STORY OF THE SLANDER.*

There is a tradition of A’ayshah that she said: ‘When the apostle intended to go on a journey he was in the habit of drawing or throwing lots concerning his wives, and she on whom it [i.e., the lot] fell accompanied him. In this Ghazwah the lot came upon my name, and I enjoyed the happiness of going with him. As at that time the verse of the curtain had not yet been revealed, a howdah was pre­pared for me, in which I sat, and which was placed on the camel I rode. When the campaign was over we marched back, and arrived in the vicinity of Mekkah [sic]. Whilst the order to start was being given in one of the halting-places I had gone out of the camp for a natural purpose, and on returning to it I perceived that I had lost my neck­lace. Accordingly I retraced my steps and searched the place where I had been till I found my trinket. In my absence, however, the men who were accustomed to place the howdah upon the camel arrived and did their duty. At that time women were weak and light, because they were content to eat only so much as would satisfy their hunger. I was young and light, so that the difference of the weight could not be perceived whether I was in the howdah or not. When I returned from the place where I had answered a call of nature I saw no one, and said to myself: “If they do not see me they will come and look for me.” Accord­ingly I sat down in the same place until I was overpowered by sleep, and began to slumber until the morning, when Ssafuwân B. Moa’ttal Solmy, who had followed in the rear of the army for some business, arrived in that place, saw me, and exclaimed: “We are Allah’s, and unto Him shall we surely return.”* The repetition of this phrase awakened me, and caused me to veil my face. Ssafuwân made his camel kneel down, stood aloof, and said: “Mount.” Accordingly I rode on the camel, which Ssafuwân led with the bridle, until we reached, during the heat of the day, the place where the army was halting. Hypocrites have uttered with reference to us whatever opinions their minds suggested; of their number A’bdullah Bin Abu Salûl was one, and of that of the Musalmâns were Hasân B. Thâbet, and Mosattah B. Asâmah, and others, who all agreed in the calumny [concerning me].’

Ssidiqah [i.e., A’ayshah] continues: ‘When I arrived in Madinah I fell sick, and the calumnies of those men spread among the people. I knew nothing, but I found that the apostle’s behaviour towards me had changed. I did not experience any of that kindness from him which he had manifested to me in former maladies; but I was not aware of the cause until one night during my recovery, when I was with the mother of Mosattah—who then happened to be in Madinah—going out for a natural purpose, water-closets not having as yet become customary at that time. Her wrapper having become entangled, she fell down, and began to revile her son; but I asked: “Insultest thou a man who has been present at the battle of Bedr?” This falling and squabbling was thrice repeated, whereon she said at last: “O A’ayshah, hast thou not heard what he said?” I asked what he had spoken, and the mother of Mosattah informed me of the circumstances of the case and of the slander. My disease augmented, and I returned to the house. When the apostle of God came near me, I said: “O apostle of Allah, permit me to return to my father’s house,” my intention being to institute an inquiry into the matter of the calumny. When I arrived in my father’s house I asked my mother: “What story are the people relating about me?” My mother replied: “Be not dis­mayed, but take the matter easy. By Allah! there is not one handsome and noble woman whom her husband loves, but has other wives besides her, concerning whom similar tales are not bandied about.” I exclaimed: “Praise be to Allah! have they said such words?” But I could not sleep that night, and my tears did not cease to flow.’

Ssidiqah continues: ‘His lordship the refuge of the apostolate—u. w. b.—called A’li B. Abu Ttâleb—u. w. b.— and Asâmatah B. Zayd, to consult them about divorcing me. Asâmatah said: “We think nothing but good about thy wife.” And A’li B. Abu Ttâleb said: “O apostle of God, the Almighty has not distressed thee through women, except by their multitude. Examine Baryrah, the servant girl of A’ayshah, and she will tell the truth.” Accordingly that prince examined Baryrah, and she spoke as follows: “I swear by that God who has sent thee in truth that I have seen nothing blameworthy in A’ayshah, except that she sometimes falls asleep, so that the sheep come and eat up the leavened flour.”’

Esma’il B. Nitzâmu-l-mulkrelates in the Khulâssatu-s-seyr that in those times his holy and prophetic lordship— u. w. b.—was one day sitting in his house in a state of depression and melancholy, when Fârûq [i.e., O’mar] entered, and the apostle asked him: ‘What sayest thou of this event?’ He replied: ‘O apostle of God, I know for a certainty that the hypocrites are speaking lies.’ He con­tinued: ‘By what reason?’ Fârûq replied: ‘By reason of God’s not allowing a fly to settle upon thy blessed skirts, because it alights also on impure things and soils its feet. How, then, would He not preserve thee from a worse defilement?’ His lordship was highly pleased and flattered by these remarks. After that Dhu-n-nûryn entered, and his lordship spoke to him on the same subject, and he replied: ‘I am sure the hypocrites are liars.’ That prince continued: ‘By what reason?’ He replied: ‘Because God the Most High does not allow thy shadow to fall upon the ground, lest it might be polluted, or a person might step thereon. If, therefore, God the Most High thus protects thy shadow, will He not restrain thy honoured spouse from committing such an impropriety, or allow a stranger to defile the honour of thy wife with the pollution of treachery?’ At these words of Dhu-n-nûryn the most noble mind became yet more tranquillized. Then A’li B. Abu Ttâleb entered, whereon his holy and prophetic lord­ship —u. w. b.—repeated his former words, to which A’li replied: ‘This story is but a fiction and a lie of the hypo­crites. The proof of my assertion is, that one day we were at prayers with thee, during which thou hadst removed thy sandals from thy feet, and we imitated thy example. After our devotions were terminated, thou hadst asked why we bared our feet, and we replied that we had done so to imitate thee, whereon thou hadst said: “I put away the sandals because Jebrâil had informed me that they were prayerless.” Now, if God the Most High has sent thee a revelation that thy sandals are prayerless, He would surely have informed thee of this matter also, had it been true. Keep, therefore, thy exalted mind at ease, because the Most High will cause the innocence of A’ayshah to become manifest.’ All these utterances so gladdened the heart of his lordship that he immediately went to the house of Ssidiqah.

Ssidiqah says: ‘I was sitting in the house of my parents, and was weeping, when a certain Anssâri woman entered and kept me company in crying; both my parents were also sitting with us, when all of a sudden the apostle of God honoured us with his noble presence, opened his mouth, after sitting down, in praise of God the Most High, uttered both the professions,* and said: “After the usual saluta­tions, I inform thee, O A’ayshah, that if thou art free of this crime God the Most High will soon satisfy thee. But if thou be guilty, then repent, ask forgiveness from, and return to the obedience of God; because if a servant falls into sin, but confesses and repents, the Most High accepts his contrition, and grants him pardon.”’ A’ayshah says: ‘When the apostle of Allah had done speaking, my tears also ceased to flow, and I said to my father: “Reply to his lordship the apostle.” But my father answered: “By Allah! I do not know what to reply to him. During the time of ignorance we were idolaters, and did not know the religion. Nobody ever uttered such words with regard to our family, and now, when our house is illuminated by the light of Islâm, and the caskets of our hearts are brightened by the light of monotheism, people are holding such speeches about us, what am I to say to the apostle of God?” Then I said to my mother: “Reply for me.” But my mother rejoined: “I am also at a loss what to answer.” Accordingly I was under the necessity of doing so myself, as follows: “I swear by God that if I say I am innocent of what you have heard about me, and of what you believe, you will place no faith in my words; but if I confess to have committed what I have not, you will believe me. By Allah! in the matter between you and me I cannot find a better resemblance than the words of Yusuf [Joseph*]— peace be on him—who said: ‘Verily patience is best, and God will defeat their insinuations.’” And on account of the great fear and trouble I was in, the words of Y’aqûb [Jacob] with reference to Yusuf might have been applied to me.’

In some books it is recorded that Ssidiqah said: ‘I exclaimed, “I swear by God that I cannot find a better conso­lation for me than the words of Yusuf: ‘Verily patience is best,’” etc., and though I tried much to speak about Y’aqûb, my memory failed me; so I turned my face away after uttering these words, and reclined. And, by Allah! as I was innocent, I knew that his lordship would absolve me from all blame. I had, however, no idea that with reference to me a verse of the Qurân would be revealed, to be read in mosques and places of prayer till the day of the resur­rection, because I was aware of the greatness and magnifi­cence of the Lord of Glory, and considering my own abject and helpless condition, I thought myself too mean that the Lord God should speak about me. Nevertheless, I hoped that his holy and prophetic lordship—u. w. b.— would dream a dream which would convince him of my innocence. But I swear by Allah that his lordship had not yet risen from the assembly, nor had anyone as yet left the house, when the signs of Divine revelation began to manifest themselves upon his lordship; and whenever the signs of revelation appeared, the people who were with him became aware thereof.’

Ssidiqah continues: ‘On that occasion my mother placed a cushion of perfumed goat-leather under his lord­ship’s head, and covered him with a Yemeni cloak, which he removed from his face as soon as the Divine inspiration developed itself. From his blessed countenance drops of perspiration began to trickle like so many brilliant pearls; he smiled, and the first words he uttered were these: “Glad tidings to thee, O A’ayshah! God the Most High has exculpated thee, and borne witness to thy purity.” My mother then said: “A’ayshah, rise! Go to the apostle —u. w. b.—and wait upon him.” I replied: “By Allah, I shall not! In this matter I do not wish to incur obli­gation to anyone except to God, nor shall I praise and laud anyone except Him who has sent my justification.”’

With reference to the purity of A’ayshah, ten verses have been revealed, which begin with the words, ‘[As to] the party among you who have published the falsehood [con­cerning A’ayshah],’* and end with the following, ‘The wicked women [should be joined] to the wicked men, and the wicked men to the wicked women; but the good women [should be married] to the good men, and the good men to the good women. These shall be cleared from [the calumnies] which they [i.e., the slanderers] speak [of them]; they shall obtain pardon, and an honourable pro­vision.’* It is said that before the verses justifying A’ayshah had been revealed, the wife of Abu Ayûb the Anssâri said to him: ‘Hast thou heard what people are speaking about A’ayshah?’ Abu Ayûb replied: ‘It is not for us to talk of this matter. God forbid! It is a great slander.’ These words were approved in the Court of Unity; and accordingly the blessed verse, ‘It belongeth not unto us that we should talk of this [matter]. Allah forbid! This is a grievous calumny!’* was revealed.

It is related that Mosattah B. Asâmah was a relative of Abu Bakr, not blessed with any worldly goods, and that Ssidyq supplied him with all the necessaries of life despite his own poverty. It has been narrated above that, in this matter, Mosattah B. Asâmah sided with the hypocrites, and when the verse of justification was revealed, Abu Bakr swore that he would no longer give anything to Mosattah; and on that occasion God the Most High and Magnificent revealed the following verse: ‘Let not those among you who possess abundance [of wealth] and [have] ability swear that they will not give unto [their] kindred and the poor, and those who have fled their country for the sake of Allah’s true religion; but let them forgive, and act with benevolence [towards them]. Do ye not desire that Allah should pardon you? And Allah is gracious [and] merciful.’* When Ssidyq heard this verse, he said: ‘Indeed I want God the Most High to forgive me’; whereon he provided food and raiment for Mosattah as of yore, and swore to continue to do so to the end of his life.

In the Khulâssatu-s-seyr it is recorded that when the verses exculpating A’ayshah were revealed, his holy and prophetic lordship punished four persons, each of whom received eighty lashes with a whip; they were A’bdullah B. Abu Salûl the hypocrite, and Hasân B. Thâbet, and Mosattah B. Asâmah, and Juhnah, the sister of Zaynab, daughter of Hajash, Zaynab being one of the mothers of the Believer??s [i.e., one of the wives of the prophet].

Some relaters of traditions state that during this journey [or Ghazwah of the Bani Mosttalaq] the verse ‘to com­plete’* was revealed, which happened as follows: When the victorious banners of his holy and prophetic lordship— u. w. b.—had arrived near Madinah, the necklace of A’ayshah was lost, and his lordship the apostle halted in a place until the lost article should be found. As, how­ever, in that locality the companions were unable to obtain any water, their prayers would be of no effect. Therefore some Musalmâns went to Ssidyq and grumbled that on account of the loss of his daughter A’ayshah’s necklace the apostle of God—u. w. b.—was remaining in a water­less place like this, and that the time for prayers had nearly expired. Abu Bakr accordingly entered the tent of A’ayshah, where he found the apostle—u. w. b.—asleep with his blessed head in her lap. Abu Bakr reproached his daughter, and spoke sharply to her. When his lordship the apostle awoke from sleep and found no water for the ablution required before prayers, God the Most High and Glorious revealed in His boundless mercy the verse ‘to complete’;* and there is a tradition of A’ayshah that, when they caused the camel to get up, they found the necklace under it.