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~ Ayesha (ra) ~ Ifk. What is it?. This incident is known in Arabic as the “Haadithatul Ifk. Or the incident of the slander. Ifk means slander. Occurred after the battle of Ahzaab, in 6H. The Prophet (pbuh) took part of a small expedition by the name of “ghazwatul bani al-mustaliq.
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What is it? • This incident is known in Arabic as the “Haadithatul Ifk. Or the incident of the slander. Ifk means slander. • Occurred after the battle of Ahzaab, in 6H. • The Prophet (pbuh) took part of a small expedition by the name of “ghazwatul bani al-mustaliq. • Allah (swt) revealed verses about this incident in the Quran (over 20 verses) • It is recorded in Sahih Bukhari in first person because Ayesha (ra) herself narrated the story as it happened to her. (she was around 15 or 16 years old)
Background • Whenever the Prophet (pbuh) went on a journey, he cast lots amongst his wives. Whoever’s lot was picked would accompany him on the journey. (e.g. sticks) • He cast these lots on this expedition and Ayesha’s (ra) name came up.
Background cont • The incident of Ifk took place after the verses pertaining to hijab had been revealed. Therefore, Ayesha (ra) was traveling with the Prophet (pbuh) in her houdaj. • A houdaj is a small tent that is placed on a camel. Women would ride inside.
When they were on their way back to Medina, the Prophet (pbuh) gave orders to encamp the night outside of Medina. • It was a Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) not to enter Medina at night. He would advise his companions not to return from traveling at night. Thus, the household will be ready to receive you (e.g. the wives could prepare themselves for the husbands).
When the orders were given to encamp, Ayesha (ra) stood up and walked away from the army to relieve herself. When she returned, she felt her chest and found that her onyx necklace had broken. Therefore, she returned to where she relieved herself. In the meantime, the people who were assigned to carry Ayesha’s (ra) houdaj, had already placed it on the camel, presuming that she was in it.
The men in charge of lifting the houdaj did not question the lightness of it when they placed it on the camel because women those days were very light (they only used to eat a few morsels of food) and on top of that, Ayesha (ra) was a young girl. • Ayesha (ra) found her necklace after they had gone. • By the time she had returned to the caravan’s camping grounds, there was no on left in sight.
Ayesha (ra) stayed in her place and presumed they would figure out that she was missing and return. While she was waiting, she fell asleep. • Safwan ibn Muﾕaqqal As Sulami(ra), one of the companions, was lagging behind the army. He walked up to where Ayesha (ra) was and saw someone sleeping. He recognized Ayesha (ra) because he had seen her before the revelations of the verses of the hijab. • Ayesha (ra) was woken up by his exclamation of “Inni lillahi was inna ilaihi raji’oon”. She covered her face with her outer garments.
They did not speak to each other and the only statement she heard form him was the “inni lillahi wa inna ilahi raji’oon” he exclaimed at the beginning. He lowered his camel so that Ayesha (ra) could sit on it. He then guided the camel until they came across the caravan where the rest were encamped. • That was when the rumors started. The people that said the rumors were destroyed. The leader of them was Abdullah ibn Ubay ibn Salool.
They arrived in Medina and Ayesha (ra) fell ill with a fever for one month. • The inhabitants of Medina were all talking about this slander and she didn’t know about it nor did it even occur to her. However, Ayesha (ra) was hurt by the fact that she did not see the tenderness that she used to see from the Prophet (pbuh) while she was sick. • He would enter and ask Ayesha (ra) and the people taking care of her, “How are all of you doing?” Then after finding out, he would leave.
Even though it was so difficult for the Prophet (pbuh), he was patient and knew this was not the time to talk to Ayesha (ra) about it because she was sick. • After Ayesha (ra) had been cured, she once went out with UmmeMistha towards the area they used to use to relieve themselves. • Ummemistha was a first cousin of the Prophet (pbuh) because her father was the son of Abdul Mutallib. Her mother was the Aunt of Abu Bakr.
While returning, Ummemistha tripped over a stone and exclaimed, “may Mistha be perished”. • Ayesha (ra) exclaimed what an evil thing she has said. How can she curse a person who has attended the Battle of Badr. • UmmeMistha replied My dear child, did you not hear what he is saying about you? • Upon asking, Ummemistha explained the whole story. This is how the news finally reached Ayesha (ra).
She realized this was why the Prophet (pbuh) was treating her different. This was why she didn’t find the genteleness she was used to. • Ayesha (ra) came home and fell sick worse than she had been before. • As soon as the Prophet (pbuh) came in to see her, he said Assalaamu Alaikum and asked how she was. • The first thing that Ayesha (ra) said was asking permission to go to her parent’s house.
The Prophet (pbuh) allowed her to go to her parent’s house. • Ayesha (ra) asked her mother what people were saying about her. • Her mother replied to calm down and not listen to what people say. • Ayesha cried at her parents house. She cried all night and she couldn’t even sleep. • The Prophet (pbuh) already called Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra) and Osama ibn Zaid (ra) to find out what they thought about Ayesha (ra).
Osama (ra) said he knew nothing but good about her. • Ali (ra) said Allah has not restricted matters upon you and there are plenty of women other than her. In addition, he told the Prophet (pbuh) to ask her maidservant as well and she will confirm what he (pbuh) knew about Ayesha (ra).
Ayesha’s (ra) maidservant was Barirah. • The Prophet (pbuh) called Barirah and asked her if there was anything she saw in Ayesha (ra) that caused her to have doubt in Ayesha (ra). • Barirah said, “By Him who has sent you with the truth, I have not seen anything from her whatsoever that will cause me to have doubts about her, except that she is a young girl who sometimes falls asleep while she is kneading the dough, and when she falls asleep, the lamb comes and eats the dough and goes away.”
The Prophet (pbuh) called a general assembly. He stood up on the mimbar, praised Allah (swt) and said, “O gathering of believers, who will help me against a person who has hurt me by slandering my family? By Allah, I know nothing but good about my family.. And people have mentioned a man with her, concerning whom I only know good of as well. He never visited my family except with me.”
After the Prophet (pbuh) said this, Sa’d ibn Muadh (ra) stood up and said, “I excuse you, Rasulullah for whatever you want to do. So if this person be from amongst the Ous, then I will cut his head off. And if he be from amongst my brethren of the Khazraj, then command us and we will do your bidding.”
Adballah Ibn Ubay Ibn Salool was from among the Khazraj. • When Sa’d (ra) said this, Saad Ibn Ubadah, a Khazraji stood and said, “By Allah, you have lied. You are a liar. You cannot kill him. Nor are you able to kill him. Rather had he been from your tribe, you would not have liked that he be killed. But you knew he was from our tribe, so you can stand up and say this.” • Osaid ibn Hudair, Ibn Muadh’s cousin then said, “Rather you are the liar. And we will surely kill him. You are only a hypocrite defending another hypocrite.
This caused the Ous and the Khazraj to start fighting with each other. The Prophet (pbuh) had to calm them down and things were resolved.
Ayesha (ra) continued to cry for two days. And her tears would not stop falling until she believed that her liver would split open due to her tears. • Then the Prophet (pbuh) entered upon her, said Salaam, and sat down.
The Prophet (pbuh) praised Allah (swt) after he sat he said I have heard about you such and such. So if you are innocent, Allah will clear you of discharge. And if you have slipped into a sin, then seek Allah’s forgiveness and repent to him for whenever a servant does a sin, and admits to it, and repents, then Allah accepts his repentance from him.
Ayesha (ra) turned to her father and told him to respond to the Prophet (pbuh) on her behalf. • He responds that he doesn’t know what to say to the Prophet (pbuh) • So Ayesha (ra) turned to her mother and told her to reply to the Prophet (pbuh) . • She also said the same as Abu Bakr (ra)
She said: "By Allah, I know that you heard this story (i.e. of Ifk) so much so that it has been planted in your minds and you have believed it. So now, if I tell you that I am innocent, and Allah knows that I am innocent, you will not believe me; and if I confess something, and Allah knows that I am innocent of it, you will believe me. By Allah, I cannot find of you an example except that of Yusuf’s father (AS) (i.e. Ya’qub (AS)). So (for me) patience is most fitting against that which you assert and it is Allah (Alone) Whose help can be sought”.
S An-Noor • PICKTHAL: 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).
PICKTHAL: 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 • PICKTHAL: Why did they not produce four witnesses? Since they produce not witnesses, they verily are liars in the sight of Allah. 24:13 • PICKTHAL: 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
PICKTHAL: 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 • PICKTHAL: Wherefore, 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
PICKTHAL: Allah admonisheth you that ye repeat not the like thereof ever, if ye are (in truth) believers. 24:17 • PICKTHAL: And He expoundeth unto you the revelations. Allah is Knower, Wise. 24:18 • PICKTHAL: 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 • PICKTHAL: Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you, and that Allah is Clement, Merciful, (ye had been undone). 24:20
PICKTHAL: 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
Thank You.Jazakallahu KhairNoora SiddiquiFeb 12, 09Redlands • Refs: • Notes from Yasir Qadhi
