He was asking her about the saying of Allah the Exalted, "Until, when the messengers despaired" [Yusuf 12:110].I asked, "Were they accused of lying, or did they themselves think they had been lied to?"Ayesha replied, "They were accused of lying."I said, "But they were certain that their people had rejected them as liars, so it was not a matter of mere supposition."She said, "Yes, by my life, they were certain of that."I then said to her, "And they thought that they had been lied to?"She said, "Allah forbid! The messengers would never think such a thing about their Lord."I asked, "Then what is the meaning of this verse?"She replied, "They are the followers of the messengers, those who believed in their Lord and affirmed the truth of His messengers. The trial was prolonged for them and divine help was delayed, until, when the messengers despaired of those of their people who had rejected them, and the messengers thought that even their own followers had come to disbelieve them, at that moment the help of Allah came to them."
حدثنا عبد العزيز بن عبد الله حدثنا إبراهيم بن سعد عن صالح عن ابن شهاب قال أخبرني عروة بن الزبير
له وهو يسألها عن قول الله تعالى {حتى إذا استيأس الرسل} قال قلت أكذبوا أم كذبوا قالت عائشة كذبوا قلت فقد استيقنوا أن قومهم كذبوهم فما هو بالظن قالت أجل لعمري لقد استيقنوا بذلك فقلت لها وظنوا أنهم قد كذبوا قالت معاذ الله لم تكن الرسل تظن ذلك بربها قلت فما هذه الآية قالت هم أتباع الرسل الذين آمنوا بربهم وصدقوهم فطال عليهم البلاء واستأخر عنهم النصر حتى إذا استيأس الرسل ممن كذبهم من قومهم وظنت الرسل أن أتباعهم قد كذبوهم جاءهم نصر الله عند ذلك