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4- The Messenger of Allah 
asking ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, about the accusation
asking ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, about the accusationNo revelation regarding my case came to him for a month. The Messenger of Allah recited the Shahaadah [None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger], and then said: “O ‘Aa’ishah, I was informed of such-and-such about you; if you are innocent, then Allah will soon reveal your innocence, and if you committed a sin, then repent to Allah and ask Him to forgive you, for when a person confesses his sin and asks Allah for forgiveness, Allah accepts his repentance.”
recited the Shahaadah [None has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and Muhammad is His Messenger], and then said: “O ‘Aa’ishah, I was informed of such-and-such about you; if you are innocent, then Allah will soon reveal your innocence, and if you committed a sin, then repent to Allah and ask Him to forgive you, for when a person confesses his sin and asks Allah for forgiveness, Allah accepts his repentance.”When the Messenger of Allah finished his speech my tears ceased completely, and there remained not even a single drop. I asked my father to answer the Messenger of Allah on my behalf. My father said, “By Allah, I do not know what to say to the Messenger of Allah.” I said to my mother, “Answer the Messenger of Allah.” She said, ‘By Allah, I do not know what to say to the Messenger of Allah.”
finished his speech my tears ceased completely, and there remained not even a single drop. I asked my father to answer the Messenger of Allah on my behalf. My father said, “By Allah, I do not know what to say to the Messenger of Allah.” I said to my mother, “Answer the Messenger of Allah.” She said, ‘By Allah, I do not know what to say to the Messenger of Allah.”I was a young girl and did not have much knowledge of the Quran. I said, “I know, by Allah, that you have listened to what people are saying until it has been planted in your mind, and you have believed it to be the truth. Now, if I tell you that I am innocent and Allah knows that I am innocent, you would not believe me, and if I confessed to you falsely that I am guilty, and Allah knows that I am innocent, you would believe me. By Allah, I cannot compare my situation with respect to you except to the situation of Yoosuf’s [Joseph] father [i.e. Ya‘qoob (Jacob)] who said, ‘So [for me] patience is most fitting against that which you assert and it is Allah [Alone] whose help can be sought.’”
Then I turned over to the other side of my bed, hoping that Allah would prove my innocence. By Allah, I never thought that Allah would reveal some of the Quran with regard to my case as I considered myself too inferior to be mentioned in the Quran. I only hoped that the Messenger of Allah would have a dream in which Allah would confirm my innocence.
would have a dream in which Allah would confirm my innocence.5- Revelation confirming the innocence of ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her
By Allah, the Messenger of Allah had not got up and nobody had left the house before the revelation came to the Messenger of Allah . So, there overtook him the same state which would overtake him, [which he would have, on receiving revelation]. He was sweating so much that drops of the sweat were dropping like pearls though it was a [cold] wintry day. When this state of the Messenger of Allah was over; he was smiling and the first thing he said was: “O ‘Aa’ishah, Allah has declared your innocence.” My mother told me to go to the Messenger of Allah but I said said, “By Allah I will not go to him and will not thank him but Allah.” Allah had revealed the verses [which mean]:
had not got up and nobody had left the house before the revelation came to the Messenger of Allah . So, there overtook him the same state which would overtake him, [which he would have, on receiving revelation]. He was sweating so much that drops of the sweat were dropping like pearls though it was a [cold] wintry day. When this state of the Messenger of Allah was over; he was smiling and the first thing he said was: “O ‘Aa’ishah, Allah has declared your innocence.” My mother told me to go to the Messenger of Allah but I said said, “By Allah I will not go to him and will not thank him but Allah.” Allah had revealed the verses [which mean]:{Indeed, those who came with falsehood are a group among you. Do not think it bad for you; rather it is good for you. For every person among them is what [punishment] he has earned from the sin, and he who took upon himself the greater portion thereof - for him is a great punishment. Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think good of one another and say, “This is an obvious falsehood”? Why did they [who slandered] not produce for it four witnesses? And when they do not produce the witnesses, then it is they, in the sight of Allah, who are the liars. And if it had not been for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy in this world and the Hereafter, you would have been touched for that [lie] in which you were involved by a great punishment. When you received it with your tongues and said with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge and thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of Allah, tremendous. And why, when you heard it, did you not say, “It is not for us to speak of this. Exalted are You, [O Allah]; this is a great slander?” Allah warns you against returning to the likes of this [conduct], ever, if you should be believers. And Allah makes clear to you the verses, and Allah is Knowing and Wise. Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread [or publicized] among those who have believed will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you do not know. And if it had not been for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy... and because Allah is Kind and Merciful.} [Quran 24:11-20]
6- The stance of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, regarding those who were involved in the Incident of Slander against ‘Aa’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her
When Allah gave the declaration of my [‘Aai’shah’s] innocence, Abu Bakr, who would provide for Mistah bin Uthaathah, a poor relative of his, said, “By Allah, I will never again provide for Mistah because of what he said about ‘Aa’ishah.” But Allah later revealed (what means): {And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give [aid] to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the cause of Allah, and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.} [Quran 24:22] After that Abu Bakr said, “Yes, by Allah! I want Allah to forgive me,” and resumed helping Mistah, whom he would help previously.
The Messenger of Allah had also asked Zaynab bint Jahsh [i.e. the Prophet's wife] about me saying, “What do you know and what did you see?” She replied, “O Messenger of Allah, I refrain from claiming to have heard or seen what I have not heard or seen. By Allah, I know nothing except goodness about ‘Aa’ishah.” [‘Aa’ishah further added], Zaynab was competing with me [in her beauty and for the Prophet's love], yet Allah protected her [from being malicious], for she had piety. Her sister Hamnah, started struggling on her behalf, and she was destroyed along with those who were destroyed as were those who invented and spread the slander. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
had also asked Zaynab bint Jahsh [i.e. the Prophet's wife] about me saying, “What do you know and what did you see?” She replied, “O Messenger of Allah, I refrain from claiming to have heard or seen what I have not heard or seen. By Allah, I know nothing except goodness about ‘Aa’ishah.” [‘Aa’ishah further added], Zaynab was competing with me [in her beauty and for the Prophet's love], yet Allah protected her [from being malicious], for she had piety. Her sister Hamnah, started struggling on her behalf, and she was destroyed along with those who were destroyed as were those who invented and spread the slander. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]The Incident of the Slander was only part of the series of harms and afflictions that the Messenger of Allah suffered from at the hands of the enemies of religion. It was the mercy of Allah that He showed the falsehood of this slander. History recorded in authentic narrations the stances of the believers regarding this slander, especially the stances of Abu Ayyoob and Umm Ayyoob, may Allah be pleased with them. They are stances that the believers should take as examples to be followed when they face similar situations in their life, for although the revelation has ceased, there remain lessons to be learnt by all the coming generations until Allah The Almighty inherits the earth and those who are on it.
suffered from at the hands of the enemies of religion. It was the mercy of Allah that He showed the falsehood of this slander. History recorded in authentic narrations the stances of the believers regarding this slander, especially the stances of Abu Ayyoob and Umm Ayyoob, may Allah be pleased with them. They are stances that the believers should take as examples to be followed when they face similar situations in their life, for although the revelation has ceased, there remain lessons to be learnt by all the coming generations until Allah The Almighty inherits the earth and those who are on it.
Lessons from the incident of slander and the Battle of Banu Al-Mustaliq
