The incident of the slander (al-Ifk)

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: I went to Umm Mistah and then went out with her beyond the settlement to relieve myself. At some point on the way, Umm Mistah's foot came down on a bone or perhaps a thorn, and she said: "May Mistah be ruined!" I said: "You have said something very bad; you are reviling one of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah." That woman said: "I bear witness that you are one of the unaware believing women. Do you know what has spread about you?" I said: "By Allah! No." She asked: "When did you last meet the Messenger of Allah?" I said: "The Messenger of Allah conducts himself with his wives as he likes, and adopts whatever course he wishes." Umm Mistah said: "Such and such has spread about you." At that I fell down and fainting came over me. When my mother, Sayyidah Umm Ruman (may Allah be pleased with her), learned of my condition, that Aishah had learned what the situation was, she came to me, mounted me, and took me with her to her house. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also learned that Aishah had come to know of it, so the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her); he came to her and sat down beside her. He said: "O Aishah! Allah Almighty has made ample room for repentance." At that my condition became even worse. While things were like this, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came. He came in and said: "O Messenger of Allah! What are you waiting for with her? She has betrayed you and brought disgrace upon me." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: At that my distress increased further. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent a message to summon Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "O Ali! What is your opinion about Aishah?" He said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Tell me what your opinion is about Aishah." Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Allah Almighty has granted latitude with regard to women; however, ask her servant Barirah; perhaps she knows something about her affair." So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) summoned Barirah, and she came. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "Do you bear witness that I am the Messenger of Allah?" She replied: "Yes." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "If I ask you about something, you must not hide it from me." She said: "O Messenger of Allah! Whatever you ask me about, I will tell you, and, if Allah wills, I will not hide anything from you." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You stay with Aishah; have you seen anything from her that displeases you?" She said: "No, by the One who sent you with prophethood! Since I have been with her I have not seen any such thing from her, except for one thing." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "What is it?" Barirah said: "I had kneaded some dough. I said to Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her): 'Keep an eye on the dough; I will fetch fire and bake bread.' She stood up to pray and became unmindful of the dough, and a goat came and ate the dough." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent for Sayyiduna Usamah (may Allah be pleased with him) and said: "O Usamah! What is your opinion about Aishah?" He said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You must tell me your opinion about her." He said: "My view is that you should remain silent about her until Allah Almighty reveals some ruling to you concerning her." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: After only a short while, revelation began to descend. When revelation descended upon him, it could be discerned from the face of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Then he said: "Aishah, glad tidings for you! Glad tidings for you, O Aishah! Allah Almighty has revealed your vindication." I said: "For this I will not praise you, nor will I praise your companion." The narrator says: It was then that Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) spoke.
Al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and in al-Mu'jam al-Kabir with similar wording; its chain contains a narrator, Khusayf, whom a group declared trustworthy while others declared him weak. The rest of its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates: Whenever the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to travel, he would cast lots among his wives. Once, on the occasion of the expedition of Banu al-Mustaliq, the lot fell to Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). (During this journey,) in the middle of the night Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) went out to relieve herself, and meanwhile her necklace came undone, so she went looking for it. Sayyiduna Mistah (may Allah be pleased with him) was an orphan boy raised under the care of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and was one of his dependants. When Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) returned, she did not see the army there. The narrator says: Sayyiduna Safwan bin al-Mu'attal al-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) used to stay behind the people so that, if any cup, water-skin or vessel had been left behind, he could pick it up. The narrator says: When he looked, he saw Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). He covered his face from her and brought his camel close to her. Then he reached the army, and people began talking about it. The narrator says: After that he mentioned the whole hadith, in which, further on, are these words: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would come, stand at the door and ask: "How are you?" until one day he came and said: "O Aishah, glad tidings for you! Allah Almighty has revealed your vindication." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "The praise is Allah Almighty's, not yours." The narrator says: Allah Almighty revealed ten verses about this: "Indeed, those who came with the slander are a group among you." The narrator says: Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) carried out the prescribed punishment (hadd) on Mistah, Hamnah and Hassan.
Al-Bazzar recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Muhammad bin Amr, and he is hasan al-hadith (sound in hadith). The rest of its narrators are thiqat (trustworthy).

Al-Aswad narrates: I said to the Mother of the Believers, Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her): "O Mother of the Believers!" (the narrator is unsure; perhaps the words were:) "O dear mother! Will you not tell me how the incident of the slander (ifk) happened?" Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) married me, I used to wander about in the rain in Makkah, for I was not yet of an age in which men take interest; I was six years old. When I learned that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had married me, Allah Almighty placed modesty upon me. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) emigrated, and I was his wife. I was mounted and brought to him, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to me when I was nine years old (that is, I was sent to his home at the age of nine). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was making a journey and took me along with him. I was light in weight. I would stay in a litter (howdah) that had curtains over it. When they were about to set off, I would sit in that howdah, they would lift it with me inside it, and they would tie the howdah onto the camel's back. Once they made camp at a place and I went out to relieve myself. When I came back, they had announced that departure was about to begin. Meanwhile I came out of the howdah; they had seen me when the curtains moved. When I sat in it, I struck my hand on my chest and found that I had lost my necklace. I hurried out to look for it. When I came back, the people had gone, and I could see nothing but dust in the distance. They had placed the howdah on the camel's back, thinking that I was inside it, because I was so light. Meanwhile I saw a man holding the head of his camel. I asked: 'Who are you?' He said: 'Safwan bin al-Mu'attal. Are you the Mother of the Believers?' I replied: 'Yes.' He said: 'Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un (We belong to Allah and to Him we return).' I said: 'Turn your face away from me and put your foot on your camel's foreleg.' He said: 'I will do so, and it is an honour for me.'" Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: "We reached the people when they had already made their next camp. I went and got into my howdah. The people saw me, and I did not know what the situation was." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: "But during this time I found the attitude of my parents changed, and I also found the attitude of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) changed, but I could not find out what was being said, until once my servant came to me and told me that the situation was such and such. A man from the Muhajirun said to me: 'How unaware you are!' Then I was seized by a fever with shivering, and my mother took every cloth in the house and threw it over me. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) consulted his Companions about this matter and asked: 'What is your opinion?' Someone said: 'Women are many, and you are able to take another in her place (by marrying another woman).' Someone said: 'You are the Messenger of Allah; revelation descends upon you, and our affair follows your command.' Someone said: 'By Allah! Allah Almighty will make the truth of this matter clear to you, so do not be hasty.'" Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: "Meanwhile my father's face had become as though arsenic had been poured over it." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to me, and when he saw my condition he asked: 'What is the cause of this?' My mother said: 'It is because of what you people are saying and what has been said.' The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) did not say anything, and said nothing further." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: "This added still more to my distress." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: "Then once the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to me and said: 'O Aishah! Fear Allah Almighty. If you have committed anything of this kind, then repent in the presence of Allah Almighty; indeed, Allah Almighty accepts repentance from His servants and pardons evil deeds.'" Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: "In reply I wanted to mention the name of Sayyiduna Ya'qub (peace be upon him), but at that moment I could not recall it, so I said: 'I can only say what the father of Sayyiduna Yusuf (peace be upon him) said (which is mentioned in the Qur'an in these words): "So patience is most fitting, and it is Allah whose help is sought against what you describe. I only complain of my anguish and my grief to Allah Almighty, and I know from Allah Almighty what you do not know."'" Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: "Once the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was among his Companions, and his face looked as though arsenic had been poured over it, until revelation began to descend upon him. When revelation began to descend upon him, no one would look towards him. His Companions realised that revelation was descending upon him and they waited for him, while his face kept becoming brighter. When the revelation ended, he said: 'O Abu Bakr! Glad tidings for you! Allah Almighty has revealed the vindication and innocence of your daughter; go to her and give her the glad tidings.'" Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited to him the verses that had been revealed about me." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: "Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came walking quickly, almost falling." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: "I said: 'For this I praise Allah Almighty, and not your master from whose presence you have come.' Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came and sat by my head. He took my hand, and I pulled my hand away from him. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) struck me and said: 'Are you pulling your hand away from the Messenger of Allah? Are you doing this to the Messenger of Allah?' At that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) laughed." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said to the narrator: "So this was the matter."
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Abu Sa'd al-Baqqal, in whom there is weakness, though he has also been declared trustworthy.

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her), the noble wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), narrates: Whenever the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to go on a journey, he would cast lots among his wives, and whichever of them whose lot came out, he would take her with him. Once, on the occasion of the battle with Banu al-Mustaliq, who belong to Khuza'ah, the lot came out in the name of Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was returning from there, he came near Madinah. In those days Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was a girl of young age and light in weight, and she would remain seated behind her screen. When the people were about to set off, she went and performed ablution; when she came back and entered her litter (howdah), it was lifted and placed on top (of the camel). The hypocrites were the first to start talking about this incident, along with some other people who were not hypocrites but who also became participants in the matter of Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: When they had come near Madinah, she once went out to perform ablution, and meanwhile her necklace made of stones fell off. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and the people set off while Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) remained behind searching for the necklace; she did not realise that the people had departed. The people tied her howdah and placed it on the camel, thinking that Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was inside it as before. When Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) returned to the campsite, she saw no one of the army there, and her eyes closed in sleep. Sayyiduna Safwan bin al-Mu'attal al-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him), a Companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), had stayed behind the army that night until morning came. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: When he passed by me and saw me, he recited Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un (We belong to Allah and to Him we return), and when he saw me alone he was greatly astonished. I knew him, and he had known me before the command of hijab was revealed. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: He asked me about my situation. I covered my face from him with my outer sheet and told him about my situation. He brought his camel near and put his hand forward; he had me mount the camel, and I adjusted my clothes. Then he made his camel rise and began to walk, leading me along, until we entered Madinah around midday. There, people talked about me, and the people of the slander (ifk) said about me whatever they had to say. I knew nothing about this; I did not know what people were going about saying concerning me. In those days I fell ill. During that time, the first thing that seemed strange to me regarding the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was that before this, whenever I fell ill, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would visit me, but in those days he did not come to me and did not visit me; it was only that, while passing by, he would ask: "How are you?" He would keep asking the household about me. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) learned that people were talking a great deal about my affair, he became troubled because of it. Before this I had complained to my mother of the aloofness I felt from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). My mother had said to me: "O my daughter! Be patient. By Allah! When a woman is beautiful and her husband loves her and she also has co-wives, they make such accusations." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: On the night after which, in the morning, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) summoned Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Usamah bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him) to consult them, I felt the need to go and relieve myself. In those days we did not have toilets in our houses; according to the custom of the Arabs, we would go out beyond the settlement at night to relieve ourselves. I said to Umm Mistah: "Take the vessel, fill it with water, and come with it towards al-Manasi' (that is, the place for relieving oneself)." That woman and her son Mistah were both related to Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him); Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to provide for both of them, and both of them lived with Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). That woman took the vessel and I set out to go towards al-Manasi'. At some point on the way Umm Mistah tripped and said: "May Mistah be ruined!" I said: "You have said something very bad." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: We kept walking; then she tripped again and said: "May Mistah be ruined!" I said to her: "You are saying something bad about a Companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who had the honour of taking part in the Battle of Badr." She said: "Are you unaware of what is going around among the people about you?" I said: "Yes; what has happened?" She said: "Mistah, and so-and-so, and such-and-such a woman, and those of the hypocrites whom Satan has caused to slip, have all gathered in the house of Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, who belongs to Banu al-Harith bin al-Khazraj, and they talk about you and Safwan bin al-Mu'attal, accusing you in connection with him." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: The need I had felt to relieve myself left me, and I came back home from right there. On the morning of the next day, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent for Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Usamah bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them both), told them about what was being said about me, and consulted them both about me. Sayyiduna Usamah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "By Allah! O Messenger of Allah, we know of no evil regarding your wife." Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) submitted to him: "O Messenger of Allah! Women are many; however, if you want to learn the truth of the matter, consult the slave girl." By this Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) meant Barirah. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Yes, all right; you ask the servant." Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) asked the servant about me, and, praise be to Allah, the servant told him nothing but good. The servant said: "By Allah! I know of no evil regarding Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), except that she is a young girl; dough is kneaded in her house, then the household's tame goat comes and eats that dough." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) heard what Barirah had said to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), he went out to the people. When the people had gathered around him, he said: "O assembly of Muslims! Who will secure redress for me from the man who has hurt me concerning my wife? I know of no evil regarding my wife, and these people have accused a man from among my Companions about whom I know no evil; whenever I went out (on a journey), he went out with me." The narrator says: At this Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him), who belonged to Banu Abd al-Ashhal, a branch of the Aws tribe, submitted: "O Messenger of Allah! If he is someone from the Aws tribe, we will deal with him on your behalf, and if he is someone from the Khazraj tribe, then give us your command concerning him." At this Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Ubadah al-Khazraji (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said to Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him): "By Allah! You are wrong; this is false." At this Sayyiduna Usayd bin Hudayr al-Ansari al-Ashhali (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up, and then the two parties began speaking against each other and quarrelling, until the matter between them escalated. (Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:) The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to my house and sent for my parents. When the two of them came to him, after praising and glorifying Allah Almighty as befits Him, he said to me: "O Aishah! You too are one of the daughters of Sayyiduna Adam (peace be upon him). If you have made a mistake, then repent in the presence of Allah Almighty and seek His forgiveness." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: I said to my father: "Answer the Messenger of Allah on my behalf." He said to me: "I cannot do that, for he is the Prophet of Allah and revelation comes to him." I said to my mother: "Answer the Messenger of Allah on my behalf," and she said to me the same thing my father had said. Then I said: "By Allah! If I confess something false about myself, you people will consider me truthful, and if I declare myself free of it, and Allah knows that I am free of it, you people will call me a liar. For myself and for you, the only example that comes to my mind is the saying of the father of Sayyiduna Yusuf (peace be upon him), who said: 'So patience is best, and it is Allah whose help is sought against what you describe.'" Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: Because of distress, weeping and grief, I could not remember the name of Sayyiduna Ya'qub (peace be upon him). Then, at that moment, the state that came over the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) at the descent of revelation came over him. When this state passed, he wiped his face with his hand and said: "O Aishah! Glad tidings for you! Allah Almighty has revealed your innocence." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: I did not imagine that the Qur'an would be revealed concerning my affair; I hoped that when Allah Almighty willed to make my innocence known, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would see some dream about me, and through that dream Allah Almighty would declare me free of blame. At that time my parents said to me: "Get up and kiss the head of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)." I said: "By Allah! I will not do that. I praise Allah Almighty; I do not praise you people." The narrator says: Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to provide for Sayyiduna Mistah (may Allah be pleased with him) and his mother. When Mistah accused Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) swore that he would never again spend anything on him. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited this verse: "Let them pardon and overlook. Do you not love that Allah Almighty should forgive you?" Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) wept and said: "Yes indeed, O my Lord!" Then he resumed spending on Mistah and his mother. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: Sayyiduna Safwan bin al-Mu'attal (may Allah be pleased with him) once lay in wait for Sayyiduna Hassan (may Allah be pleased with him) with a sword. He struck Sayyiduna Hassan bin Thabit, and when he struck him, Safwan said to Hassan: "Ward off the edge of the sword from yourself, for I am a person who, when lampooned, is no poet; but I will protect my own and take revenge on behalf of the innocent and chaste from the slanderer and accuser." Hassan cried out and called on the people for help against Safwan. When the people came, Safwan fled. Then Sayyiduna Hassan (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and sought redress against Safwan for the blow he had struck Hassan. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) expressed to him the wish that he gift to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) the blow that Safwan had struck him. He gifted that blow to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave him in compensation a large date-palm orchard and a Roman, or perhaps Coptic, slave girl named Sirin. That slave girl later bore Sayyiduna Hassan's (may Allah be pleased with him) son Abd al-Rahman, who became a poet. A narrator named Abu Uways says: Husayn bin Abdullah bin Ubaydullah bin Abbas narrated this to me from Ikrimah, from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both). Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: Later Sayyiduna Hassan (may Allah be pleased with him) sold that orchard to Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) during his caliphate, and he sold it for a great deal of wealth. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: It has reached me, and Allah knows best, that the one about whom Allah Almighty said: "And the one among them who took the greater part of it, for him is a painful punishment" is Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, who belongs to Banu al-Harith bin al-Khazraj. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: Some verses of poetry were also composed about those who made the false accusation. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said this to Mistah because of his accusation against Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her); Mistah was called Awf. (Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) addressed him in these verses:) "O Awf, woe to you! Why did you not say what was known, and you should not have followed greed in it, so that the zeal of an arrogant (or rebellious) group engulfed you? O Awf! The one who violates the rights of kinship would not have been a violator (had he spoken the truth). Why did you not fight those people when they fell into envy, and when you were hostile to them, why did you not speak harshly against them, when you accused a chaste person who is not mentioned with evil, who was trustworthy in her chastity, and we know of no inclination (towards evil) in her? You who falsely accused her, O slanderers! You spoke wrongly, and you will be called to account for it. Then Allah Almighty revealed a vindication (or ruling) of her innocence, so now what (Awf) has done is a matter between Awf and Allah Almighty. If I live, I will repay Awf with an evil recompense for what he said, for I have found him to be a follower (of evil)." Sayyidah Umm Sa'd bin Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with her) composed these verses about the people who accused Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her): "The whole tribe of Aws and its young men bear witness to this, and this is well known; the women of the Khazraj tribe, the five-year-old child of their offspring and the grown person also bear witness that the daughter of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) is chaste; her honour is guarded and her religion is upright. When her husband is absent she fears Allah Almighty; the blessing of Allah Almighty is her secret, which will always remain. In state and self, and with regard to her father, her way is the best among women; in attaining nobility her lineage is honourable. For the mawali who falsely accused her there will be maces of iron and Jahim (that is, the fire of Hell). Would that the one who attributed evil to her would go into the fire until that base one melts in it, and that the temporary lull between wars would end, a war whose food is destruction. O Sa'd! Would that the person who attributed evil to her would fall into distress, so that the wrongdoers might (take heed from it and) repent." Sayyiduna Hassan (may Allah be pleased with him) composed these verses about Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), declaring her innocence and offering his apology to her: "She is chaste and dignified; no accusation can be attached to her, and she enters the morning with her stomach empty of the flesh of unaware (innocent) women (that is, she does not backbite). She is the beloved of the one who is the best of all people in religion and rank, the Prophet of guidance, worthy of (every distinction of) honour and excellence. She is a wise lady of the tribe of Lu'ayy bin Ghalib, whose endeavours are noble and whose glory will never fade. She is refined; Allah Almighty has made her nature pure and has kept her pure from every corruption and falsehood. If I were still to say what came from me earlier (through my failing), then may my fingertips, my staff (the correct word is 'sawti', that is, staff), not rise to me. In any case, what was said can never be found in you; rather it is the saying of a person who is not overcome by dread. And how could it be (that I would say such a thing), when my love and my support, as long as I live, are for the family of the Messenger of Allah, (that Messenger) who is the adornment of gatherings? He has a lofty rank over the people; his excellence is such that even the highest leap cannot reach it." Abu Uways narrates: My father told me that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave a command regarding those who accused Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and each of them was given eighty lashes as the prescribed punishment (hadd). When they were flogged, Hassan bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) composed these verses: "Abdullah, Hamnah and Mistah, when they spoke evil, tasted (the punishment) of which they were deserving. Without knowledge they (accused) the wife of their Prophet and set about incurring the displeasure of the Lord of the noble Throne, so they were driven away. In this way they hurt the Messenger of Allah, and thus, bringing about their own disgrace, they were humiliated." (Allamah al-Haythami says:) I say: the hadith of Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) about the incident of the slander is narrated in the Sahih in abridged form, different from this, and this sequence is also not mentioned in it.
Al-Tabarani recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih, except that part of it contradicts what is mentioned in the Sahih.

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: Whenever the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) travelled, he would take one of his noble wives with him, and he would cast lots among them. Once he took Sayyidah Aishah bint Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with her) with him on a journey. She had a particular howdah; people would lift that howdah and place it on the camel. Once the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions made camp in the last part of the night. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) went out to relieve herself and went far off, and no one knew about her. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) woke up, the people set off. Those who used to lift the howdah came and lifted it, thinking that Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was inside it. When they had gone, Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) came and found that the people had set off, so she sat down in that same place. A man from the Ansar named Safwan bin al-Mu'attal woke up; he was not one to go near women. His camel was with him. When he saw Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), he mounted her on his camel; he had seen Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) before the command of hijab was revealed. He walked, leading his camel, until he came to the people and to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The people began talking about Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and talked a great deal. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) received news of this, it weighed heavily on him, to the extent that he kept himself apart from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). He consulted Sayyiduna Zayd bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) and others about Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and he submitted: "O Messenger of Allah! Leave her be; Allah Almighty will reveal some ruling about it to you." Sayyiduna Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Women are many." One night Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was walking along with some women when Umm Mistah slipped and said: "May Mistah be ruined!" Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "You have said something bad; you are saying this about a man from among the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)." Umm Mistah said: "You do not know what people are saying." Then Umm Mistah told Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) the whole situation, and Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) fell down unconscious. After this, these verses were revealed in the Qur'an, in Surah al-Nur: "Indeed, those who came with the false accusation are a group among you." The passage continues up to: "And the one among them who took the greater part of it, for him is a great punishment." (Then further on Allah Almighty says:) "And let not those of virtue among you swear." The passage continues up to: "Allah Almighty is Forgiving, Merciful." Before this, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to give money to Mistah, treat him well and maintain ties of kinship with him, and he was the one who had talked the most against Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). So Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) swore that he would no longer give him anything. Then this verse was revealed about it: "Do you not love that Allah Almighty should forgive you?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) to go to Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and give her the glad tidings. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) came and told Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) about what Allah Almighty had revealed. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "I will neither praise you nor praise your master."
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Isma'il bin Yahya bin Salamah bin Kuhayl, who is matruk (abandoned).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates: Whenever the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to travel, he would cast lots among his wives, and whoever's name came out in the lot, he would take her with him. Those women would go along; they would give water to drink and give medicine to the wounded. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) set out to take part in the expedition of Banu al-Mustaliq, he cast lots among his wives, and the lot came out in the names of Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and Sayyidah Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took both of these ladies with him. At some place on the way, Sayyidah Umm Salamah's (may Allah be pleased with her) saddle became crooked, so the people made her camel kneel in order to fix her saddle. Meanwhile Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) was about to go and relieve herself, as the people had made their camels kneel. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: I thought to myself: "While these people fix Umm Salamah's saddle, I will go and relieve myself in that time." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: I got down from the howdah and took water in a vessel; the people did not notice that I had got down. I went to an open place, and meanwhile my necklace fell, so I stayed behind searching for it and for its beads. Meanwhile the people made their camels rise again and set off, thinking that I was still in the howdah and had not got down at all. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: I did not see anyone. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: I tried to follow the people, and when I became tired, I thought: "When they find me missing, they will come back looking for me." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: I fell asleep at some place on the way. Sayyiduna Safwan bin al-Mu'attal (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by me. He was a companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and he had requested the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he would come along at the rear, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had given him this permission. When the people set off, he would stand and offer prayer, then he would follow behind them so that if anyone had dropped anything, he could take it and deliver it to its owner. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: When he passed by me, he thought that perhaps I was a man. He said: "O sleeping person! Wake up; the people have gone." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: I said: "I am not a man; I am Aishah." He said: "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un (We belong to Allah and to Him we return)." He made his camel kneel and turned away from me, then he said: "O dear mother! Get up and mount, and when you have mounted, let me know." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: I mounted. Then he came, untied the rope, made his camel rise and took hold of the camel's halter. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) says: He did not say a word to Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) until he brought her to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Then Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul said: "By the Lord of the Ka'bah, this man has done wrong with this woman." In this, Hassan bin Thabit, Mistah bin Uthathah and a woman named Hamnah supported Abdullah bin Ubayy, and this talk spread in the army. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) received news of this, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was grieved by what they had said, until these people came back to Madinah. Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, the hypocrite, spread this talk in Madinah, and it weighed heavily on the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: One day I went to Umm Mistah. She saw me; I intended to go and relieve myself, and I had taken along a vessel containing water. The water fell from her, and she said: "May Mistah be ruined!" Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said to her: "Subhan Allah (Glory be to Allah)! You are wishing ruin on one of the people of Badr, while he is also your son?" Umm Mistah said: "He has spread something about you, and you do not even know?" Then that woman told Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) the whole situation. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: When she told me about this, I came down with a fever, the urge I had been feeling went away, and I did not go to relieve myself. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: I had been noticing a change in the manner of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), but I did not know the reason for it, until Umm Mistah told me; then I realised that the change in the manner of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was because of what Umm Mistah had told me. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: I submitted to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "O Messenger of Allah! Will you permit me to go to my family?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Go." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: I came to the house of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to her: "What is the matter?" She replied: "The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) has told me to leave his house." Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to her: "The Messenger of Allah has turned you out, and I am to give you shelter? By Allah! I will not give you shelter until the Messenger of Allah permits you." Then the Messenger of Allah permitted him to let Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) stay. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her): "By Allah! Such a thing was never said about us even in the Jahiliyyah; how then has it been said now, when we have also been honoured by Islam?" Then Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), her mother Sayyidah Umm Ruman (may Allah be pleased with her), Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna Abd al-Rahman bin Abi Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), and all the members of the household who were with them began to weep. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) received news of this, he ascended the pulpit and, after praising and glorifying Allah Almighty, said: "O people! Who will secure redress for me from the person who has hurt me?" Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up from his place, drew his sword from its sheath and said: "O Messenger of Allah! I will secure redress for you from him. If he is someone from the Aws tribe, I will bring his head to you, and if he is someone from the Khazraj tribe, then give us your command." Then Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said: "By Allah! You are wrong; you cannot kill him. You are making this demand because of the enmity that existed between us and you in the Jahiliyyah." Then one man said: "O people of the Aws tribe!" and another said: "O people of the Khazraj tribe!" and they took up shoes and stones, ready to fight one another. Then Sayyiduna Usayd bin Hudayr (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said: "What is this talk about? Here is the Messenger of Allah; whatever he commands us, that is what will be acted upon, however much anyone may dislike it." Meanwhile Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him) descended while the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was on the pulpit. Sayyiduna Abu Ubaydah (may Allah be pleased with him) climbed the pulpit and held the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) close. When this state of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gestured to all the people, then he recited to them the verse that Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him) had brought down. This command had been revealed: "If two groups of the believers fight one another, make peace between them; and if one of them has transgressed against the other, then fight the one that has transgressed." This continues to the end of the verse. The people called out loudly: "O Messenger of Allah! We are content with what Allah Almighty has revealed of the Qur'an." Then they got up and came to one another, embraced one another and made peace among themselves. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came down from the pulpit. He was waiting for revelation concerning Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). He sent for Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him), Sayyiduna Usamah bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them both) and Barirah, and consulted them about his wife. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had not consulted anyone other than Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Usamah (may Allah be pleased with him), and he consulted Sayyiduna Usamah (may Allah be pleased with him) at a time when his father had already passed away. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): "What is your opinion about Aishah? What people are saying about her has troubled me." Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) submitted to him: "O Messenger of Allah! People are going too far; however, divorcing her has been made lawful for you." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Sayyiduna Usamah (may Allah be pleased with him): "What do you say about her?" He submitted: "Glory be to Allah, free of every defect! It is not lawful for us to speak about this. Glory be to Allah, free of every defect! This is a great slander." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Barirah: "What do you say?" She said: "By Allah! O Messenger of Allah! I know nothing but good about your wife, except that she is a woman who falls asleep, and then the goat comes and eats the kneaded dough. If there were any such negative situation, Allah Almighty would inform you of it." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) left from there and came to the house of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him). He came to Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and said to Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her): "O Aishah! If you have committed this deed, then say so, so that I may seek forgiveness for you from Allah Almighty." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "By Allah! I will never seek forgiveness from Allah Almighty for it; if I did it, may Allah Almighty not forgive me. For myself and for you, the only example that comes to my mind is the one the father of Sayyiduna Yusuf (peace be upon him) gave." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) says: Because of the intensity of my distress I could not remember the name of Sayyiduna Ya'qub (peace be upon him). (He had said:) "I only complain of my anguish and my grief to Allah Almighty, and I know from Allah Almighty what you do not know." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was still talking with us about this when Sayyiduna Jibril (peace be upon him) descended upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) with revelation. The particular state of the descent of revelation came over the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said to Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her): "Get up and hold the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) close." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) replied: "No, by Allah! I will not go near him." Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) got up and held the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) close. When this state of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) passed, he was smiling. He said: "O Aishah! Allah Almighty has revealed your vindication." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "I praise Allah Almighty; I do not praise you." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited to Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) the verses of Surah al-Nur up to the point where the ruling about Sayyidah Aishah's (may Allah be pleased with her) incident, her vindication and her innocence ends. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Get up and go home." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) got up. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went to the mosque and gave an order to Sayyiduna Abu Ubaydah bin al-Jarrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who gathered the people. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited to those people the verses that Allah Almighty had revealed concerning the innocence of Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her). Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came down from the pulpit and sent for Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, the hypocrite. He was brought, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave him the prescribed punishment twice over. Then he summoned Hassan bin Thabit, Mistah bin Uthathah and Hamnah bint Jahsh, and had them struck as well with painful blows, and they were struck on their necks. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) says: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had the prescribed punishment applied twice because whoever accuses the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the prescribed punishment will be applied to him twice. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) sent for Mistah bin Uthathah and said: "Tell me about yourself; you are my maternal cousin. Why did you say what you said about Aishah? As for Hassan, he is a man from the Ansar, not from our people. As for Hamnah, she is a weak woman with no sense. As for Abdullah bin Ubayy, he is a hypocrite. But you are one of my dependants; I have been spending on you ever since your father died, when you were four years old. I spent on you and provided you with clothing until you reached maturity, and I have not cut off my spending on you up to this day of mine. By Allah! You are a man whom I will never again support with dirhams, nor ever again show any kindness." Then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) drove him away and expelled him from his house. Then this command of the Qur'an was revealed: "Let not those of virtue and means among you swear." When this verse was revealed: "Do you not love that Allah Almighty should forgive you?" Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) wept and said: "Now that the Qur'an has been revealed concerning what I said to you, I will spend double on you, and I have forgiven you, for Allah Almighty has commanded me to forgive you." The narrator says: The wife of Abdullah bin Ubayy was also a hypocrite and was with her husband. Then this command of the Qur'an was revealed: "Evil women" (this refers to the wife of Abdullah bin Ubayy) "are for evil men" (this means for Abdullah bin Ubayy), "and evil men are for evil women" (that is, Abdullah bin Ubayy is for his wife). "And good women are for good men" (that is, Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)), "and good men" (that is, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)) "are for good women" (that is, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is for Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and the other wives). "They are declared innocent of what is said." This continues to the end of the verses.
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Isma'il bin Yahya bin Ubaydullah al-Taymi, who is kadhdhab (a liar).

Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: When that accusation was made against me, I resolved to throw myself into a pit.
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and al-Tabarani recorded it in al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, and the narrators of both are thiqat (trustworthy).

Sayyidah Aishah Siddiqah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: When the ruling of her vindication was revealed, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) kissed her head. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "Why did you not declare me innocent before?" Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Which sky would shade me and which earth would bear me, if I were to say something of which I have no knowledge?"
Al-Bazzar recorded it, and its narrators are the narrators of the Sahih.

Sayyidah Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and I expressed pride before one another. Sayyidah Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "I am the one whom Allah Almighty married off from the heavens." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "I am the one concerning whose innocence a ruling was revealed, when Safwan bin al-Mu'attal mounted me and brought me back." Sayyidah Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) asked her: "When you mounted, what words did you recite?" She said: "I recited: 'Hasbiya Allahu wa ni'ma al-wakil (Allah Almighty is sufficient for me, and He is the best Disposer of affairs).'" Sayyidah Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "You recited the words that are the declaration of the believers."
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, al-Mu'alla bin Irfan, who is matruk (abandoned).

Muhammad bin Jahsh narrates: Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) and Sayyidah Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) expressed pride before one another. Sayyidah Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "I am the one whom Allah Almighty married off from the heavens." Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "I am the one concerning whose innocence a ruling was revealed, when Safwan bin al-Mu'attal mounted me on the riding animal." Sayyidah Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) asked her: "When you mounted, what did you recite?" Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "I recited: 'Hasbiya Allahu wa ni'ma al-wakil (Allah Almighty is sufficient for me, and He is the best Disposer of affairs).'" Sayyidah Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "You recited the declaration of the believers."
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, al-Mu'alla bin Irfan, who is matruk (abandoned).

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) narrates that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When the Day of Resurrection comes, Allah Almighty will have those who accused Aishah given the prescribed punishment of eighty lashes each before all of creation. My Lord will ask for those among them who are Muhajirun to be pardoned as a gift. O Aishah! Then I will ask your wishes." The narrator says: When Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) heard this, she began to weep, as she was in the house. Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "By the One who sent you as a Prophet with the truth! Your happiness is dearer to me than my own happiness." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) smiled, laughing, and said: "She is her father's daughter."
Al-Tabarani recorded it; its chain contains a narrator, Abdullah bin Harun Abu Alqamah al-Farwi, who is da'if (weak). Various chains of this narration have passed before.