Ayshah Siddiqa bint Abu Bakr (RA) Part 3

Ayshah Siddiqa bint Abu Bakr (RA) Part 3
- by Dar-us-Salam Publications

In the month of Sha'ban, Ayshah accompanied Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) who led the Muslim army towards Qadid, where a minor battle started with tribe of Banu Mustalaq. Several hypocrites were also part of the army during this particular battle. She had borrowed a necklace from her sister Asma'. On the way back the army camped in the desert, and Ayshah went far into desert to relieve herself. Suddenly she realized that the necklace dropped along the way. She found it after a long search. When she reached the site, the caravan had left, the normal procedure was that the ladies, who were segregated from the men folk, would get into their litter and draw the curtains. Then the camel drivers would place the litter on the camel's back. Since 'Ayshah was very light no one realized her absence. She lay down, waiting for her companions to return.

Safwan bin Mu'attil had the responsibility of checking the camp site for things which might have been left behind, at daybreak he arrived to find someone lying down in a Jilbab. When 'Ayshah heard him she woke up, and got on to the camel. He then walked leading the camel by the bridle.

At noon when the caravan had just reached the next camp site to rest, they saw 'Ayshah arriving with Safwan. Madinah was flooded by loose talk that 'Ayshah was a loose woman and her character was suspect, led by 'Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul. Hasan bin Thabit, Hamnah bint Jahash, and Mastah bin Athathah who joined the hypocrites. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was extremely disturbed when he heard this talk, but 'Ayshah was blissfully ignorant of all this.

One night when she went out with the mother of Mastah bin Athathah. The lady tripped and started cursing her son. 'Ayshah said that he was a Companion of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) who fought in the Battle of Badr and deserved respect. The old lady retorted that 'Ayshah was ignorant of the fact that he was involved in an awful plot; she revealed what had been taking place behind her back. On returning home, she took the permission of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and went to visit her parents. She was heartbroken, her sympathetic and loving parents advised her to be patient and everything would be cleared up. But she could not accept the fact that people could descend to such cruel depths. After two days and nights of continuous weeping she fell ill.

On the third morning, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to see her. He told her very gently that if she erred she should ask Allah for His forgiveness. She said to her husband that if she denied she was guilty, nobody would believe her; but she was innocent and only Allah knew it. The best answer to these accusations was to quote the answer of the father of Yusuf,

"So (for me) patience is most fitting. And it is Allah Whose help can be sought against that (lie) which you describe." [Noble Quran 12:18]
At precisely this moment, the Ayat announcing her innocence were revealed. When the revelation ended he then turned to 'Ayshah with a smile and started reciting the Ayat,