English translation
4757. Narrated ‘Aishah: زُصِيَ اللهُ عَنْهَا: When there was said about me what was said, which I myself was unaware of, Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ got up and addressed the people. He recited Tashah-hud,(1) and after glorifying and praising Allāh as He deserved, he said, "Amma ba'du (now then): O people! Give me your opinion regarding those people who made a forged story against my wife. By Allāh, I do not know anything bad about her. By Allāh, they accused her of being with a man about whom I have never known anything bad, and he never entered my house unless I was present there, and whenever I went on a journey, he went with me." Sa'd bin Mu'ādh got up and said, "O Allāh's Messenger! Allow me to chop their heads off!" Then a man from the Al-Khazraj (Sa'd bin 'Ubāda) to whom the mother of (the poet) Ḥassān bin Thābit was a relative, got up and said (to Sa'd bin Mu'ādh), "You have told a lie! By Allāh, if those persons were from the Aūs tribe, you would not like to chop their heads off." It was probable that some evil would take place between the Aūs and the Khazraj in the mosque, and I was unaware of all that. In the evening of that day, I went out for some of my needs (i.e., to relieve myself), and Umm Miṣṭaḥ was accompanying me. On our return, Umm Miṣṭaḥ stumbled and said, "Let Miṣṭaḥ be ruined!" I said to her, "O mother! Why do you abuse your son?" On that Umm Miṣṭaḥ became silent for a while, and stumbling again, she said, "Let Miṣṭaḥ be ruined!" I said to her, "Why do you abuse your son?" She stumbled for the third time and said, "Let Miṣṭaḥ be ruined!" Whereupon I rebuked her for that. She said, "By Allāh, I do not abuse him except because of you." I asked her, "Concerning what of my affairs?" So, she disclosed the whole story to me. I said, "Has this really happened?" She replied, "Yes, by Allāh." I returned to my house, astonished (and distressed) that I did not know for what purpose I had gone out. Then I became sick and said to Allāh's Messenger ﷺ, "Send me to my father's house." So, he sent a slave with me, and when I entered the house, I found Umm Rūmān (my mother) downstairs while (my father) Abū Bakr was reciting something upstairs. My mother asked, "What has brought you, O (my) daughter?" I informed her and mentioned to her the whole story, but she did not feel it as I did. She said, "O my daughter! Don't worry much about this matter, for there is never a charming lady loved by her husband who has other wives, but that they feel jealous of her and speak badly of her." But she did not feel about it as I did. I asked (her), "Does my father know about it?" She said, "Yes." I asked, "Does Allāh's Messenger ﷺ know about it, too?" She said, "Yes, Allāh's Messenger does, too." So the tears filled my eyes and I wept. Abū Bakr, who was reading upstairs heard my voice and came down and asked my mother, "What is the matter with her?" She said, "She has heard what has been said about her (as regards the story of Al-Ifk)."1 On that Abū Bakr wept and said, "I beseech you by Allāh, O my daughter, to go back to your home." I went back to my home and Allāh's Messenger ﷺ had come to my house and asked my maid-servant about me (my character). The maid-servant said, "By Allāh, I do not know of any fault or defect in her character except that she sleeps and let the sheep enter (her house) and eat her dough." On that, some of the Prophet's Companions spoke harshly to her and said, "Tell the truth to Allāh's Messenger ﷺ." Finally, they told her of the affair (of the slander). She said, "Subhān Allāh! By Allāh, I know nothing against her except what goldsmith knows about a piece of pure gold." Then this news reached the man who was accused, and he said, "Subhān Allāh! By Allāh, I have never uncovered the private parts of any woman.” Later that man was martyred in Allāh’s Cause. Next morning, my parents came to pay me a visit and they stayed with me till Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ came to me after he had offered the Aṣr prayer. He came to me while my parents were sitting around me on my right and my left. He praised and glorified Allāh and said, “Now then, O ‘Aīshah! If you have committed a bad deed, or you have wronged (yourself), then repent to Allāh, as Allāh accepts the repentance from His slaves.” An Anṣārī woman had come and was sitting near the gate. I said (to the Prophet ﷺ), “Isn’t it improper that you speak in such a way in the presence of this lady?” Allāh’s Messenger ﷺ then gave a piece of advice and I turned to my father and requested him to answer him (on my behalf). My father said, “What should I say?” Then I turned to my mother and asked her to answer him. She said, “What should I say?” When my parents did not give a reply to the Prophet ﷺ, I said, “I testify that Lā ilāha illallāh (none has the right to be worshipped but Allāh) and that Muḥammad (ﷺ) is His Messenger!” And after praising and glorifying Allāh as He deserves, I said, “Now then, by Allāh, if I were to tell you that I have not done (this evil action), and Allāh عزّ وجلّ is a witness that I am telling the truth, that would not be of any use to me on your part because you (people) have spoken about it and your hearts have absorbed it (as truth); and if I were to tell you that I have done this sin, and Allāh knows that I have not done it, then you will say, ‘She has confessed her guilt.’ By Allāh, I do not see a suitable example for me and you except the example of [I tried to remember Yu’qūb’s (Jacob’s) name but couldn’t] Yūsuf’s (Joseph’s) father when he said: ‘So (for me) patience is most fitting. And it is Allāh (Alone) Whose help can be sought against that (lie) which you describe.' At that very hour the Divine Revelation came to Allāh's Messenger ﷺ and we remained silent. Then the Revelation was over and I noticed the signs of happiness on his face while he was removing (the sweat) from his forehead and saying, "Have the good tidings O 'Āishah! Allāh has revealed your innocence." At that time I was extremely angry. My parents said to me. "Get up and go to him." I said, "By Allāh, I will not do it and will not thank him nor thank either of you, but I will thank Allāh, Who has revealed my innocence. You have heard (this story) but neither of you have denied it, nor you have changed it (to defend me)." ('Āishah used to say:)" But as regards Zainab bint Jahsh, (the Prophet's wife), Allāh protected her because of her piety, so she did not say anything except good (about me), but her sister, Ĥamna, was ruined among those who were ruined. Those who used to speak evil about me were Miṣṭah, Ḥassān bin Thābit, and the hypocrite, 'Abdullāh bin Ubayy, who used to spread that news and tempt others to speak of it, and it was he and Ĥamna who had the greater share therein. Abū Bakr took an oath that he would never do any favour to Miṣṭah at all. Then Allāh عزَّ وجلَّ revealed the Divine Verse: 'Let not those among you who are blessed with graces and wealth (i.e., Abū Bakr) swear not to give (any sort of help) to their kinsmen, Al-Masākīn (the poor) and the poor... (up to) ...Do you not love that Allāh should forgive you? And Allāh if Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.'" (V.24:22) On that, Abū Bakr said, 'Yes, by Allāh, O our Lord! We wish that You should forgive us.' So, Abū Bakr again started giving to Miṣṭah the expenditure which he used to give him before."