Many men attained perfection, but of women none attained perfection except Āsiyah, the wife of Pharaoh, and Maryam, the daughter of ‘Imrān. Indeed, the superiority of ‘Ā'ishah to other women is like the superiority of Tharīd to other meals

Explanation

The men who attained religious and moral perfection are many. Some reached the common level of perfection such as scholars, righteous men, and pious allies of Allah. Others reached the most sublime levels of perfection such as the prophets. However, there are very few women who attained perfection; on top of which were Āsiyah bint Muzāhim, the wife of Pharaoh. Allah presented her as an example of perfect faith in the Qur'an: {And Allah presents an example of those who believed: the wife of Pharaoh, when she said: "My Lord, build for me near You a house in Paradise and save me from Pharaoh and his deeds and save me from the wrongdoing people"} [Sūrat At-Tahrīm:11]. She believed in Mūsa (peace be upon him) when he overcame the magicians of Pharaoh. When Pharaoh found out about her conversion, he tortured her severely until she died adhering to her faith. The other perfect lady was Maryam, the daughter of ‘Imrān. Allah presented her as an example of chastity and perfect worship in the Qur'an. Finally, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that the merit of ‘Ā'ishah over women is like the merit of Tharīd over all other food. Tharīd is the most delicious food for Arabs. It is made of bread and meat. So, ‘Ā'ishah is the best of women, just as the Tharīd is the best of food.