صحیح ابن حبان
Sahih Ibn Hibban
كِتَابُ النِّكَاحِ
Book of Marriage
- باب القسم - ذكر ما يجب على المرء من الإقراع بين النسوة إذا كن عنده وأراد سفرا-
Chapter: Division of time – Obligation to draw lots among wives when traveling
Hadith Number: 4212
اخبرنا عبد الله بن محمد الازدي ، قال: حدثنا إسحاق بن إبراهيم ، قال: اخبرنا عبد الرزاق ، قال: اخبرنا معمر ، عن الزهري ، قال: حدثني سعيد بن المسيب ، وعروة بن الزبير ، وعلقمة بن وقاص ، وعبيد الله بن عبد الله ، عن حديث عائشة، حين قال لها اهل الإفك ما قالوا، فبراها الله، وكل حدثني بطائفة من الحديث، وبعضهم اوعى لحديثها من بعض واسد اقتصاصا، وقد وعيت من كل واحد الحديث الذي حدثني به، وبعضهم يصدق بعضا، ذكروا ان عائشة ، قالت: كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إذا اراد ان يخرج سفرا اقرع بين نسائه، فايتهن خرج سهمها خرج بها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم معه. قالت: فاقرع بيننا في غزوة غزاها، فخرج سهمي، فخرجنا مع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، وذلك بعد ان انزل الحجاب، فانا احمل في هودجي، وانزل فيه مسيرنا، حتى إذا فرغ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم من غزوته تلك وقفل ودنونا من المدينة، آذن بالرحيل ليلة، فقمت حين آذنوا في الرحيل فمشيت حتى جاوزت الجيش، فلما قضيت شاني، رجعت فلمست صدري فإذا عقد من جزع ظفار قد وقع، فرجعت فالتمست عقدي، فحبسني ابتغاؤه، واقبل الرهط الذين يرحلون لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فحملوا هودجي ورحلوه على البعير الذي كنت اركب وهم يحسبون اني فيه، قالت عائشة: وكان النساء إذ ذاك خفافا لم يغشهن اللحم، فرحلوه ورفعوه، فلما بعثوا وسار الجيش، وجدت عقدي بعدما استمر الجيش، فجئت منازلهم وليس بها داع ولا مجيب، فاقمت منزلي الذي كنت فيه، فبينا انا جالسة غلبتني عيني فنمت، وكان صفوان بن المعطل السلمي ثم الذكواني عرس فادلج فاصبح عند منزلي، فراى سواد إنسان فعرفني حين رآني، وكان رآني قبل ان ينزل الحجاب، فاستيقظت باسترجاعه حين عرفني، فخمرت وجهي بجلبابي، والله ما كلمني بكلمة، ولا سمعت منه كلمة غير استرجاعه حتى اناخ راحلته، فوطئ على يدها فركبته، ثم انطلق يقود بي الراحلة حتى اتينا الجيش بعدما نزلوا موغرين في نحر الظهيرة، فهلك في شاني من هلك، وكان الذي تولى كبره منهم عبد الله بن ابي بن سلول، فقدمت المدينة فاشتكيت حين قدمتها شهرا، والناس يفيضون في قول اهل الإفك ولا اشعر بشيء من ذلك وهو يريبني من رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، لاني لا ارى منه اللطف الذي كنت اراه منه حين اشتكي، إنما يدخل علي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فيقول:" كيف تيكم؟" فيريبني ذلك، ولا اشعر حتى خرجت بعدما نقهت من مرضي ومعي ام مسطح قبل المناصع وهي متبرزنا ولا نخرج إلا ليلا إلى ليل، وذلك انا نكره ان نتخذ الكنف قريبا من بيوتنا، وامرنا امر العرب الاول في التبرز، وكنا نتاذى بالكنف قرب بيوتنا، فانطلقت ومعي ام مسطح وهي بنت ابي رهم بن المطلب بن عبد مناف، وامها بنت صخر بن عامر خالة ابي بكر الصديق، وابنها مسطح بن اثاثة بن عباد بن المطلب، فاقبلنا حين فرغنا من شاننا لناتي البيت، فعثرت ام مسطح في مرطها، فقالت: تعس مسطح. فقلت لها: بئس ما قلت، اتسبين رجلا قد شهد بدرا؟ فقالت: اي هنتاه، اولم تسمعي ما قال؟ قلت: وما قال؟ فاخبرتني بقول اهل الإفك، فازددت مرضا إلى مرضي ورجعت إلى بيتي، فدخل علي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فسلم، ثم قال:" كيف تيكم؟" فقلت: اتاذن لي ان آتي ابوي؟ وانا حينئذ اريد ان اتيقن الخبر من قبلهما، فاذن لي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فجئت ابوي، فقلت لامي: يا امتاه ما يتحدث الناس؟ قالت: اي بنية هوني عليك، فوالله لقل امراة وضيئة كانت عند رجل يحبها ولها ضرائر، إلا اكثرن عليها. قالت: فقلت: سبحان الله، اوتحدث الناس بذلك؟ قالت: فمكثت تلك الليلة لا يرقا لي دمع، ولا اكتحل بنوم اصبح وابكي، ودعا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم علي بن ابي طالب واسامة بن زيد، وهو حينئذ يريد ان يستشيرهما في فراق اهله، وذلك حين استلبث الوحي، فاما اسامة بن زيد فاشار على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بالذي يعلم من براءة اهله وما له في نفسه لهم من الود، فقال: هم اهلك ولا نعلم إلا خيرا. واما علي بن ابي طالب رضوان الله عليه، فقال: لم يضيق الله عليك والنساء سواها كثير، وإن تسال الجارية تصدقك. قالت: فدعا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بريرة، فقال:" اي بريرة، هل رايت من عائشة شيئا يريبك؟" قالت بريرة: يا رسول الله، والذي بعثك بالحق ما رايت عليها امرا قط اغمضه عليها اكثر من انها جارية حديثة السن، تنام عن عجين اهلها فيدخل الداجن فياكله. فقام رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فاستعذر من عبد الله بن ابي ابن سلول، فقال وهو على المنبر:" يا معشر المسلمين، من يعذرني من رجل بلغ اذاه في اهل بيتي؟ فوالله ما علمت من اهلي إلا خيرا، ولقد ذكروا رجلا ما علمت منه إلا خيرا، وما كان يدخل على اهلي إلا معي". فقام سعد بن معاذ الانصاري، فقال: انا اعذرك منه يا رسول الله، إن كان من الاوس ضربنا عنقه، وإن كان من الخزرج امرتنا ففعلنا امرك. فقام سعد بن عبادة وهو سيد الخزرج، وكان رجلا صالحا ولكن احتملته الحمية، فقال: والله ما تقتله ولا تقدر على قتله. فقام اسيد بن حضير وهو ابن عم سعد بن معاذ، فقال: كذبت لعمر الله لنقتلنه، فإنك منافق تجادل عن المنافقين. فثار الحيان الاوس والخزرج حتى هموا ان يقتتلوا، ورسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يخفضهم حتى سكتوا، وسكت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فبكيت يومي لا يرقا لي دمع، ولا اكتحل بنوم، وابواي يظنان ان البكاء فالق كبدي، فبينما هما جالسان عندي إذ استاذنت علي امراة من الانصار، فاذنت لها، فجلست معي، فبينما نحن على حالنا ذلك إذ دخل رسول الله فسلم ثم جلس، ولم يكن جلس قبل يومي ذلك مذ كان من امري ما كان، ولبث شهرا لا يوحى إليه، قالت: فتشهد ثم قال:" اما بعد، فقد بلغني يا عائشة عنك كذا وكذا، فإن كنت بريئة فسيبرئك الله وإن كنت الممت بذنب فاستغفري الله وتوبي، فإن العبد إذا اعترف بالذنب ثم تاب، تاب الله عليه". فلما قضى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مقالته قلص دمعي حتى ما احس منه بقطرة، فقلت لابي: اجب عني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم. فقال: والله ما ادري ما اقول لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم. فقلت لامي: اجيبي عني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم. فقالت: والله لا ادري ما اقول لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم. فقلت وانا جارية حديثة السن لا اقرا كثيرا من القرآن: إني والله لقد عرفت انكم سمعتم بذاك حتى استقر في انفسكم وصدقتم به، فإن قلت لكم إني بريئة والله يعلم إني بريئة لم تصدقوني، وإن اعترفت لكم بامر والله يعلم اني بريئة لتصدقوني، وإني والله لا اجد مثلي ومثلكم إلا كما قال ابو يوسف: فصبر جميل والله المستعان على ما تصفون سورة يوسف آية 18، ثم تحولت فاضطجعت على فراشي وانا والله حينئذ اعلم اني بريئة، وإن الله جل وعلا يبرئني ببراءتي، ولكن لم اظن ان الله جل وعلا ينزل في شاني وحيا يتلى، ولشاني كان احقر في نفسي من ان يتكلم الله جل وعلا في بامر يتلى، ولكن ارجو ان يرى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم في منامه رؤيا يبرئني الله بها، قالت: فوالله ما رام رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مجلسه، ولا خرج من البيت احد، حتى انزل الله على نبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم، فاخذه ما كان ياخذه من البرحاء عند الوحي من ثقل القول الذي انزل عليه، فلما سري عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، كان اول كلمة تكلم بها، ان قال:" يا عائشة، اما والله فقد براك الله". فقالت لي امي: قومي إليه. فقلت: والله لا اقوم إليه ولا احمد إلا الله الذي هو انزل براءتي، فانزل الله: إن الذين جاءوا بالإفك عصبة منكم سورة النور آية 11 العشر الآيات، قالت: فانزل الله هذه الآيات في براءتي، وكان ابو بكر رضوان الله عليه ينفق على مسطح لقرابته منه وفقره، فقال: والله لا انفق عليه ابدا بعد الذي قال لعائشة ما قال. فانزل الله: ولا ياتل اولو الفضل منكم والسعة إلى قوله الا تحبون ان يغفر الله لكم سورة النور آية 22، فقال ابو بكر: والله إني لاحب ان يغفر الله لي. فرجع إلى مسطح بالنفقة التي كان ينفق عليه، فقال: والله لا انزعها منه ابدا. قالت: وكان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم سال زينب بنت جحش عن امري: ما علمت وما رايت؟ فقالت: احمي سمعي وبصري، ما علمت إلا خيرا. قالت: وهي التي كانت تساميني من ازواج رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فعصمها الله بالورع، وطفقت اختها حمنة بنت جحش تحارب لها، فهلكت فيمن هلك . قال الزهري: فهذا ما انتهى إلي من امر هؤلاء الرهط.
Imam Zuhri narrated from Sa'id bin Musayyib, 'Urwah bin Zubair, 'Alqamah bin Waqas, and 'Ubaydullah bin 'Abdullah, from Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), regarding the incident in which a false accusation was made against Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her), and Allah Almighty declared her innocent of it. (Ibn Shihab says:) All these individuals narrated this hadith to me; some preserved more of its wording, and some narrated it in a summarized form. I preserved the entire hadith as they narrated it to me, and the narration of one confirmed the other. They mentioned this narration:
Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: It was the noble habit of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that when he intended to go on a journey, he would draw lots among his wives, and whichever of them was chosen, he would take her with him. Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: Once, before setting out for a battle, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) drew lots among us, and my name was drawn. We set out with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This was after the command of hijab had been revealed. I was placed in a howdah, and during the journey, whenever we camped, I would remain in it. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) finished that battle and returned, and we approached Madinah, (during one of the camps) the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) announced departure at night. When people prepared to leave, I got up and walked away from the army to relieve myself. When I returned and touched my chest, I realized that my necklace made of stones had fallen somewhere. I went back to search for my necklace and stayed there searching for it. The people who used to carry the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) belongings came and lifted my howdah, placed it on the camel I used to ride, thinking I was inside it.
Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: In those days, women were light in weight, not covered with much flesh. They lifted the howdah and placed it on the camel. When they finished, the army departed. After the army had left, I found my necklace. I returned to the camping place, but there was no one to call out or respond. I stayed at the same place where I had been. While I was sitting there, sleep overcame me and I fell asleep.
Sayyiduna Safwan bin Mu'attal Salami (may Allah be pleased with him) had camped at night and, walking in the morning, came near my place of residence. He saw the figure of a human and approached me. When he saw me, he recognized me, as he had seen me before the command of hijab was revealed. When he recited "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un" upon recognizing me, I woke up. I covered my face with my cloak. By Allah! He did not speak to me, nor did I hear from him any word except his recitation of "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un." He made his camel kneel, and I mounted it. Then he led the camel until we reached the army, who had camped after the sun had risen high.
Because of this incident, some people were destroyed, and the one who took the greatest part in it was 'Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul. (Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:) I arrived in Madinah and remained ill for a month. I was unaware of what people were saying about those who had made the false accusation. I felt some confusion regarding the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), as he was not showing the same care for me during my illness as he used to before. He would come and ask, "How are you?" This made me suspicious, but I did not know the reality. After recovering somewhat from my illness, I once went out of the house (to relieve myself), accompanied by Umm Mistah. We went to Manasi' (an open field), which was our place for relieving ourselves. We (women) would only go there at night, because we disliked having toilets near our homes. Our practice was like that of the earlier Arabs, who would relieve themselves in open places, and we found it distressing to have toilets near the house.
I was going, accompanied by Umm Mistah, who was the daughter of Abu Ruhm bin Muttalib bin 'Abd Manaf. Her mother was the daughter of Sakhr bin 'Amir, who was the maternal aunt of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), and her son was Mistah bin Athathah bin 'Ubad bin Muttalib. After finishing our business, we were returning home when Umm Mistah's foot got caught in her cloak, and she said, "May Mistah be ruined!" I said to her, "You have said a terrible thing! You are cursing a man who participated in the Battle of Badr." She said, "O naive woman, have you not heard what he has done?" I asked, "What has he done?" She informed me about what the accusers were saying.
(Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:) This increased my illness. I returned home. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to me, greeted me, and asked, "How are you?" I said, "Will you permit me to go to my parents?" At that time, I wanted to confirm the news from my parents. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave me permission. I went to my parents and asked my mother, "O mother, what are people talking about?" She said, "O my daughter, be calm. By Allah! Whenever a woman is more beautiful in the eyes of her husband, and he loves her, and she has co-wives, they tend to be jealous of her." Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: I said, "Subhan Allah! Are people really saying such things?" Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: That night, my tears did not stop, and I did not sleep until morning; I kept weeping.
(During this time,) the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called Sayyiduna 'Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Usamah bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him). He wanted to consult them about separating from his wife (i.e., Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her)), as no revelation had yet come regarding this matter. As for Sayyiduna Usamah bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him), he advised the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding his wife, knowing her innocence, and mentioned the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) love for her. He said, "She is your wife. We know only good about her." As for Sayyiduna 'Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), he said, "Allah has not put you in difficulty. There are many other women besides her. But if you ask the maidservant, she will tell you the truth." Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called Barirah and asked, "O Barirah! Have you seen anything concerning 'Aishah that would make you suspicious?" Barirah replied, "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! By the One Who sent you with the truth, I have seen nothing in her except one thing I can criticize: she is a young girl, sometimes she kneads dough and falls asleep, and the goat comes and eats the dough."
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood among the people and complained about 'Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, saying: He was on the pulpit and said, "O assembly of Muslims! Who will excuse me regarding a man whose harm has reached my family? By Allah! I know only good about my wife, and regarding the man they accuse, I know only good about him. He has never entered my house except with me." At this, Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said, "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! I will excuse you regarding him. If he is from the tribe of Aws, we will strike his neck, and if he is from the tribe of Khazraj, command us, and we will obey your command." At this, Sayyiduna Sa'd bin 'Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up—he was the chief of Khazraj and a righteous man, but tribal zeal overtook him—and said, "By Allah! You cannot kill him, nor will you be able to kill him." At this, Sayyiduna Usayd bin Hudayr (may Allah be pleased with him), who was the cousin of Sa'd bin Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him), stood up and said, "You are lying! By Allah! We will surely kill him. You are a hypocrite, arguing on behalf of the hypocrites." Then a dispute broke out between the people of Aws and Khazraj, until it almost led to fighting. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kept calming them until they became quiet. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also became silent.
I wept the whole day; my tears did not stop, and I could not sleep. My parents thought my heart would burst from weeping. While they were sitting with me, a woman from the Ansar asked permission to enter. I allowed her in, and she sat with me. While we were sitting in this state, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came in, greeted us, and sat down. Since this situation had arisen, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had never sat with me in this way before. A month had passed, and no revelation had come to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding my case.
Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited the testimony of faith, then said: "As for what follows: O 'Aishah, such-and-such has reached me about you. If you are innocent, Allah will declare your innocence. But if you have committed a sin, then seek forgiveness from Allah and repent, for when a servant admits his sin and repents, Allah accepts his repentance." When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) finished speaking, my tears stopped, and I did not feel even a drop. I said to my father, "Respond to the Messenger of Allah on my behalf." He said, "By Allah! I do not know what to say to the Messenger of Allah." I said to my mother, "Respond to the Messenger of Allah on my behalf." She said, "By Allah! I do not know what to say to the Messenger of Allah." (Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:) So I said, "I am a young girl and do not know much of the Qur'an, but by Allah! I know that you have heard this story and it has settled in your minds, and you have believed it. If I say I am innocent—and Allah knows I am innocent—you will not believe me. And if I admit to something, while Allah knows I am innocent, you will believe me. By Allah! I can only say what the father of Yusuf (peace be upon him) said: 'So patience is most fitting, and Allah is the one sought for help against that which you describe.'"
(Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:) Then I turned away and lay down on my bed. By Allah! I knew I was innocent, and Allah would declare my innocence, but I did not think Allah would reveal a revelation about me that would be recited. I hoped the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would see a dream in which Allah would declare my innocence. Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: By Allah! The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had not yet moved from his place, and none of the people in the house had left, when Allah revealed revelation to His Prophet. The state that would come upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) during revelation overtook him due to its intensity. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recovered, the first thing he said was: "O 'Aishah! By Allah! Allah has declared your innocence." My mother said to me, "Get up and go to the Messenger of Allah." I said, "By Allah! I will not stand before the Messenger of Allah. I will only praise Allah, Who has revealed my innocence." Allah revealed the verse: "Indeed, those who came with the false accusation are a group among you..." and the following ten verses. Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: Allah revealed these verses regarding my innocence.
(Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:) Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to spend on Mistah (may Allah be pleased with him) due to their kinship and his poverty. He said, "By Allah! After what he said about 'Aishah, I will never spend on him again." Then Allah revealed the verse: "Let not those among you who are blessed and wealthy swear not to give to their relatives..." until, "Do you not love that Allah should forgive you?" Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "By Allah! I love that Allah should forgive me." After that, he resumed spending on Mistah (may Allah be pleased with him) as he used to before, and said, "By Allah! I will never stop supporting him."
Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also asked Sayyidah Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her) about my case: "What do you know and what is your opinion?" Sayyidah Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) replied, "I protect my hearing and my sight. I know only good." Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: Among the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), she was the one who used to compete with me, but Allah protected her (from slander) due to her piety. However, her sister Hamnah bint Jahsh, out of zeal for her, participated in the slanderers and was among those who were destroyed.
Imam Zuhri says: This is the narration that has reached me regarding the incident of those people.
Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: It was the noble habit of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that when he intended to go on a journey, he would draw lots among his wives, and whichever of them was chosen, he would take her with him. Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: Once, before setting out for a battle, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) drew lots among us, and my name was drawn. We set out with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). This was after the command of hijab had been revealed. I was placed in a howdah, and during the journey, whenever we camped, I would remain in it. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) finished that battle and returned, and we approached Madinah, (during one of the camps) the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) announced departure at night. When people prepared to leave, I got up and walked away from the army to relieve myself. When I returned and touched my chest, I realized that my necklace made of stones had fallen somewhere. I went back to search for my necklace and stayed there searching for it. The people who used to carry the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) belongings came and lifted my howdah, placed it on the camel I used to ride, thinking I was inside it.
Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: In those days, women were light in weight, not covered with much flesh. They lifted the howdah and placed it on the camel. When they finished, the army departed. After the army had left, I found my necklace. I returned to the camping place, but there was no one to call out or respond. I stayed at the same place where I had been. While I was sitting there, sleep overcame me and I fell asleep.
Sayyiduna Safwan bin Mu'attal Salami (may Allah be pleased with him) had camped at night and, walking in the morning, came near my place of residence. He saw the figure of a human and approached me. When he saw me, he recognized me, as he had seen me before the command of hijab was revealed. When he recited "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un" upon recognizing me, I woke up. I covered my face with my cloak. By Allah! He did not speak to me, nor did I hear from him any word except his recitation of "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un." He made his camel kneel, and I mounted it. Then he led the camel until we reached the army, who had camped after the sun had risen high.
Because of this incident, some people were destroyed, and the one who took the greatest part in it was 'Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul. (Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:) I arrived in Madinah and remained ill for a month. I was unaware of what people were saying about those who had made the false accusation. I felt some confusion regarding the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), as he was not showing the same care for me during my illness as he used to before. He would come and ask, "How are you?" This made me suspicious, but I did not know the reality. After recovering somewhat from my illness, I once went out of the house (to relieve myself), accompanied by Umm Mistah. We went to Manasi' (an open field), which was our place for relieving ourselves. We (women) would only go there at night, because we disliked having toilets near our homes. Our practice was like that of the earlier Arabs, who would relieve themselves in open places, and we found it distressing to have toilets near the house.
I was going, accompanied by Umm Mistah, who was the daughter of Abu Ruhm bin Muttalib bin 'Abd Manaf. Her mother was the daughter of Sakhr bin 'Amir, who was the maternal aunt of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), and her son was Mistah bin Athathah bin 'Ubad bin Muttalib. After finishing our business, we were returning home when Umm Mistah's foot got caught in her cloak, and she said, "May Mistah be ruined!" I said to her, "You have said a terrible thing! You are cursing a man who participated in the Battle of Badr." She said, "O naive woman, have you not heard what he has done?" I asked, "What has he done?" She informed me about what the accusers were saying.
(Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:) This increased my illness. I returned home. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to me, greeted me, and asked, "How are you?" I said, "Will you permit me to go to my parents?" At that time, I wanted to confirm the news from my parents. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) gave me permission. I went to my parents and asked my mother, "O mother, what are people talking about?" She said, "O my daughter, be calm. By Allah! Whenever a woman is more beautiful in the eyes of her husband, and he loves her, and she has co-wives, they tend to be jealous of her." Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: I said, "Subhan Allah! Are people really saying such things?" Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: That night, my tears did not stop, and I did not sleep until morning; I kept weeping.
(During this time,) the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called Sayyiduna 'Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) and Sayyiduna Usamah bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him). He wanted to consult them about separating from his wife (i.e., Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her)), as no revelation had yet come regarding this matter. As for Sayyiduna Usamah bin Zayd (may Allah be pleased with him), he advised the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding his wife, knowing her innocence, and mentioned the Prophet’s (peace and blessings be upon him) love for her. He said, "She is your wife. We know only good about her." As for Sayyiduna 'Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), he said, "Allah has not put you in difficulty. There are many other women besides her. But if you ask the maidservant, she will tell you the truth." Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) called Barirah and asked, "O Barirah! Have you seen anything concerning 'Aishah that would make you suspicious?" Barirah replied, "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! By the One Who sent you with the truth, I have seen nothing in her except one thing I can criticize: she is a young girl, sometimes she kneads dough and falls asleep, and the goat comes and eats the dough."
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) stood among the people and complained about 'Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, saying: He was on the pulpit and said, "O assembly of Muslims! Who will excuse me regarding a man whose harm has reached my family? By Allah! I know only good about my wife, and regarding the man they accuse, I know only good about him. He has never entered my house except with me." At this, Sayyiduna Sa'd bin Mu'adh al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up and said, "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! I will excuse you regarding him. If he is from the tribe of Aws, we will strike his neck, and if he is from the tribe of Khazraj, command us, and we will obey your command." At this, Sayyiduna Sa'd bin 'Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him) stood up—he was the chief of Khazraj and a righteous man, but tribal zeal overtook him—and said, "By Allah! You cannot kill him, nor will you be able to kill him." At this, Sayyiduna Usayd bin Hudayr (may Allah be pleased with him), who was the cousin of Sa'd bin Mu'adh (may Allah be pleased with him), stood up and said, "You are lying! By Allah! We will surely kill him. You are a hypocrite, arguing on behalf of the hypocrites." Then a dispute broke out between the people of Aws and Khazraj, until it almost led to fighting. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) kept calming them until they became quiet. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also became silent.
I wept the whole day; my tears did not stop, and I could not sleep. My parents thought my heart would burst from weeping. While they were sitting with me, a woman from the Ansar asked permission to enter. I allowed her in, and she sat with me. While we were sitting in this state, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came in, greeted us, and sat down. Since this situation had arisen, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had never sat with me in this way before. A month had passed, and no revelation had come to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) regarding my case.
Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited the testimony of faith, then said: "As for what follows: O 'Aishah, such-and-such has reached me about you. If you are innocent, Allah will declare your innocence. But if you have committed a sin, then seek forgiveness from Allah and repent, for when a servant admits his sin and repents, Allah accepts his repentance." When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) finished speaking, my tears stopped, and I did not feel even a drop. I said to my father, "Respond to the Messenger of Allah on my behalf." He said, "By Allah! I do not know what to say to the Messenger of Allah." I said to my mother, "Respond to the Messenger of Allah on my behalf." She said, "By Allah! I do not know what to say to the Messenger of Allah." (Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:) So I said, "I am a young girl and do not know much of the Qur'an, but by Allah! I know that you have heard this story and it has settled in your minds, and you have believed it. If I say I am innocent—and Allah knows I am innocent—you will not believe me. And if I admit to something, while Allah knows I am innocent, you will believe me. By Allah! I can only say what the father of Yusuf (peace be upon him) said: 'So patience is most fitting, and Allah is the one sought for help against that which you describe.'"
(Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:) Then I turned away and lay down on my bed. By Allah! I knew I was innocent, and Allah would declare my innocence, but I did not think Allah would reveal a revelation about me that would be recited. I hoped the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would see a dream in which Allah would declare my innocence. Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: By Allah! The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had not yet moved from his place, and none of the people in the house had left, when Allah revealed revelation to His Prophet. The state that would come upon the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) during revelation overtook him due to its intensity. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recovered, the first thing he said was: "O 'Aishah! By Allah! Allah has declared your innocence." My mother said to me, "Get up and go to the Messenger of Allah." I said, "By Allah! I will not stand before the Messenger of Allah. I will only praise Allah, Who has revealed my innocence." Allah revealed the verse: "Indeed, those who came with the false accusation are a group among you..." and the following ten verses. Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: Allah revealed these verses regarding my innocence.
(Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates:) Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) used to spend on Mistah (may Allah be pleased with him) due to their kinship and his poverty. He said, "By Allah! After what he said about 'Aishah, I will never spend on him again." Then Allah revealed the verse: "Let not those among you who are blessed and wealthy swear not to give to their relatives..." until, "Do you not love that Allah should forgive you?" Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "By Allah! I love that Allah should forgive me." After that, he resumed spending on Mistah (may Allah be pleased with him) as he used to before, and said, "By Allah! I will never stop supporting him."
Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) also asked Sayyidah Zaynab bint Jahsh (may Allah be pleased with her) about my case: "What do you know and what is your opinion?" Sayyidah Zaynab (may Allah be pleased with her) replied, "I protect my hearing and my sight. I know only good." Sayyidah 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) narrates: Among the wives of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), she was the one who used to compete with me, but Allah protected her (from slander) due to her piety. However, her sister Hamnah bint Jahsh, out of zeal for her, participated in the slanderers and was among those who were destroyed.
Imam Zuhri says: This is the narration that has reached me regarding the incident of those people.
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