حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَيُّوبَ ، حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ ، حَدَّثَنِي صَالِحُ بْنُ كَيْسَانَ ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ قَالَ : حَدَّثَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ ، وَسَعِيدُ بْنُ الْمُسَيِّبِ ، وَعَلْقَمَةُ بْنُ وَقَّاصٍ ، وَعُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجِ النَّبِيِّ - صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - حِينَ قَالَ لَهَا أَهْلُ الْإِفْكِ مَا قَالُوا ، فَبَرَّأَهَا اللهُ . قَالَ : وَكُلُّهُمْ قَدْ حَدَّثَنِي طَائِفَةً مِنْ حَدِيثِهَا ، وَبَعْضُهُمْ كَانَ أَوْعَى لَهُ مِنْ بَعْضٍ ، وَأَثْبَتَ لَهُ اقْتِصَاصًا ، وَقَدْ وَعَيْتُ عَنْ كُلِّ رَجُلٍ مِنْهُمُ الْحَدِيثَ الَّذِي حَدَّثَنِي عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ، وَبَعْضُ حَدِيثِهِمْ يُصَدِّقُ بَعْضًا ، وَإِنْ كَانَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْعَى لَهُ مِنْ بَعْضٍ ، قَالُوا : قَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ : كَانَ رَسُولُ اللهِ - صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - إِذَا أَرَادَ سَفَرًا أَقْرَعَ بَيْنَ أَزْوَاجِهِ ، فَأَيَّتُهُنَّ خَرَجَ سَهْمُهَا ، خَرَجَ بِهَا رَسُولُ اللهِ - صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - مَعَهُ ، فَلَمَّا كَانَتْ غَزْوَةُ بَنِي الْمُصْطَلِقِ ، أَقْرَعَ بَيْنَ نِسَائِهِ ، كَمَا كَانَ يَصْنَعُ ، فَخَرَجَ سَهْمِي عَلَيْهِنَّ ، فَخَرَجَ بِي رَسُولُ اللهِ - صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - مَعَهُ .
قَالَتْ : وَكَانَ النِّسَاءُ إِذْ ذَاكَ إِنَّمَا يَأْكُلْنَ الْعُلْقَةَ ، لَمْ يُهَبَّلْنَ بِاللَّحْمِ فَيَثْقُلْنَ ، وَكُنْتُ إِذَا رُحِلَ لِي بَعِيرٌ وَجَلَسْتُ فِي هَوْدَجِي ، ثُمَّ يَأْتِي الْقَوْمُ الَّذِينَ يَرْحَلُونَ لِي يَحْمِلُونَنِي ، فَيَأْخُذُونِي بِأَسْفَلِ الْهَوْدَجِ ، فَيَرْفَعُونَهُ ، وَيَضَعُونَهُ عَلَى ظَهْرِ الْبَعِيرِ ، فَيَشُدُّونَهُ بِحِبَالِهِ ، ثُمَّ يَأْخُذُونَ بِرَأْسِ الْبَعِيرِ ، فَيَنْطَلِقُونَ .
قَالَتْ : فَلَمَّا فَرَغَ رَسُولُ اللهِ - صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - مِنْ سَفَرِهِ ذَلِكَ ، وَجَّهَ قَافِلًا ، حَتَّى إِذَا جَاءَ قَرِيبًا مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ ، نَزَلَ مَنْزِلًا ، فَبَاتَ بِهِ بَعْضَ اللَّيْلِ ، ثُمَّ أُذِّنَ فِي النَّاسِ بِالرَّحِيلِ ، فَارْتَحَلَ النَّاسُ ، وَخَرَجْتُ لِبَعْضِ حَاجَتِي ، وَفِي عُنُقِي عِقْدٌ لِي مِنْ جَزَعِ ظَفَارٍ ، فَلَمَّا فَرَغْتُ ، انْسَلَّ مِنْ عُنُقِي وَلَا أَدْرِي ، فَلَمَّا رَجَعْتُ إِلَى الرَّحْلِ ، ذَهَبْتُ أَلْتَمِسُهُ فِي عُنُقِي فَلَمْ أَجِدْهُ ، وَقَدْ أَخَذَ النَّاسُ فِي الرَّحِيلِ ، فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى مَكَانِي الَّذِي ذَهَبْتُ مِنْهُ ، فَالْتَمَسْتُهُ حَتَّى وَجَدْتُهُ ، وَجَاءَ الْقَوْمُ خِلَافِي ، الَّذِينَ كَانُوا يَرْحَلُونَ لِيَ الْبَعِيرَ ، وَقَدْ فَرَغُوا مِنْ رَحْلَتِهِ ، فَأَخَذُوا الْهَوْدَجَ وَهُمْ يَظُنُّونَ أَنِّي فِيهِ ، كَمَا كُنْتُ أَصْنَعُ ، فَاحْتَمَلُوهُ ، فَشَدُّوا عَلَى الْبَعِيرِ وَلَمْ يَشُكُّوا أَنِّي فِيهِ ، ثُمَّ أَخَذُوا بِرَأْسِ الْبَعِيرِ ، فَانْطَلَقُوا بِهِ ، فَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى الْعَسْكَرِ وَمَا فِيهِ دَاعٍ وَلَا مُجِيبٌ ، قَدِ انْطَلَقَ النَّاسُ .
قَالَتْ : فَتَلَفَّعْتُ بِجِلْبَابِي ، ثُمَّ اضْطَجَعْتُ فِي مَكَانِي ، وَعَرَفْتُ أَنْ لَوِ افْتُقِدْتُ قَدْ رَجَعَ إِلَيَّ .
قَالَتْ : فَوَاللهِ ، إِنِّي لَمُضْطَجِعَةٌ ، إِذْ مَرَّ بِي صَفْوَانُ بْنُ الْمُعَطَّلِ السُّلَمِيُّ ، وَقَدْ كَانَ تَخَلَّفَ عَنِ الْعَسْكَرِ ، لِبَعْضِ حَاجَتِهِ فَلَمْ يَتْبَعِ النَّاسَ ، فَرَأَى سَوَادِي ، فَأَقْبَلَ حَتَّى وَقَفَ عَلَيَّ ، وَقَدْ كَانَ يَرَانِي قَبْلَ أَنْ يُضْرَبَ الْحِجَابُ ، فَلَمَّا رَآنِي قَالَ : إِنَّا لِلهِ وَإِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ ، ظَعِينَةُ رَسُولِ اللهِ - صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - وَأَنَا مُتَلَفِّعَةٌ فِي ثِيَابِي ، وَقَالَ : مَا خَلَّفَكِ رَحِمَكِ اللهُ ؟
قَالَتْ : فَمَا كَلَّمْتُهُ ، ثُمَّ قَرَّبَ الْبَعِيرَ ، فَقَالَ : ارْكَبِي وَاسْتَأْخَرَ عَنِّي .
قَالَتْ : فَرَكِبْتُ وَأَخَذَ بِرَأْسِ الْبَعِيرِ ، فَانْطَلَقَ سَرِيعًا يَطْلُبُ النَّاسَ ، فَوَاللهِ مَا أَدْرَكْنَا النَّاسَ ، وَمَا افْتُقِدْتُ حَتَّى أَصْبَحْنَا وَنَزَلَ النَّاسُ ، فَلَمَّا اطْمَأَنُّوا ، طَلَعَ الرَّجُلُ يَقُودُ بِي ، فَقَالَ أَهْلُ الْإِفْكِ مَا قَالُوا ، فَارْتَجَّ الْعَسْكَرُ ، وَاللهِ مَا أَعْلَمُ بِشَيْءٍ مِنْ ذَلِكَ ، ثُمَّ قَدِمْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ فَلَمْ أَلْبَثْ أَنِ اشْتَكَيْتُ شَكْوَى شَدِيدَةً ، لَمْ يَبْلُغْنِي مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْءٌ ، وَقَدِ انْتَهَى الْحَدِيثُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ - صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ - وَإِلَى أَبَوَيَّ ، لَا يَذْكُرُونَ مِنْهُ قَلِيلًا وَلَا كَثِيرًا ، إِلَّا أَنِّي قَدْ أَنْكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ مِنْهُ ، كَانَ إِذَا دَخَلَ عَلَيَّ وَعِنْدِي أُمِّي تُمَرِّضُنِي . قَالَ : كَيْفَ تِيكُمْ ؟ لَا يَزِيدُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ .
قَالَتْ : حَتَّى وَجَدْتُ فِي نَفْسِي ، فَقُلْتُ : يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ ، حِينَ رَأَيْتُ مَا رَأَيْتُ مِنْ جَفَائِهِ ، لَوْ أَذِنْتَ لِي فَانْتَقَلْتُ إِلَى أُمِّي فَمَرَّضَتْنِي . قَالَ : لَا عَلَيْكِ ، قَالَتْ : فَانْتَقَلْتُ إِلَى أُمِّي وَلَا أَعْلَمُ بِشَيْءٍ مِمَّا كَانَ حَتَّى نَقَهْتُ مِنْ وَجَعِي بَعْدَ بِضْعٍ وَعِشْرِينَ لَيْلَةً ، وَكُنَّا قَوْمًا عَرَبًا لَا نَتَّخِذُ فِي بُيُوتِنَا هَذِهِ الْكُنُفَ الَّتِي يَتَّخِذُهَا الْأَعَاجِمُ ، نَعَافُهَا وَنَكْرَهُهَا ، إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نَذْهَبُ فِي سَبَخِ الْمَدِينَةِ ، وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ النِّسَاءُ يَخْرُجْنَ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ فِي حَوَائِجِهِنَّ ، فَخَرَجْتُ لَيْلَةً لِبَعْضِ حَاجَتِي ، وَمَعِي أُمُّ مِسْطَحٍ بِنْتُ أَبِي رُهْمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ بْنِ عَبْدِ مَنَافٍ ، وَكَانَتْ أُمُّهَا بِنْتُ صَخْرِ بْنِ عَامِرِ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ سَعْدِ بْنِ تَيْمٍ خَالَةَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الصِّدِّيقِ . قَالَتْ : فَوَاللهِ ، إِنَّهَا لِتَمْشِي مَعِي إِذْ عَثَرَتْ فِي مِرْطِهَا ، فَقَالَتْ : تَعِسَ مِسْطَحٌ .
قَالَتْ : قُلْتُ : بِئْسَ ، لَعَمْرُ اللهِ ، مَا قُلْتِ لِرَجُلٍ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ قَدْ شَهِدَ بَدْرًا ، قَالَتْ : وَمَا بَلَغَكِ الْخَبَرُ ، يَا بِنْتَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ؟
قَالَتْ : قُلْتُ : وَمَا الْخَبَرُ ؟ فَأَخْبَرَتْنِي بِالَّذِي كَانَ مِنْ قَوْلِ أَهْلِ الْإِفْكِ ، قَالَتْ : قُلْتُ : وَقَدْ كَانَ هَذَا ؟ قَالَتْ : نَعَمْ ، وَاللهِ لَقَدْ كَانَ ، قَالَتْ : فَوَاللهِ مَا قَدَرْتُ عَلَى أَنْ أَقْضِيَ حَاجَتِي وَرَجَعْتُ ، فَوَاللهِ ، مَا زِلْتُ أَبْكِي حَتَّى ظَنَنْتُ أَنَّ الْبُكَاءَ سَيَصْدَعُ كَبِدِي . قَالَتْ : وَقُلْتُ لِأُمِّي : يَغْفِرُ اللهُ لَكِ ، تَحَدَّثَ النَّاسُ بِمَا تَحَدَّثُوا بِهِ وَلَا تَذْكُرِينَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ شَيْئًا ؟ قَالَتْ : أَيْ بُنَيَّةُ خَفِّفِي عَلَيْكِ الشَّأْنَ ، فَوَاللهِ ، لَقَلَّ مَا كَانَتِ امْرَأَةٌ حَسْنَاءُ عِنْدَ رَجُلٍ يُحِبُّهَا ، لَهَا ضَرَائِرُ ، إِلَّا كَثَّرْنَ وَكَثَّرَ النَّاسُ عَلَيْهَا ، ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ نَحْوَ حَدِيثِ صَالِحِ بْنِ كَيْسَانَ بِتَمَامِهِ ، عَلَى نَحْوِ مَا حَدَّثَنَا بِهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ سَعْدٍ .
Ibn Shihab (may Allah have mercy on him) narrates: Urwah bin al-Zubayr (may Allah have mercy on him), Sa'id bin al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him), Alqamah bin Waqqas (may Allah have mercy on him) and Ubaydullah bin Abdullah bin Utbah (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated to me, from the pure wife of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), the incident when the slanderers slandered her and then Allah Almighty revealed her innocence. Ibn Shihab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Each of them told me a portion of this incident; some remembered it better than others and their account was firmer. I memorised from all of them the narration of Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that they told me, and their words confirmed one another. All of them state that Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: "It was the practice of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) that when he (peace and blessings be upon him) intended to travel, he would cast lots among his pure wives, and whichever one's name came out, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would take her with him on the journey. On the occasion of the expedition of Banu al-Mustaliq too, he (peace and blessings be upon him) cast lots as usual and my name came out, so the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) took me with him. In those days women were very light because of little food, and their bodies had not become heavy with much flesh. When the saddle was fastened on my camel, I would sit in the howdah; then the people who fastened the saddle would come, take hold of the howdah from below, lift it, place it on the camel's back and tie it down with ropes, then take the camel by its halter and set off. When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) had finished that journey of his and turned back, and came near Madinah, he halted at a place and stayed there part of the night. Then, when the departure was announced among the people and they began to move, I went out for my need. Around my neck was my necklace of Zafar beads. When I had finished, it broke and fell from my neck without my knowing. When I got back to my stopping place, I looked for the necklace but did not find it, and meanwhile the people had set off. I went again to the place where I had gone for my need and searched for the necklace until I found it. In the meantime the people who lifted my saddle came; they lifted the howdah as usual, thinking that I was inside it, placed it on the camel and fastened it, without the slightest suspicion that I was not there, and then they went off with the camel. When I got back to the camp, there was no one there to call or to answer; all the people had gone. I wrapped my outer sheet around me and lay down right there, knowing that when I was missed, the people would come back here to look for me. By Allah! I was lying there when Sayyiduna Safwan bin al-Mu'attal al-Sulami (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by. He had stayed behind the army for some need of his and had not been able to go with the people. He saw my shape and came near; he had seen me before the commands of hijab were revealed. Recognising me, he recited: 'Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un' (We belong to Allah and to Him we return), and said: 'The secluded wife of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) (has been left behind here)!' while I had wrapped myself in my sheet. He asked: 'May Allah have mercy on you, what made you stay behind?' I did not speak to him at all. Then he brought the camel near and said: 'Mount,' and he himself moved back away from me. I mounted, and he took hold of the camel's halter and set off quickly to catch up with the people. By Allah! We did not catch up with the people, and no one knew that I had been left behind until morning. When the people had camped and settled down, that man (Safwan) appeared, leading me on the camel. Seeing this, the slanderers said what they said, and the whole army was stirred into commotion, while, by Allah, I knew nothing of it. Then we reached Madinah and I fell seriously ill. I had no news of this rumour, although it had reached the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and my parents, but they did not mention it to me at all. However, I sensed a change in the manner of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him): when he (peace and blessings be upon him) came to me while my mother was nursing me, he (peace and blessings be upon him) would only say: 'How is this one?' and nothing more. Eventually I felt hurt in my heart and said: O Messenger of Allah! (this was when I saw his (peace and blessings be upon him) coldness) I wish you would permit me to go to my mother's house so that she can nurse me. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'There is no harm for you.' So I went to my mother, and I knew nothing of these things until, after more than twenty nights, I recovered somewhat from my illness. We were Arab people; we did not make in our houses these toilets that the non-Arabs make, for we found them distasteful. Rather, we used to go out to the open grounds of Madinah, and the women would go out every night for their needs. One night I went out for my need, and with me was Umm Mistah bint Abi Ruhm bin Abd al-Muttalib bin Abd Manaf; her mother was the daughter of Sakhr bin Amir and the maternal aunt of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him). By Allah! She was walking with me when suddenly she tripped over her cloak and fell, and the words came from her tongue: 'May Mistah perish.' I said: 'By Allah! You have said a very evil thing about a man who is one of the Muhajirun and took part in the Battle of Badr.' She said: 'O daughter of Abu Bakr! Has the news not reached you?' I asked: 'What news?' Then she told me everything the slanderers had said. I asked: 'Has this really happened?' She said: 'Yes! By Allah, it has indeed happened.' By Allah! I no longer had the strength to fulfil my need, and I came back. I kept weeping so much that I began to think the weeping would split my liver. I said to my mother: 'May Allah forgive you! The people were saying such things and you did not even mention it to me?' She said: 'My dear daughter! Go easy on yourself. By Allah! It rarely happens that a husband has a beautiful woman whom he loves, and she has co-wives, without them and other people finding fault with her.'" Imam al-Zuhri (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated this incident in full like the hadith of Salih bin Kaysan (may Allah have mercy on him), as Muhammad bin Khalid narrated it to us from Ibrahim bin Sa'd.