A’ishah, ca. 614-678—Fiction. 2. Muhammad, Prophet, d. 632—Marriage—Fiction. 3. Muhammad, Prophet, d. 632—Relations with women—Fiction. 4. Muslims—History—Fiction. 5. Islam—History—Fiction. I. Title.

PS3610.O6285J48 2008

813’.6—dc22

2008039823

Published in the United States by Beaufort Books, New York
www.beaufortbooks.com

Distributed by Midpoint Trade Books, New York
www.midpointtrade.com

Printed in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For my mother,
who taught me to reach for the stars,
and for Mariah,
the brightest star in my sky.

Join me on a journey to another time and place, to a harsh, exotic world of saffron and sword fights, of desert nomads living in camel’s-hair tents, of caravans laden with Persian carpets and frankincense, of flowing colorful robes and kohl-darkened eyes and perfumed arms filigreed with henna. We are in seventh-century Hijaz, in western Saudi Arabia, not far from the coast of the Red Sea, a vast desert dotted with lush oases where bedouin raiders fight for survival and women have few rights, and a religion destined to be one of the greatest in the world has sprung from the lips of a man regarded, until he reached the age of forty, as unremarkable.

This was A’isha bint Abi Bakr’s world. When she was born, in 613
A.D
., women were regarded as chattel, the property of men, so worthless they might be buried alive at birth if there were too many girls born that year. When A’isha became engaged, at age six, she was confined to her parents’ home, forbidden to run and play outside or to even speak to boys. Yet she grew up to be a strong, powerful woman: an outspoken, red-haired beauty with a quick wit and a shrewd mind; an influential political advisor; a warrior; a religious scholar; and, in one of the most touching love stories ever recorded, the favorite wife of the Prophet Muhammad.

According to numerous accounts, A’isha married Muhammad, the
revealer of Islam, when she was nine years old. They consummated the marriage later, when she had begin her menstrual cycle. Although her tender age may seem shocking to us now, scholars generally agree that the marriage was motivated by politics. A’isha’s father, Abu Bakr, supposedly hurried the wedding to establish his position as chief Companion to the Prophet. As for Muhammad, he doted on A’isha, playing dolls with her when she was young, and, as she matured, turning to her for political advice.

Yet their marriage had its difficulties. Wife and husband were both willful, dynamic, complex individuals. Having known Muhammad all her life, A’isha was extremely jealous of the other wives and concubines—a total of twelve—whom he brought into the harem. A consummate mischief-maker, A’isha played pranks on her sister-wives and on Muhammad, hoping to thwart romance between him and any of them. At times, her ploys succeeded—splendidly and to her husband’s great displeasure.

Outside stress took its toll on their marriage, as well. As the leader of a growing community of Believers, Muhammad had to contend with a steady stream of rumors regarding his wives. (At fourteen, A’isha was embroiled in a devastating scandal that nearly ended her marriage). But there were other problems, too. The powerful Meccan tribe of Quraysh—Muhammad’s kinsmen—hated Muhammad’s message of one God, and attacked him and his followers viciously and relentlessly. There was no quelching the Prophet of God, though. The angel Gabriel had told him to “Recite!” and Muhammad was bound to obey.

Islam came to Muhammad in a vision on Mecca’s Mount Hira around 610. His family members, including his wife, Khadija, with whom he had a monogamous marriage for twenty-five years, and his cousin, Ali, whom he raised, were the first to believe in Muhammad’s message of one God. Others were less enthusiastic. Mecca was the idol-worshipping capital of the Arab world. Hundreds of gods filled the Ka’ba, the cube-shaped shrine in the city’s center, and they attracted caravans coming from near and far to worship and trade. In the eyes of the Qurayshi merchants, this new religion meant economic disaster. It—and its prophet—had to go.

After years of persecuting the Muslims, Mecca’s leaders finally sent their sons to assassinate Muhammad. He escaped, with the help of Ali and Abu Bakr, and joined the rest of the
umma
(the community of Believers)
in Medina, an oasis town some 250 miles to the north. There, members of the city’s Arabic tribes, the Aws and Khazraj, had offered to house and protect the Muslims. Yet life was dangerous in Medina, too. The Quraysh continued to attack, enlisting the help of the
umma’s
new neighbors. Particularly threatening were three Jewish tribes, the Kaynuqah, Bani Nadr, and Qurayzah. The fact that Muhammad worshipped their God wasn’t enough to win their loyalty. Not only did they mock his claim to be a prophet foretold in their religious texts—would God choose an Arab for that honor?—but these tribes were trading partners with the Meccan Quraysh.