Asiya, wife of the Pharaoh, also known as
Asiya bint Muzahim, is considered to be one of four great, noble, and pious women in Islam. Her name means
one who tends to the weak, one who heals.
Asiya, the daughter of Muzahim, was the
IsraeliteIn the Bible, the Israelites were the descendants of the Biblical patriarch Jacob. They were divided into twelve tribes, each descended from one of twelve sons or grandsons of Jacob....
wife of the
PharaohPharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. In antiquity this title began to be used for the ruler who was the religious and political leader of united ancient Egypt. This was true only during the New Kingdom, specifically during the middle of...
who adopted
MosesMoses was, according to biblical texts, a religious leader, lawgiver, and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed. Also called Moshe Rabbeinu in Hebrew Moses was, according to biblical texts, a...
after her maids found him floating in the
NileThe Nile is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world....
river. The maids thought there was a treasure in the crate.
Asiya, wife of the Pharaoh, also known as
Asiya bint Muzahim, is considered to be one of four great, noble, and pious women in Islam. Her name means
one who tends to the weak, one who heals.
Islamic view
Asiya, the daughter of Muzahim, was the
IsraeliteIn the Bible, the Israelites were the descendants of the Biblical patriarch Jacob. They were divided into twelve tribes, each descended from one of twelve sons or grandsons of Jacob....
wife of the
PharaohPharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. In antiquity this title began to be used for the ruler who was the religious and political leader of united ancient Egypt. This was true only during the New Kingdom, specifically during the middle of...
who adopted
MosesMoses was, according to biblical texts, a religious leader, lawgiver, and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed. Also called Moshe Rabbeinu in Hebrew Moses was, according to biblical texts, a...
after her maids found him floating in the
NileThe Nile is a major north-flowing river in Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world....
river. The maids thought there was a treasure in the crate. Upon seeing Moses, Asiya instantly fell in love with him. She told the Pharaoh about the baby and convinced the Pharaoh to let her keep him as her son. The Pharaoh loved Asiya so much that he agreed. Asiya saved Moses from the Pharaoh's anger several times. Asiya offered Moses' mother to live in her household as Moses'
wet nurseA wet nurse is a woman who breast-feeds a baby that is not her own. These children may be known as milk-siblings and in some cultures share a special relationship...
and paid her for her services, being unaware that the wet nurse was Moses' mother.
It is said that Asiya was a sincere believer and that she worshiped God in secret. She refused all the wealth and glory that was on her disposal. The
Qur'anThe Qur’an is the central religious text of Islam...
mentions Asiya as an example to the Muslims.
[ "And Allah sets forth, as an example to those who believe, the wife of Pharaoh, behold she said: O my Lord! build for me, in nearness to You, a mansion in the garden, and save me from Pharaoh and his doings, and save me from those that do wrong." (Qur'an 66:11).]
The tradition holds that Asiya died while being tortured by her husband the Pharaoh who had discovered that she is a monotheist. He didn't want to kill Asiya but after many attempts to make Asiya change her mind, he thought he had to kill her. According to Hadith, she will be among the first women to enter
ParadiseParadise is a place in which existence is positive, harmonious and timeless. It is conceptually a counter-image of the miseries of human civilization, and in paradise there is only peace, prosperity, and happiness. Paradise is a place of contentment, but it is not necessarily a land of luxury and...
because she accepted Moses's
monotheismIn theology, monotheism is the belief that only one god exists. The concept of "monotheism" tends to be dominated by the concept of God in the Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam, and the Platonic concept of God as put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite...
over Pharaoh's beliefs. She was given a message from the
Angel GabrielAngel Gabriel can refer to:*The Archangel Gabriel*The Angel Gabriel , an English galleon that sank off Pemaquid, Maine...
regarding the Pharaoh's death, warned Moses and thus saved his life.