Treasures of biography | Sheikh Othman Al-Khamis | Episode (27)

0:00 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

0:03 Treasures of the Prophetic Biography (Seerah).

0:06 The Incident of the Slander (al-Ifk).

0:11 "Al-Ifk" signifies an enormous falsehood and slander.

0:17 Imam al-Zuhri, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

0:20 "Urwah narrated to me that 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, the wife of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), said:

0:28 'Whenever the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

0:31 intended to embark on a journey,

0:33 he would cast lots among his wives,

0:35 and whichever of them had her lot drawn,

0:37 the Messenger of Allah would take her along with him.'

0:42 She continued:

0:44 'So he cast lots between us before a military expedition he undertook,

0:47 and my lot was drawn,

0:49 so I set out with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

0:53 This was after the revelation of the verse of the veil (hijab).

0:56 I was carried in my litter (howdah) and remained in it when we dismounted.

0:59 We traveled until the Messenger of Allah completed

1:04 that expedition of his and set out to return.

1:06 As we drew near to Medina on our journey back,

1:09 he announced the departure one night.

1:12 So I arose when they gave the call to march,

1:15 and walked ahead until I had passed beyond the army encampment.

1:18 When I had relieved myself,

1:20 I headed back toward my mount,

1:23 only to find that a necklace of mine made of onyx beads from Zafar had broken and fallen off.

1:27 So I went back searching for my necklace,

1:28 and the search for it detained me.

1:30 Meanwhile, the men who used to saddle my mount for me came,

1:35 lifted my litter, and strapped it onto the camel I had been riding,

1:40 assuming all the while that I was inside it.

1:43 In those days, women were light and slender, not heavy with flesh,

1:47 for they ate only tiny morsels of food.

1:51 Thus, the men found nothing unusual about the lightness of the litter as they raised it,

1:55 and I was a young girl of tender years.

1:58 So they urged the camel forward and marched on.

2:01 I found my necklace after the army had already moved away,

2:04 and when I returned to their campsite, there was neither caller nor respondent.'

2:09 Let every woman imagine herself or her daughter in the place of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her):

2:16 a young girl alone in the dark of night,

2:20 stranded in a desolate wilderness,

2:22 while everyone had completely departed.

2:25 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) continues:

2:28 'So I headed to the spot where I had been staying,

2:31 assuming they would soon miss me and return to fetch me.'

2:35 This demonstrated her sheer acumen and intelligence (may Allah be pleased with her).

2:39 Had it been any other woman,

2:42 she would have screamed and started running left and right,

2:45 east and west,

2:47 frantically searching for her people.

2:49 But 'A'ishah, owing to her complete presence of mind,

2:53 remained sitting right in her place,

2:55 knowing that had she set off wandering after them, she would surely have been lost.

3:00 She relates:

3:01 'While I was sitting in my spot,

3:04 sleep overcame my eyes, and I drifted off.'

3:07 And this points to two significant matters:

3:10 The first:

3:11 The courage of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her).

3:14 The second:

3:16 Allah's divine care over her,

3:18 for Allah, Blessed and Exalted, cast slumber upon her

3:22 so she would not remain terrified over the departed party

3:24 or anxious about approaching predators, stray people, or the like.

3:30 She said:

3:31 'Safwan ibn al-Mu'attal al-Sulami al-Dhakwani

3:35 was lagging behind the army.

3:37 He traveled during the latter part of the night and arrived by my resting place at daybreak.'

3:40 The curious fact about this man (may Allah be pleased with him)

3:44 was that he and his entire clan were notorious for sleeping heavily,

3:49 to the extent that it is mentioned in a hadith

3:52 that his wife came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) complaining and saying:

3:58 'O Messenger of Allah,

4:00 Safwan does not pray the Fajr prayer on time!'

4:03 So the Prophet (peace be upon him) summoned him and questioned him,

4:07 and he said:

4:08 'O Messenger of Allah!

4:10 We are a family known for this disposition;

4:13 we scarcely wake up until the sun has risen.'

4:17 The point is that Safwan ibn al-Mu'attal was trailing behind the army,

4:22 perhaps because he had overslept,

4:24 and he proceeded along their trail,

4:27 until he stumbled upon 'A'ishah asleep in her spot.

4:32 'A'ishah relates:

4:33 'He caught sight of the outline of a sleeping person from a distance,

4:37 so he approached me and recognized me the moment he saw me,'

4:40 because as she was sleeping,

4:43 her face was uncovered.

4:46 She said:

4:47 'He used to see me before the injunction of the veil was revealed,

4:50 so I woke up at his exclamation of remembrance: "To Allah we belong and to Him we return," when he recognized me.

4:53 I immediately covered my face with my outer garment (jilbab).

4:56 By Allah, he did not utter a single word to me,

4:58 nor did I hear from him anything other than his statement of "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un,"

5:02 until he made his camel kneel down

5:04 and stepped on its forelegs.

5:06 So I mounted it,

5:08 and he set off leading the camel by its halter,

5:11 until we reached the army after they had halted to rest during the blistering midday heat.'

5:16 So they caught up with them,

5:18 and those doomed to ruin met their perdition.

5:20 She means that people began to malign her honor

5:23 when they saw her arriving alone with Safwan.

5:27 The hypocrites unleashed their malicious rumors,

5:31 to the point where among the statements reported from them

5:34 was the vile slander of 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul, who claimed:

5:39 'By Allah, she did not return except after he committed indecency with her and she with him!'

5:44 We seek refuge in Allah!

5:45 May the curse of Allah be upon him.

5:48 She said:

5:49 'So we arrived in Medina,

5:51 and upon our arrival, I fell ill for an entire month,

5:54 while people were circulating the malicious rumors of the slanderers,

5:57 though I was completely unaware of any of it.

6:00 What raised my suspicions during my sickness was that I no longer noticed from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) the customary gentle kindness

6:07 that I used to observe from him whenever I fell ill.

6:10 The Messenger of Allah would merely enter upon me,

6:15 offer greetings of peace, and ask:

6:17 "How is that lady of yours?"

6:19 and then he would leave.

6:20 That was what caused me unease,

6:22 though I still sensed no foul play.'

6:25 For the Prophet (peace be upon him)

6:28 whenever 'A'ishah fell ill,

6:30 would treat her with tenderness and comfort her,

6:33 just as in the famous hadith

6:35 when 'A'ishah said:

6:38 'O, my headache!'

6:40 where the Prophet (peace be upon him) replied:

6:43 'Nay, rather, O, my headache!

6:45 And what harm would it do you, 'A'ishah, if you were to die before me,

6:48 and I would wash you, shroud you,

6:51 pray over you, and bury you?'

6:54 And she was the dearest of all people to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),

6:58 as 'Amr ibn al-'As (may Allah be pleased with him) once asked him:

7:02 'Who is the most beloved person to you?'

7:04 He replied: ''A'ishah.'

7:06 He asked: 'And among men?'

7:08 He replied: 'Her father.'

7:10 'A'ishah continued:

7:12 'Until after I had recovered from my illness, I went out

7:15 accompanied by Umm Mistah toward al-Manasi',

7:18 which was our open-air toilet area.

7:20 We only used to go out there at night,

7:23 and that was before privies were constructed near our homes.

7:28 Our custom was like that of the early Arabs,

7:30 going out into the open fields to relieve ourselves,

7:33 as we found having privies built near our houses offensive.

7:38 So I set out with Umm Mistah,

7:41 who was the daughter of Abu Ruhm ibn 'Abd Manaf,

7:44 and her mother was the daughter of Sakhr ibn 'Amir,

7:47 the maternal aunt of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq.

7:49 Umm Mistah and I were returning toward my house

7:53 after having relieved ourselves,

7:56 when Umm Mistah tripped over her long dress

7:59 and exclaimed: "May Mistah perish!"

8:02 So I said to her:

8:03 "What a terrible thing you have uttered!

8:05 Do you revile a man who took part in the Battle of Badr?"

8:08 She replied:

8:09 "O innocent one!

8:11 Have you not heard what he has said?"

8:13 'A'ishah said:

8:15 "And what did he say?"

8:16 'A'ishah said:

8:18 'So she informed me of the slander propagated by the people of falsehood,

8:21 whereupon my illness was compounded on top of my sickness.'

8:24 Imagine yourself, my dear sister,

8:27 falsely accused in your chastity and honor:

8:29 how would your life feel,

8:32 and how could you enjoy any peace of mind?

8:34 A woman's most precious possession is her honor.

8:37 She might be falsely accused of lying, stealing, backbiting,

8:41 dealing with usury, or improper display of beauty,

8:43 but for the accusation to strike at her chastity—

8:46 that is the gravest calamity a woman can ever endure.

8:50 She said:

8:52 'So when I returned to my house,

8:54 the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) entered upon me,

8:58 gave the greeting of peace, and asked: "How is that lady of yours?"'

9:01 That is, nothing in the Prophet's outward behavior had changed,

9:06 but what had changed

9:08 was that 'A'ishah now knew the underlying reason;

9:11 she finally realized why the Prophet's disposition toward her had altered.

9:17 'So I said:

9:19 "Will you permit me to go to my parents?"

9:22 The Prophet (peace be upon him) replied:

9:24 "Yes."'

9:25 'A'ishah said:

9:28 'My intention at that moment was to verify the news directly from them.

9:33 So I arrived at my parents' home

9:35 and said to my mother:

9:36 "O my mother,

9:38 what are the people talking about?"

9:40 She replied:

9:41 "O my dear daughter,

9:42 do not distress yourself,

9:44 for by Allah, rarely has there ever been a beautiful woman

9:48 "a beautiful woman who is beloved by her husband and has co-wives,

9:52 without them spreading rumors against her."

9:54 I exclaimed, "Glory be to Allah!

9:56 Have people really been talking about this?"

9:59 So I wept throughout that entire night until morning came;

10:02 my tears never ceased,

10:04 nor could I taste the solace of sleep,

10:06 and morning found me still weeping.

10:09 Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) summoned 'Ali ibn Abi Talib

10:14 and Usamah ibn Zayd (may Allah be pleased with them both),

10:17 when the revelation had been delayed,

10:19 to consult them regarding parting from his wife.

10:22 And this period—

10:24 it is mentioned that it lasted for more than a month—

10:27 with the people speaking maliciously of 'A'ishah and gossiping about her,

10:31 while the divine revelation remained paused,

10:33 and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) did not know the actual truth of the matter.

10:38 This clearly demonstrates that the Prophet (peace be upon him) did not possess knowledge of the unseen.

10:44 As for 'Ali (may Allah be pleased with him),

10:46 he was the husband of his daughter and his paternal cousin,

10:49 and the closest of people to him in kinship;

10:53 whereas Usamah,

10:55 he had been raised in the household of the Prophet (peace be upon him),

10:59 and was the beloved of the Messenger of Allah and the son of his beloved.

11:04 Thus, the Prophet (peace be upon him) sought their counsel

11:09 because of their closeness to his household

11:11 and their firsthand knowledge of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with them).

11:15 As for Usamah,

11:17 he advised the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) according to what he knew of his family's innocence,

11:23 and the deep affection and esteem he held for them in his heart,

11:27 saying: "O Messenger of Allah, they are your family, and we know nothing of them except good."

11:32 As for 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, he said: "O Messenger of Allah, Allah has not placed you under constraint,

11:39 and there are plenty of women besides her;

11:42 yet if you question the maidservant, she will tell you the truth."

11:46 Usamah considered what was best for 'A'ishah and therefore declared her innocent,

11:52 whereas 'Ali looked to the well-being of the Prophet (peace be upon him)

11:57 and the profound distress that had overwhelmed him because of this ordeal.

12:01 So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) summoned Burayrah, 'A'ishah's maidservant,

12:07 and asked: "O Burayrah, have you ever seen anything in 'A'ishah that arouses your suspicion?"

12:13 Burayrah replied: "No, by the One Who sent you with the truth!

12:18 I have never seen any fault in her that I could criticize,

12:21 other than that she is a young girl who falls asleep leaving her family's dough unattended,

12:27 so that the domestic sheep comes and eats it."

12:30 Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood up

12:34 and on that day asked who would excuse him to take action against 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul.

12:38 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said from the pulpit:

12:42 "O assembly of Muslims!

12:44 Who will excuse me if I retaliate against a man whose slander has reached my family?

12:49 For, by Allah, I know nothing of my family except good,

12:53 and they have mentioned a man—meaning Safwan ibn al-Mu'attal—

12:57 about whom I likewise know nothing except good,

13:00 and he never entered upon my family except in my company."

13:04 Then Sa'd ibn Mu'adh the Ansari, the chieftain of the Aws, stood up

13:09 and said: "O Messenger of Allah, I will excuse you against him;

13:14 if he belongs to the Aws, I will strike off his neck,

13:17 and if he belongs to our brothers of the Khazraj,

13:20 you command us and we shall execute your command."

13:23 But Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah, the chieftain of the Khazraj,

13:27 was seized by tribal fervor and said:

13:30 "You have lied, by Allah's life! You will not kill him, nor do you have the power to kill him."

13:35 Thereupon, Usayd ibn Hudayr arose—

13:38 he was the cousin of Sa'd ibn Mu'adh,

13:40 and he belonged to the Aws—

13:42 and said to Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah:

13:44 "You have lied, by Allah's life! We will surely kill him,

13:48 for you are a hypocrite arguing on behalf of hypocrites!"

13:52 Meaning: this conduct of yours is the conduct of hypocrites.

13:57 This shows us

13:59 that it is permissible to apply the term "hypocrite"

14:02 to one who displays the behavior of the hypocrites,

14:05 meaning in that particular trait,

14:07 and this is known as practical hypocrisy,

14:10 not hypocrisy in belief.

14:12 'A'ishah said:

14:14 "The two tribes became agitated,"

14:16 and in another narration:

14:18 "The two factions leaped at each other,"

14:20 the Aws and the Khazraj,

14:22 to the point that they were on the verge of fighting,

14:24 while the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

14:27 was standing upon the pulpit.

14:29 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) kept on

14:32 calming them down until they fell silent, and he too fell silent,

14:36 and he abandoned the matter of 'Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul.

14:40 'A'ishah said:

14:42 "I remained throughout that entire day,

14:44 my tears never ceasing, nor could I taste sleep.

14:48 In the morning, both of my parents were with me,

14:50 after I had wept for two nights and a day,

14:53 and they thought that my weeping would burst my liver.

14:57 While they were sitting with me and I was weeping,

15:01 a woman from the Ansar asked permission to enter upon me,

15:04 and she sat down and began to weep with me."

15:06 And this is among the things that bring solace to an afflicted person;

15:10 that is why al-Khansa' said,

15:12 when her brother Sakhr died:

15:14 "Were it not for the multitude of mourners around me,

15:17 weeping over their brothers, I would have killed myself.

15:21 Yet none of them weeps for the likes of my brother; nevertheless,

15:24 I console my soul over him by finding comfort in their sorrow."

15:27 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said:

15:30 "While we were in that state,

15:33 the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) entered upon us,

15:37 greeted us with peace, and then sat down.

15:39 She said: And he had not sat beside me since the slander was first spoken,

15:44 a full month having passed without any revelation coming to him regarding my affair.

15:48 The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) recited the testimony of faith

15:52 when he sat down,

15:53 and then said: 'To proceed:

15:56 O 'A'ishah, such and such news has reached me concerning you.

16:01 If you are innocent, Allah will surely clear your name,

16:05 and if you have committed a sin,

16:07 then seek the forgiveness of Allah and repent to Him,

16:10 for when a servant confesses his sin and then repents to Allah,

16:14 Allah accepts his repentance.'

16:16 When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) finished his words,

16:22 my tears dried up completely, until I could not feel a single drop.

16:26 So I said to my father:

16:28 'Answer the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)!'

16:31 He said: 'By Allah, I do not know what to say to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).'

16:38 Then I said to my mother:

16:40 'Answer the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)!'

16:44 She said: 'By Allah, I do not know what to say to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).'

16:51 What an astounding situation,

16:53 and what a trial from Allah, Blessed and Exalted, for 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her)!

16:58 She said: 'So I said: I am a young girl and do not recite much of the Qur'an.

17:05 By Allah, I know that you have heard this talk until it has settled in

17:11 your hearts and you have come to believe it. If I tell you that I am innocent—and Allah

17:17 knows that I am innocent—you will not believe me; and if I were to confess

17:22 to a matter—while Allah knows that I am innocent of it—you would believe me! By Allah,

17:29 I find no analogy for you and me except the words of the father of Yusuf: "So patience is most fitting, and Allah

17:36 alone is sought for help against what you describe."' Then I turned away and lay down on my bed,

17:42 knowing full well at that time that I was innocent and that Allah would vindicate me. Yet,

17:48 by Allah, I never imagined that Allah would reveal concerning my matter a revelation to be recited!

17:53 My own worth in my eyes was far too insignificant for Allah to speak about me in a matter

17:59 to be recited; rather, I merely hoped that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)

18:04 would see a dream in his sleep wherein Allah would vindicate me. By Allah, neither had

18:09 the Messenger of Allah left his seat, nor had anyone of the household

18:14 gone out, before revelation descended upon him. He was seized by the customary agony

18:19 of revelation, so much so that drops of sweat began to stream from him like pearls,

18:25 even though it was a cold winter day, from the sheer weight of the Word being revealed to him. Allah the Exalted said:

18:30 {Indeed, We shall cast upon you a heavy Word.} She said: When the Messenger of Allah

18:38 (peace be upon him) was relieved of that state, he was smiling, and the very

18:43 first word he uttered was: 'O 'A'ishah, as for Allah, Exalted and Majestic, He has

18:51 cleared your name!' My mother said to me: 'Stand up and go to him!' I said: 'By Allah, I will not stand up to him,

18:58 nor will I praise anyone except Allah, Exalted and Majestic!' So Allah, Blessed and Exalted, revealed:

19:05 “Lo! they who spread the slander are a gang among you. Deem it not a bad thing for you; nay, it is good for you. Unto every man of them (will be paid) that which he hath earned of the sin; and as for him among them who had the greater share therein, his will be an awful doom.” (24:11)

19:13 “Lo! they who spread the slander are a gang among you. Deem it not a bad thing for you; nay, it is good for you. Unto every man of them (will be paid) that which he hath earned of the sin; and as for him among them who had the greater share therein, his will be an awful doom.” (24:11)

19:21 “Lo! they who spread the slander are a gang among you. Deem it not a bad thing for you; nay, it is good for you. Unto every man of them (will be paid) that which he hath earned of the sin; and as for him among them who had the greater share therein, his will be an awful doom.” (24:11)

19:28 {Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think good of one another...}

19:34 “Why did not the believers, men and women, when ye heard it, think good of their own own folk, and say: It is a manifest untruth?” (24:12)

19:40 “Why did they not produce four witnesses? Since they produce not witnesses, they verily are liars in the sight of Allah.” (24:13)

19:57 “Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you in the world and the Hereafter an awful doom had overtaken you for that whereof ye murmured.” (24:14)

20:10 “When ye welcomed it with your tongues, and uttered with your mouths that whereof ye had no knowledge, ye counted it a trifle. In the sight of Allah it is very great.” (24:15)

20:19 “When ye welcomed it with your tongues, and uttered with your mouths that whereof ye had no knowledge, ye counted it a trifle. In the sight of Allah it is very great.” (24:15)

20:26 “Wherefor, when ye heard it, said ye not: It is not for us to speak of this. Glory be to Thee (O Allah)! This is awful calumny.” (24:16)

20:35 “Wherefor, when ye heard it, said ye not: It is not for us to speak of this. Glory be to Thee (O Allah)! This is awful calumny.” (24:16)

20:39 “Allah admonisheth you that ye repeat not the like thereof ever, if ye are (in truth) believers.” (24:17)

20:48 “And He expoundeth unto you the revelations. Allah is Knower, Wise.” (24:18)

20:55 “Lo! those who love that slander should be spread concerning those who believe, theirs will be a painful punishment in the world and the Hereafter. Allah knoweth. Ye know not.” (24:19)

21:06 {And Allah knows, while you know not.}

21:11 {And were it not for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy, and that Allah is Kind and Merciful...}

21:19 “O ye who believe! Follow not the footsteps of the devil. Unto whomsoever followeth the footsteps of the devil, lo! he commandeth filthiness and wrong. Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you, not one of you would ever have grown pure. But Allah causeth whom He will to grow. And Allah is Hearer, Knower.” (24:21)

21:25 “O ye who believe! Follow not the footsteps of the devil. Unto whomsoever followeth the footsteps of the devil, lo! he commandeth filthiness and wrong. Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you, not one of you would ever have grown pure. But Allah causeth whom He will to grow. And Allah is Hearer, Knower.” (24:21)

21:34 “O ye who believe! Follow not the footsteps of the devil. Unto whomsoever followeth the footsteps of the devil, lo! he commandeth filthiness and wrong. Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you, not one of you would ever have grown pure. But Allah causeth whom He will to grow. And Allah is Hearer, Knower.” (24:21)

21:42 “O ye who believe! Follow not the footsteps of the devil. Unto whomsoever followeth the footsteps of the devil, lo! he commandeth filthiness and wrong. Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you, not one of you would ever have grown pure. But Allah causeth whom He will to grow. And Allah is Hearer, Knower.” (24:21)

21:50 When Allah revealed verses of the Qur'an confirming my innocence,

21:54 Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him)—

21:57 who used to provide for Mistah due to his kinship and poverty—

22:02 said: "By Allah, I will never spend anything on Mistah ever again!"

22:07 Then Allah, Majestic and Exalted, revealed:

22:09 “And let not those who possess dignity and ease among you swear not to give to the near of kin and to the needy, and to fugitives for the cause of Allah. Let them forgive and show indulgence. Yearn ye not that Allah may forgive you? Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (24:22)

22:22 “And let not those who possess dignity and ease among you swear not to give to the near of kin and to the needy, and to fugitives for the cause of Allah. Let them forgive and show indulgence. Yearn ye not that Allah may forgive you? Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (24:22)

22:25 {...and let them pardon and overlook...}

22:28 “And let not those who possess dignity and ease among you swear not to give to the near of kin and to the needy, and to fugitives for the cause of Allah. Let them forgive and show indulgence. Yearn ye not that Allah may forgive you? Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.” (24:22)

22:33 {...and Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.}

22:38 Abu Bakr said: "Yes, indeed, by Allah,

22:41 I love that Allah should forgive me!"

22:44 So he resumed spending on him as before.

22:46 And this demonstrates how strictly they adhered to the Book of Allah.

22:52 Lessons learned from the Incident of the Slander (al-Ifk):

22:59 Regarding the words of Allah, Blessed and Exalted:

23:02 “Lo! they who spread the slander are a gang among you. Deem it not a bad thing for you; nay, it is good for you. Unto every man of them (will be paid) that which he hath earned of the sin; and as for him among them who had the greater share therein, his will be an awful doom.” (24:11)

23:07 “Lo! they who spread the slander are a gang among you. Deem it not a bad thing for you; nay, it is good for you. Unto every man of them (will be paid) that which he hath earned of the sin; and as for him among them who had the greater share therein, his will be an awful doom.” (24:11)

23:12 'A'ishah was attacked in her honor,

23:14 the Messenger (peace be upon him) was attacked in his honor,

23:19 and he (peace be upon him) was filled with grief.

23:22 They remained in that state for an entire month,

23:24 with people gossiping about her,

23:26 and the hypocrites rejoicing at this.

23:29 Where, then, is the good in all this?

23:31 The scholars of Islam have noted many aspects

23:34 in which goodness was manifested through this ordeal,

23:37 including:

23:39 First:

23:40 The test and affliction,

23:41 for Allah tested His Messenger (peace be upon him),

23:45 just as He tested 'A'ishah,

23:47 and He tested Safwan ibn al-Mu'attal,

23:50 and they emerged from the affliction like pure gold;

23:53 and tribulation bears righteous fruits,

23:56 because it elevates one's spiritual ranks.

23:58 Second:

24:00 The purification of the ranks,

24:02 for had this incident not occurred,

24:04 the believers would not have been distinguished from the hypocrites;

24:08 in such crises,

24:10 the hypocrites rear their heads,

24:13 speak out,

24:14 and openly display their insolence, mockery,

24:17 and derision toward the believers.

24:19 Third:

24:20 The immense virtue of 'A'ishah (may Allah be pleased with her)

24:23 and Allah's love for her,

24:25 as He revealed concerning her a Qur'an to be recited.

24:29 Fourth:

24:30 Allah, Blessed and Exalted, defending His believing servants,

24:35 and that is why He said in the Hadith Qudsi:

24:38 "Whoever shows enmity to a friend of Mine, I have declared war upon him."

24:42 Thus, it became manifest from this story

24:45 that 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her,

24:47 is among the devoted allies of Allah, the Blessed and Exalted.

24:50 For that reason, Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He, defended her;

24:54 and this grants the pious believer

24:57 reassuring certainty that Allah, Glorified and Exalted be He,

25:00 will surely defend him.

25:01 This is why 'A'ishah said:

25:03 "So patience is most fitting."

25:05 “And they came with false blood on his shirt. He said: Nay, but your minds have beguiled you into something. (My course is) comely patience. And Allah it is Whose help is to be sought in that (predicament) which ye describe.” (12:18)

25:09 Thus, she turned entirely to Allah,

25:11 and her Lord, Glorified and Exalted be He, did not fail her.

25:16 Fifth:

25:17 the manifestation of a legal ruling derived from the words of the Exalted and Majestic.

25:21 “Why did they not produce four witnesses? Since they produce not witnesses, they verily are liars in the sight of Allah.” (24:13)

25:25 “Why did they not produce four witnesses? Since they produce not witnesses, they verily are liars in the sight of Allah.” (24:13)

25:27 “Why did they not produce four witnesses? Since they produce not witnesses, they verily are liars in the sight of Allah.” (24:13)

25:31 This ruling would never have been clarified

25:33 had this incident not occurred;

25:36 thus, whenever future incidents arise,

25:39 we will know precisely how to address them.

25:43 Sixth:

25:44 establishing universal legal maxims for such cases,

25:48 such as the principle that a Muslim is fundamentally presumed to be of upright character,

25:52 and that a person is fundamentally presumed innocent

25:54 until the accusation is proven.

25:56 These overarching legal maxims

25:58 we would not have known

26:00 had this incident not taken place.

26:03 Seventh:

26:04 unmasking the hypocrites and exposing them before the believers.

26:09 Eighth:

26:10 the profound virtue of Safwan Ibn al-Mu'attal, may Allah be pleased with him,

26:14 and that Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, defended him

26:17 just as He defended 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her.

26:21 Ninth:

26:22 clarifying the legal ruling regarding false accusation of unchastity (qadhf).

26:24 Here, there are matters noted by Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him,

26:29 which represent exceedingly precious insights

26:33 recorded in his work, *Zad al-Ma'ad*.

26:36 We mention them in the hope that Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, may benefit us through them.

26:41 First:

26:42 if it should be asked,

26:44 "Why did the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

26:47 hesitate regarding her affair,

26:49 inquire about her, investigate, and consult others,

26:52 when he knew Allah and his own status with Him best,

26:55 as well as what was befitting of his household?

26:57 Why did he not simply declare [what was fitting],

26:58 “Wherefor, when ye heard it, said ye not: It is not for us to speak of this. Glory be to Thee (O Allah)! This is awful calumny.” (24:16)

27:01 as the most virtuous among the Companions had declared?"

27:04 The answer is

27:05 that this stemmed from the perfection of the profound wisdoms

27:08 for which this incident was made the catalyst,

27:11 serving as a trial and tribulation for the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

27:16 and for the entire Ummah until the Day of Resurrection,

27:20 so that through this incident He might elevate certain people and abase others,

27:24 and increase those who are guided in guidance and faith.

27:28 “And We reveal of the Qur'an that which is a healing and a mercy for believers though it increase the evil-doers in naught save ruin.” (17:82)

27:31 The completeness of the trial and tribulation required

27:34 that revelation be withheld from the Messenger, peace be upon him,

27:38 for an entire month regarding her matter,

27:40 without anything being revealed to him concerning it,

27:43 so that His decreed and ordained wisdom might be accomplished

27:47 and manifested in the most consummate manner;

27:49 so that the sincere believers might increase

27:52 in faith and steadfast adherence to justice and truthfulness,

27:55 harboring good thoughts of Allah, His Messenger, and his household,

27:58 as well as the truthful and upright among His servants;

28:01 and so that the hypocrites might increase in fabrication and hypocrisy,

28:04 while their inward secrets were laid bare before His Messenger and the believers;

28:08 and so that the intended servitude of al-Siddiqah and her parents might be perfected,

28:13 as demonstrated when she said, "I complain of my grief and sorrow only to Allah,"

28:17 embodying utter destitution and humble submission before Allah,

28:21 having good expectations of Him and reposing all hope in Him,

28:24 so that her hopes in created beings would be entirely severed,

28:27 and she would despair of receiving aid and relief

28:30 at the hands of any created being whatsoever.

28:32 For this reason, she fulfilled the requirements of this station completely

28:35 when her parents said to her, "Stand up and go to him,"

28:39 after Allah had revealed her innocence, and she responded:

28:43 "By Allah, I will not go to him,

28:45 and I will praise none but Allah;

28:47 He is the One Who revealed my innocence."

28:50 Furthermore, among the wisdoms behind withholding revelation for a month

28:54 was that the matter was thoroughly sifted and purified,

28:57 and the hearts of the believers yearned with the utmost anticipation

29:00 for what Allah would reveal to His Messenger regarding it,

29:04 longing for it to the very highest degree.

29:08 Thus, the revelation descended when it was most desperately needed by the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

29:13 his household, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq and his family,

29:16 his Companions, and the believers.

29:19 The revelation came upon him like life-giving rain falling upon parched earth

29:22 in its hour of direst need;

29:25 thus, it made the deepest and most tender impression upon them,

29:28 filling them with the most complete joy,

29:31 and bringing them the utmost bliss through this revelation.

29:34 Had Allah informed His Messenger of the true reality from the very first moment

29:39 and sent down the revelation immediately regarding it,

29:42 these profound wisdoms would have been missed many times over,

29:45 indeed, manifold times over.

29:47 Second:

29:50 Allah, Glorified be He, willed to manifest the noble status of His Messenger and his household with Him,

29:56 and their precious standing before Him,

29:58 and to remove His Messenger entirely from personal involvement in this dispute,

30:01 taking it upon Himself, Exalted and Majestic is He, to undertake his defense,

30:06 refuting his enemies, censuring them, and exposing their flaws,

30:10 in a manner in which the Prophet had no personal hand.

30:13 It was not the Messenger, peace be upon him,

30:15 who was to defend his own wife;

30:18 rather, Allah Himself was the One defending His Messenger and his household,

30:22 such that the defense would not be attributed to the Messenger, peace be upon him;

30:26 rather, He alone—

30:28 that is, Allah, Majestic and Exalted—would assume responsibility for that,

30:31 vindicating His Messenger and his household.

30:34 Third:

30:36 the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him,

30:38 was the primary target of the harm,

30:40 and the one accused was his own wife.

30:42 It was therefore not fitting for him to testify to her innocence based solely on his personal knowledge—for that alone would not suffice—

30:46 nor on his strong presumption that bordered on certainty regarding her innocence,

30:48 as he never harbored any evil suspicion about her at all,

30:52 far be it from him, and far be it from her.

30:55 Far be it from him, and far be it from her!

30:57 That is why, when he sought justification to act against the people of the slander,

31:00 he declared:

31:01 "Who will excuse me if I penalize a man whose slander has reached my family?

31:05 By Allah, I know nothing of my family except good,

31:09 and they have mentioned a man about whom I know nothing except good,

31:13 and he never entered upon my family except in my presence."

31:17 Thus, the Prophet, peace be upon him, possessed

31:20 of contextual indicators

31:21 attesting to the innocence of al-Siddiqah

31:24 far more than what the believers possessed.

31:27 Yet, out of the perfection of his patience, steadfastness, gentleness,

31:31 good thoughts of his Lord, and trust in Him,

31:34 he fulfilled the requirements of the station of patience and perseverance

31:36 until the revelation arrived,

31:39 bringing that which cooled his eyes, gladdened his heart, and magnified his stature,

31:43 making manifest to his Ummah the immense honor his Lord bestowed upon him

31:46 and His supreme care for his affair.

31:49 Fourth:

31:50 whoever reflects upon the words of al-Siddiqah when her parents told her,

31:54 "Stand up and go to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,"

31:58 and she replied:

31:59 "By Allah, I will not go to him, and I will praise none but Allah,"

32:03 whoever considers and ponders these words of hers

32:07 will realize her profound spiritual insight, the strength of her faith,

32:10 her absolute reliance on her Lord, her singling Him out alone for praise in that momentous station,

32:15 her uncompromising devotion to pure monotheism (Tawhid),

32:17 the steadfastness of her composure,

32:19 and the affectionate confidence borne of her verified innocence,

32:22 knowing she had done nothing requiring her to stand before him

32:25 in the position of one seeking reconciliation or begging for favor.

32:28 Confident in the love she bore him,

32:31 and assured of the love of the Messenger of Allah for her,

32:34 she said what she said

32:36 out of the intimate confidence of a beloved toward her beloved,

32:39 especially in such a momentous station,

32:42 which represents the most sublime occasion for such intimate confidence;

32:45 thus, she placed it in its rightful place.

32:47 By Allah, she was never dearer to him than when she said:

32:51 "I will praise none but Allah,

32:53 for He is the One Who revealed my innocence."

32:57 How wondrous was that steadfastness and emotional composure on her part!

33:00 For he was the dearest of all creation to her,

33:03 and she could not bear separation from him,

33:05 yet when the heart of her beloved had seemed estranged from her for an entire month,

33:08 and she subsequently witnessed his pleasure and warm approach,

33:11 she did not hastily rush to stand before him

33:14 in immediate delight over his pleasure and proximity,

33:17 despite the intensity of her love for him.

33:19 This represents the very pinnacle of steadfastness and inner strength.

Treasures of biography | Sheikh Othman Al-Khamis | Episode (27) | The Afk incident

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