Ayesha reported,

When the people of the slander said about her what they said, Allah cleared her of what they alleged. Each of them narrated to me a portion of her story, and some of them remembered it more thoroughly than others and were more precise in recounting it. I have retained from each of them the account he related to me, and parts of their accounts confirm one another.They mentioned that Ayesha, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, said, "Whenever the Messenger of Allah ﷺ intended to set out on a journey, he would draw lots between his wives, and whichever of them was chosen, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would take with him."Ayesha said, "He drew lots between us for an expedition he was undertaking, and my lot came out, so I went out with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. This was after the verse of the veil had been revealed, so I was carried in my litter and set down in it. We traveled until, when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had completed his expedition and was returning, and we drew near to Madinah, he announced one night that we would depart. When they made the announcement, I rose and walked until I had passed beyond the army. After I had finished my need, I returned to my mount, and when I felt my chest, I realized that my necklace of Zafar onyx beads had broken off. I went back and searched for my necklace, and the search delayed me."The group who used to load my litter came and lifted it onto the camel I rode, thinking I was inside. Women in those days were light, not heavy or fleshy, eating only small amounts of food, so the people did not notice the lightness of the litter when they lifted and loaded it. I was a young girl at the time. They drove the camel and set off. I found my necklace after the army had moved on, and when I came to their camp, there was no one to call out to and no one to answer. So I made for the spot where I had been, thinking that the people would miss me and return for me. While I was sitting there, sleep overcame me, and I slept."Safwan bin Muattal al-Sulami, then al-Zakwani, had stopped to rest behind the army and had set out at the end of the night. He reached my resting place in the morning and saw the dark shape of someone sleeping. He came up to me and recognized me when he saw me, for he had seen me before the veil was prescribed. I awoke at his utterance of 'inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi rajiun' when he recognized me, and I covered my face with my outer garment. By Allah, he did not speak a single word to me, nor did I hear any word from him other than that phrase, until he made his camel kneel and trod on its foreleg, and I mounted it. He led the mount with me on it until we reached the army after they had halted at the height of the noon heat."Then those who were going to be ruined were ruined, and the one who took the lead in spreading it was Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul. We arrived in Madinah, and I fell ill for a month after our arrival, while the people were spreading the words of the slanderers, and I was unaware of any of it. What troubled me during my illness was that I did not see from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ the tenderness I used to see from him when I was sick. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ would simply enter, greet, and then say, 'How is that one of yours?' That troubled me, but I did not perceive the evil."Then I went out, after I had recovered, with Umm Mistah toward al-Manasi, where we used to relieve ourselves. We only went out at night, and this was before we had latrines near our houses. Our practice was that of the early Arabs, going out into the open country, for we found it offensive to have latrines near our homes. I went out with Umm Mistah, who was the daughter of Abu Ruhm bin Muttalib bin Abd Manaf, and her mother was the daughter of Sakhr bin Amir, the maternal aunt of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, and her son was Mistah bin Uthatha bin Abbad bin Muttalib. The daughter of Abu Ruhm and I came toward my house when we had finished our need. Umm Mistah stumbled in her cloak and said, 'May Mistah perish!'"I said to her, 'What an evil thing you have said! Are you cursing a man who fought at Badr?'"She said, 'My dear, did you not hear what he said?'"I asked, 'And what did he say?'"She told me what the slanderers had said, and my illness grew worse. When I returned home, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came in to me, greeted me, and then said, 'How is that one of yours?'"I said, 'Will you give me permission to go to my parents?'" She said, "I wanted at that time to verify the news from them. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave me permission, and I went to my parents."I said to my mother, 'Mother, what are the people saying?'"She said, 'My little daughter, take it lightly. By Allah, rarely is there a beautiful woman with a husband who loves her, and who has co-wives, but they speak much against her.'"I said, 'Glory be to Allah! Have the people really been saying this?'"That night I wept until morning. My tears would not cease, nor did I have a wink of sleep. Then I awoke still weeping. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ called Ali bin Abu Talib and Usama bin Zayd, since the revelation had been delayed, to consult them about parting from his wife."Usama bin Zayd advised the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in accordance with what he knew of his family's innocence and the affection he felt for them. He said, 'Messenger of Allah, they are your family, and we know nothing but good of them.'"Ali bin Abu Talib said, 'Allah has not constrained you. There are many other women besides her. Ask the maidservant, she will tell you the truth.'"So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called Barira and said, 'Barira, have you seen anything in Ayesha that gives you cause for suspicion?'"Barira said to him, 'By the One who sent you with the truth, I have never seen anything in her that I could find fault with, except that she is a young girl who falls asleep over her family's dough, and the household sheep comes and eats it.'"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then stood on the pulpit and asked the people to absolve him of any blame should he act against Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said while standing on the pulpit, 'Muslims, who will excuse me from a man whose harm has reached my own family? By Allah, I know nothing but good of my family, and they have mentioned a man of whom I know nothing but good, who never entered my household except in my company.'"Saad bin Muaz al-Ansari rose and said, 'I will excuse you from him, Messenger of Allah. If he is from the Aws, we will strike off his head, and if he is from our brothers the Khazraj, command us, and we will carry out your command.'"Then Saad bin Ubada, who was the chief of the Khazraj and a righteous man, but tribal zeal got the better of him, rose and said to Saad bin Muaz, 'You have lied! By the life of Allah, you will not kill him, nor are you able to kill him.'"Then Usayd bin Hudayr, the cousin of Saad bin Muaz, rose and said to Saad bin Ubada, 'You have lied! By the life of Allah, we shall surely kill him. You are a hypocrite arguing on behalf of the hypocrites.'"The two tribes, the Aws and the Khazraj, became aroused and were on the point of fighting one another, while the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was standing on the pulpit. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ kept calming them down until they fell silent, and he too fell silent."I wept that whole day. My tears would not cease, nor did I have a wink of sleep. Then I wept the following night. My tears would not cease, nor did I have a wink of sleep, while my parents thought that the weeping would split my liver. While they were sitting with me and I was weeping, a woman of the Ansar asked permission to come in. I gave her permission, and she sat down weeping too. While we were in this state, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ entered upon us, greeted, and sat down. He had not sat with me since what had been said about me had been said. A month had passed during which no revelation had come to him concerning my case."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave the testimony of faith when he sat down, then said, 'To proceed, Ayesha, such and such has reached me concerning you. If you are innocent, Allah will declare your innocence. And if you have committed a sin, ask forgiveness of Allah and turn to Him in repentance, for when a servant confesses a sin and then repents, Allah turns to him in forgiveness.'"When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had finished his words, my tears dried up so that I felt not a drop of them. I said to my father, 'Answer the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for me regarding what he has said.'"He said, 'By Allah, I do not know what to say to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.'"So I said to my mother, 'Answer the Messenger of Allah ﷺ for me.'"She said, 'By Allah, I do not know what to say to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.'"Then I said, though I was a young girl who did not recite much of the Quran, 'By Allah, I know that you have heard this, and it has settled in your hearts, and you have believed it. If I tell you that I am innocent, and Allah knows that I am innocent, you will not believe me. And if I confess to you something that Allah knows I am innocent of, you will believe me. By Allah, I find no example for myself and you except what the father of Yusuf said, "So patience is graceful, and Allah is the One whose help is sought against what you describe" [Yusuf 12:18].'"Then I turned away and lay down on my bed. By Allah, I knew at that time that I was innocent and that Allah would clear me by my innocence. But by Allah, I never thought that revelation would be sent down concerning my case to be recited. I considered my situation too insignificant for Allah to speak about it in something that would be recited. I only hoped that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would see a dream in his sleep through which Allah would clear me."By Allah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had not left his seat, nor had anyone of the household departed, when Allah sent down revelation to His Prophet ﷺ. The state that used to come over him at the time of revelation came over him, until drops like pearls of sweat poured from him on a winter's day, from the weight of the words being sent down upon him."When the state passed from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, he was smiling, and the first word he spoke was, 'Rejoice, Ayesha! As for Allah, He has cleared you.'"My mother said to me, 'Get up and go to him.'"I said, 'By Allah, I will not get up to him, nor will I praise anyone but Allah. He is the One who sent down my exoneration.'"Allah sent down, "Indeed, those who came with the slander are a group among you" [Nur 24:11], ten verses. So Allah revealed these verses declaring my innocence."Abu Bakr, who used to provide for Mistah because of his kinship and his poverty, said, 'By Allah, I will never spend anything on him again after what he said about Ayesha.'"So Allah sent down, "And let not those of virtue and abundance among you swear not to give to their relatives," up to His statement, "Do you not love that Allah should forgive you?" [Nur 24:22].Hibban bin Musa said, Abdullah bin Mubarak said, "This is the most hopeful verse in the Book of Allah.""Abu Bakr said, 'By Allah, I do indeed love that Allah should forgive me.'"So he restored to Mistah the maintenance he used to give him and said, 'I will never withhold it from him.'"Ayesha said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ had asked Zaynab bint Jahsh, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ, about my affair, 'What do you know, or what have you seen?'"She said, 'Messenger of Allah, I guard my hearing and my sight. By Allah, I know nothing but good.'"Ayesha said, "She was the one among the wives of the Prophet ﷺ who used to vie with me, but Allah preserved her through her piety. Her sister Hamna bint Jahsh began to fight on her behalf, and she perished among those who perished."Zuhri said, "This is what has reached us of the affair of these people." In the narration of Yunus he said, "Tribal zeal got the better of him."

حدثنا حبان بن موسى أخبرنا عبد الله بن المبارك أخبرنا يونس بن يزيد الأيلي ح و حدثنا إسحق بن إبراهيم الحنظلي ومحمد بن رافع وعبد بن حميد قال ابن رافع حدثنا و قال الآخران أخبرنا عبد الرزاق أخبرنا معمر والسياق حديث معمر من رواية عبد وابن رافع قال يونس ومعمر جميعا عن الزهري أخبرني سعيد بن المسيب وعروة بن الزبير وعلقمة بن وقاص وعبيد الله بن عبد الله بن عتبة بن مسعود

عن حديث عائشة زوج النبي ﷺ

حين قال لها أهل الإفك ما قالوا فبرأها الله مما قالوا وكلهم حدثني طائفة من حديثها وبعضهم كان أوعى لحديثها من بعض وأثبت اقتصاصا وقد وعيت عن كل واحد منهم الحديث الذي حدثني وبعض حديثهم يصدق بعضا ذكروا أن عائشة زوج النبي ﷺ قالت كان رسول الله ﷺ إذا أراد أن يخرج سفرا أقرع بين نسائه فأيتهن خرج سهمها خرج بها رسول الله ﷺ معه قالت عائشة فأقرع بيننا في غزوة غزاها فخرج فيها سهمي فخرجت مع رسول الله ﷺ وذلك بعد ما أنزل الحجاب فأنا أحمل في هودجي وأنزل فيه مسيرنا حتى إذا فرغ رسول الله ﷺ من غزوه وقفل ودنونا من المدينة آذن ليلة بالرحيل فقمت حين آذنوا بالرحيل فمشيت حتى جاوزت الجيش فلما قضيت من شأني أقبلت إلى الرحل فلمست صدري فإذا عقدي من جزع ظفار قد انقطع فرجعت فالتمست عقدي فحبسني ابتغاؤه وأقبل الرهط الذين كانوا يرحلون لي فحملوا هودجي فرحلوه على بعيري الذي كنت أركب وهم يحسبون أني فيه قالت وكانت النساء إذ ذاك خفافا لم يهبلن ولم يغشهن اللحم إنما يأكلن العلقة من الطعام فلم يستنكر القوم ثقل الهودج حين رحلوه ورفعوه وكنت جارية حديثة السن فبعثوا الجمل وساروا ووجدت عقدي بعد ما استمر الجيش فجئت منازلهم وليس بها داع ولا مجيب فتيممت منزلي الذي كنت فيه وظننت أن القوم سيفقدوني فيرجعون إلي فبينا أنا جالسة في منزلي غلبتني عيني فنمت وكان صفوان بن المعطل السلمي ثم الذكواني قد عرس من وراء الجيش فادلج فأصبح عند منزلي فرأى سواد إنسان نائم فأتاني فعرفني حين رآني وقد كان يراني قبل أن يضرب الحجاب علي فاستيقظت باسترجاعه حين عرفني فخمرت وجهي بجلبابي و والله ما يكلمني كلمة ولا سمعت منه كلمة غير استرجاعه حتى أناخ راحلته فوطئ على يدها فركبتها فانطلق يقود بي الراحلة حتى أتينا الجيش بعد ما نزلوا موغرين في نحر الظهيرة فهلك من هلك في شأني وكان الذي تولى كبره عبد الله بن أبي ابن سلول فقدمنا المدينة فاشتكيت حين قدمنا المدينة شهرا والناس يفيضون في قول أهل الإفك ولا أشعر بشيء من ذلك وهو يريبني في وجعي أني لا أعرف من رسول الله ﷺ اللطف الذي كنت أرى منه حين أشتكي إنما يدخل رسول الله ﷺ فيسلم ثم يقول كيف تيكم فذاك يريبني ولا أشعر بالشر حتى خرجت بعد ما نقهت وخرجت معي أم مسطح قبل المناصع وهو متبرزنا ولا نخرج إلا ليلا إلى ليل وذلك قبل أن نتخذ الكنف قريبا من بيوتنا وأمرنا أمر العرب الأول في التنزه وكنا نتأذى بالكنف أن نتخذها عند بيوتنا فانطلقت أنا وأم مسطح وهي بنت أبي رهم بن المطلب بن عبد مناف وأمها ابنة صخر بن عامر خالة أبي بكر الصديق وابنها مسطح بن أثاثة بن عباد بن المطلب فأقبلت أنا وبنت أبي رهم قبل بيتي حين فرغنا من شأننا فعثرت أم مسطح في مرطها فقالت تعس مسطح فقلت لها بئس ما قلت أتسبين رجلا قد شهد بدرا قالت أي هنتاه أو لم تسمعي ما قال قلت وماذا قال قالت فأخبرتني بقول أهل الإفك فازددت مرضا إلى مرضي فلما رجعت إلى بيتي فدخل علي رسول الله ﷺ فسلم ثم قال كيف تيكم قلت أتأذن لي أن آتي أبوي قالت وأنا حينئذ أريد أن أتيقن الخبر من قبلهما فأذن لي رسول الله ﷺ فجئت أبوي فقلت لأمي يا أمتاه ما يتحدث الناس فقالت يا بنية هوني عليك فوالله لقلما كانت امرأة قط وضيئة عند رجل يحبها ولها ضرائر إلا كثرن عليها قالت قلت سبحان الله وقد تحدث الناس بهذا قالت فبكيت تلك الليلة حتى أصبحت لا يرقأ لي دمع ولا أكتحل بنوم ثم أصبحت أبكي ودعا رسول الله ﷺ علي بن أبي طالب وأسامة بن زيد حين استلبث الوحي يستشيرهما في فراق أهله قالت فأما أسامة بن زيد فأشار على رسول الله ﷺ بالذي يعلم من براءة أهله وبالذي يعلم في نفسه لهم من الود فقال يا رسول الله هم أهلك ولا نعلم إلا خيرا وأما علي بن أبي طالب فقال لم يضيق الله عليك والنساء سواها كثير وإن تسأل الجارية تصدقك قالت فدعا رسول الله ﷺ بريرة فقال أي بريرة هل رأيت من شيء يريبك من عائشة قالت له بريرة والذي بعثك بالحق إن رأيت عليها أمرا قط أغمصه عليها أكثر من أنها جارية حديثة السن تنام عن عجين أهلها فتأتي الداجن فتأكله قالت فقام رسول الله ﷺ على المنبر فاستعذر من عبد الله بن أبي ابن سلول قالت فقال رسول الله ﷺ وهو على المنبر يا معشر المسلمين من يعذرني من رجل قد بلغ أذاه في أهل بيتي فوالله ما علمت على أهلي إلا خيرا ولقد ذكروا رجلا ما علمت عليه إلا خيرا وما كان يدخل على أهلي إلا معي فقام سعد بن معاذ الأنصاري فقال أنا أعذرك منه يا رسول الله إن كان من الأوس ضربنا عنقه وإن كان من إخواننا الخزرج أمرتنا ففعلنا أمرك قالت فقام سعد بن عبادة وهو سيد الخزرج وكان رجلا صالحا ولكن اجتهلته الحمية فقال لسعد بن معاذ كذبت لعمر الله لا تقتله ولا تقدر على قتله فقام أسيد بن حضير وهو ابن عم سعد بن معاذ فقال لسعد بن عبادة كذبت لعمر الله لنقتلنه فإنك منافق تجادل عن المنافقين فثار الحيان الأوس والخزرج حتى هموا أن يقتتلوا ورسول الله ﷺ قائم على المنبر فلم يزل رسول الله ﷺ يخفضهم حتى سكتوا وسكت قالت وبكيت يومي ذلك لا يرقأ لي دمع ولا أكتحل بنوم ثم بكيت ليلتي المقبلة لا يرقأ لي دمع ولا أكتحل بنوم وأبواي يظنان أن البكاء فالق كبدي فبينما هما جالسان عندي وأنا أبكي استأذنت علي امرأة من الأنصار فأذنت لها فجلست تبكي قالت فبينا نحن على ذلك دخل علينا رسول الله ﷺ فسلم ثم جلس قالت ولم يجلس عندي منذ قيل لي ما قيل وقد لبث شهرا لا يوحى إليه في شأني بشيء قالت فتشهد رسول الله ﷺ حين جلس ثم قال أما بعد يا عائشة فإنه قد بلغني عنك كذا وكذا فإن كنت بريئة فسيبرئك الله وإن كنت ألممت بذنب فاستغفري الله وتوبي إليه فإن العبد إذا اعترف بذنب ثم تاب تاب الله عليه قالت فلما قضى رسول الله ﷺ مقالته قلص دمعي حتى ما أحس منه قطرة فقلت لأبي أجب عني رسول الله ﷺ فيما قال فقال والله ما أدري ما أقول لرسول الله ﷺ فقلت لأمي أجيبي عني رسول الله ﷺ فقالت والله ما أدري ما أقول لرسول الله ﷺ فقلت وأنا جارية حديثة السن لا أقرأ كثيرا من القرآن إني والله لقد عرفت أنكم قد سمعتم بهذا حتى استقر في نفوسكم وصدقتم به فإن قلت لكم إني بريئة والله يعلم أني بريئة لا تصدقوني بذلك ولئن اعترفت لكم بأمر والله يعلم أني بريئة لتصدقونني وإني والله ما أجد لي ولكم مثلا إلا كما قال أبو يوسف {فصبر جميل والله المستعان على ما تصفون} قالت ثم تحولت فاضطجعت على فراشي قالت وأنا والله حينئذ أعلم أني بريئة وأن الله مبرئي ببراءتي ولكن والله ما كنت أظن أن ينزل في شأني وحي يتلى ولشأني كان أحقر في نفسي من أن يتكلم الله عز وجل في بأمر يتلى ولكني كنت أرجو أن يرى رسول الله ﷺ في النوم رؤيا يبرئني الله بها قالت فوالله ما رام رسول الله ﷺ مجلسه ولا خرج من أهل البيت أحد حتى أنزل الله عز وجل على نبيه ﷺ فأخذه ما كان يأخذه من البرحاء عند الوحي حتى إنه ليتحدر منه مثل الجمان من العرق في اليوم الشات من ثقل القول الذي أنزل عليه قالت فلما سري عن رسول الله ﷺ وهو يضحك فكان أول كلمة تكلم بها أن قال أبشري يا عائشة أما الله فقد برأك فقالت لي أمي قومي إليه فقلت والله لا أقوم إليه ولا أحمد إلا الله هو الذي أنزل براءتي قالت فأنزل الله عز وجل {إن الذين جاءوا بالإفك عصبة منكم} عشر آيات فأنزل الله عز وجل هؤلاء الآيات براءتي قالت فقال أبو بكر وكان ينفق على مسطح لقرابته منه وفقره والله لا أنفق عليه شيئا أبدا بعد الذي قال لعائشة فأنزل الله عز وجل {ولا يأتل أولوا الفضل منكم والسعة أن يؤتوا أولي القربى} إلى قوله {ألا تحبون أن يغفر الله لكم} قال حبان بن موسى قال عبد الله بن المبارك هذه أرجى آية في كتاب الله فقال أبو بكر والله إني لأحب أن يغفر الله لي فرجع إلى مسطح النفقة التي كان ينفق عليه وقال لا أنزعها منه أبدا قالت عائشة وكان رسول الله ﷺ سأل زينب بنت جحش زوج النبي ﷺ عن أمري ما علمت أو ما رأيت فقالت يا رسول الله أحمي سمعي وبصري والله ما علمت إلا خيرا قالت عائشة وهي التي كانت تساميني من أزواج النبي ﷺ فعصمها الله بالورع وطفقت أختها حمنة بنت جحش تحارب لها فهلكت فيمن هلك قال الزهري فهذا ما انتهى إلينا من أمر هؤلاء الرهط و قال في حديث يونس احتملته الحمية