The Testimony of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala exonerating the Mother of the Believers, Sayyidah Aisha from the falsehood she was accused of

The exoneration of Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu `anha from the falsehood she was accused of was recorded in the Noble Qur’an, which will be recited to all of mankind. The verses of Surah al Nur are a profound lesson for the believers and a testimony from Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala absolving the mother of the believers. The trials ended on that day and those who delved into the matter were dealt with accordingly. The word of Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala is always true and just.

Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala says:

إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ جَاءُوْا بِالْإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌ مِّنْكُمْلَا تَحْسَبُوْهُ شَرًّا لَّكُمْ بَلْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ مَّا اكْتَسَبَ مِنَ الْإِثْمِ وَالَّذِيْ تَوَلّىٰ كِبْرَهُ مِنْهُمْ لَهُ عَذَابٌ عَظِيْمٌ لَّوْلَا إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوْهُ ظَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ خَيْرًا وَقَالُوْا هٰذَا إِفْكٌ مُّبِيْنٌ لَّوْلَا جَاءُوْا عَلَيْهِ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَاءَ فَإِذْ لَمْ يَأْتُوْا بِالشُّهَدَاءِ فَأُولٰئِكَ عِنْدَ اللهِ هُمُ الْكَاذِبُوْنَ وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ فِيْ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُمْ فِيْ مَا أَفَضْتُمْ فِيْهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيْمٌ إِذْ تَلَقَّوْنَهُ بِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَتَقُوْلُوْنَ بِأَفْوَاهِكُم ْمَّا لَيْسَ لَكُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَتَحْسَبُوْنَهُ هَيِّنًا وَهُوَ عِنْدَ اللهِ عَظِيْمٌ وَلَوْلَا إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوْهُ قُلْتُمْ مَّا يَكُوْنُ لَنَا أَنْ نَّتَكَلَّمَ بِهٰذَا سُبْحَانَكَ هٰذَا بُهْتَانٌ عَظِيْمٌ يَعِظُكُمُ اللهُ أَنْ تَعُوْدُوْا لِمِثْلِهِ أَبَدًا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِيْنَ وَيُبَيِّنُ اللهُ لَكُمُ الْآيَاتِ وَاللهُ عَلِيْمٌ حَكِيْمٌ إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ يُحِبُّوْنَ أَنْ تَشِيْعَ الْفَاحِشَةُ فِيْ الَّذِيْنَ آمَنُوْا لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيْمٌ فِيْ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَاللهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُوْنَ

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 [i.e., Hellfire]. Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think good of themselves [i.e., 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 favour 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 [i.e., His rulings], and Allah is Knowing and Wise. Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread [or publicised] among those who have believed will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you do not know.^[1]

Afterwards Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala says:

إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ يَرْمُوْنَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ الْغَافِلَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ لُعِنُوْا فِيْ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيْمٌ يَوْمَ تَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ وَأَيْدِيْهِمْ وَأَرْجُلُهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوْا يَعْمَلُوْنَ يَوْمَئِذٍ يُوَفِّيْهِمُ اللهُ دِيْنَهُمُ الْحَقَّ وَيَعْلَمُوْنَ أَنَّ اللهَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ الْمُبِيْنُ الْخَبِيْثَاتُ لِلْخَبِيْثِيْنَ وَالْخَبِيْثُوْنَ لِلْخَبِيْثَاتِ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ لِلطَّيِّبِيْنَ وَالطَّيِّبُوْنَ لِلطَّيِّبَاتِ أُولٰئِكَ مُبَرَّءُوْنَ مِمَّا يَقُوْلُوْنَ لَهُمْ مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيْمٌ

Indeed, those who [falsely] accuse chaste, unaware, and believing women are cursed in this world and the Hereafter; and they will have a great punishment. On a Day when their tongues, their hands and their feet will bear witness against them as to what they used to do. That Day, Allah will pay them in full their true [i.e., deserved] recompense, and they will know that it is Allah who is the manifest Truth [i.e., perfect in justice]. Evil women are for evil men, and evil men are for evil women. And good women are for good men, and good men are for good women. Those [good people] are declared innocent of what they [i.e., slanderers] say. For them is forgiveness and noble provision.^[2]

If we ponder over these verses and realise what lessons and advice it contains, we understand the repugnant sin that the liars commit up to this day by swearing the pure and chaste Mother of the believers, the beloved wife of the Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. All the more, when verses of the Noble Qur’an were revealed in her defence and the King of the worlds declared her innocent!

Did not Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala label this as a fabrication when He said:

إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ جَاءُوْا بِالْإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌ مِّنْكُمْ

Indeed, those who came with falsehood are a group among you.

لَّوْلَا إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوْهُ ظَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ خَيْرًا وَقَالُوْا هٰذَا إِفْكٌ مُّبِيْنٌ

Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think good of themselves [i.e., one another] and say, “This is an obvious falsehood”?

Was not the slander based on lies, defamation, and fabrications?

Did not Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala warn those who delve into these falsities when He said:

إِذْ تَلَقَّوْنَهُ بِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَتَقُوْلُوْنَ بِأَفْوَاهِكُم ْمَّا لَيْسَ لَكُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَتَحْسَبُوْنَهُ هَيِّنًا وَهُوَ عِنْدَ اللهِ عَظِيْمٌ

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.

Did not Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala warn from ever doing such a thing again when He said:

يَعِظُكُمُ اللهُ أَنْ تَعُوْدُوْا لِمِثْلِهِ أَبَدًا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِيْنَ

Allah warns you against returning to the likes of this [conduct], ever, if you should be believers.

Did not Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala promise that those who falsely accuse chaste, simple, believing women will be cursed in this world and the next when He said:

إِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ يَرْمُوْنَ الْمُحْصَنَاتِ الْغَافِلَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنَاتِ لُعِنُوْا فِيْ الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَلَهُمْ عَذَابٌ عَظِيْم

Indeed, those who [falsely] accuse chaste, unaware and believing women are cursed in this world and the Hereafter; and they will have a great punishment.

Did Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala not say:

الْخَبِيْثَاتُ لِلْخَبِيْثِيْنَ وَالْخَبِيْثُوْنَ لِلْخَبِيْثَاتِ وَالطَّيِّبَاتُ لِلطَّيِّبِيْنَ وَالطَّيِّبُوْنَ لِلطَّيِّبَاتِ

Evil women are for evil men, and evil men are for evil women. And good women are for good men, and good men are for good women.

This means that Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu `anha would not be suitable for the Messenger of Allah salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam according to this verse if she was impure. Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala would not have made Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu `anha the spouse of the Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam if she was not pure and chaste because the Nabi salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is the purest of all mankind. May my parents be sacrificed for you, O Messenger of Allah.

Did Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala not explicitly absolve Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu `anha when He said:

أُولٰئِكَ مُبَرَّءُوْنَ مِمَّا يَقُوْلُوْنَ لَهُمْ مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيْمٌ

Those [good people] are declared innocent of what they [i.e., slanderers] say. For them is forgiveness and noble provision.

Did Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala not attribute forgiveness and noble provisions for Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu `anha when He said:

لَهُمْ مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيْمٌ

For them is forgiveness and noble provision.

All this expounds on the point that Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala testified to the true Iman of Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu `anha and favoured her with glad tidings of death on Iman, which necessitates forgiveness and wonderful provisions in the Hereafter. Is it possible thereafter for a man, who believes in Allah subhanahu wa ta ‘ala and His word, to attribute filth and misgivings to Sayyidah Aisha radiya Llahu `anha? Can the action of a person who does so be interpreted in any other way besides manifest disbelief and clear apostasy?

NEXT⇒ Conclusion

[1] Surah al Nur: 11-19.

[2] Surah al Nur: 23-26

BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents