صحيح البخاري 4750

Narrated Aisha:(The wife of the Prophet) Whenever Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) intended to go on a journey, he used to draw lots among his wives and would take with him the one on whom the lot had fallen. Once he drew lots when he wanted to carry out a Ghazwa, and the lot came upon me. So I proceeded with Allah's Apostle after Allah's order of veiling (the women) had been revealed and thus I was carried in my howdah (on a camel) and dismounted while still in it. We carried on our journey, and when Allah's Apostle had finished his Ghazwa and returned and we approached Medina, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ordered to proceed at night. When the army was ordered to resume the homeward journey, I got up and walked on till I left the army (camp) behind. When I had answered the call of nature, I went towards my howdah, but behold ! A necklace of mine made of Jaz Azfar (a kind of black bead) was broken and I looked for it and my search for it detained me. The group of people who used to carry me, came and carried my howdah on to the back of my camel on which I was riding, considering that I was therein. At that time women were light in weight and were not fleshy for they used to eat little (food), so those people did not feel the lightness of the howdah while raising it up, and I was still a young lady. They drove away the camel and proceeded. Then I found my necklace after the army had gone. I came to their camp but found nobody therein so I went to the place where I used to stay, thinking that they would miss me and come back in my search. While I was sitting at my place, I felt sleepy and slept. Safwan bin Al-Mu'attil As-Sulami Adh- Dhakw-ani was behind the army. He had started in the last part of the night and reached my stationing place in the morning and saw the figure of a sleeping person. He came to me and recognized me on seeing me for he used to see me before veiling. I got up because of his saying: "Inna Li l-lahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun," which he uttered on recognizing me. I covered my face with my garment, and by Allah, he did not say to me a single word except, "Inna Li l-lahi wa inna ilaihi rajiun," till he made his she-camel kneel down whereupon he trod on its forelegs and I mounted it. Then Safwan set out, leading the she-camel that was carrying me, till we met the army while they were resting during the hot midday. Then whoever was meant for destruction, fell in destruction, and the leader of the Ifk (forged statement) was `Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul. After this we arrived at Medina and I became ill for one month while the people were spreading the forged statements of the people of the Ifk, and I was not aware of anything thereof. But what aroused my doubt while I was sick, was that I was no longer receiving from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) the same kindness as I used to receive when I fell sick. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) would enter upon me, say a greeting and add, "How is that (lady)?" and then depart. That aroused my suspicion but I was not aware of the propagated evil till I recovered from my ailment. I went out with Um Mistah to answer the call of nature towards Al-Manasi, the place where we used to relieve ourselves, and used not to go out for this purpose except from night to night, and that was before we had lavatories close to our houses. And this habit of ours was similar to the habit of the old 'Arabs (in the deserts or in the tents) concerning the evacuation of the bowels, for we considered it troublesome and harmful to take lavatories in the houses. So I went out with Um Mistah who was the daughter of Abi Ruhm bin `Abd Manaf, and her mother was daughter of Sakhr bin Amir who was the aunt of Abi Bakr As-Siddiq, and her son was Mistah bin Uthatha. When we had finished our affair, Um Mistah and I came back towards my house. Um Mistah stumbled over her robe whereupon she said, "Let Mistah be ruined ! " I said to her, "What a bad word you have said! Do you abuse a man who has taken part in the Battle of Badr?' She said, "O you there! Didn't you hear what he has said?" I said, "And what did he say?" She then told me the statement of the people of the Ifk (forged statement) which added to my ailment. When I returned home, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came to me, and after greeting, he said, "How is that (lady)?" I said, "Will you allow me to go to my parents?" At that time I intended to be sure of the news through them. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) allowed me and I went to my parents and asked my mother, "O my mother! What are the people talking about?" My mother said, "O my daughter! Take it easy, for by Allah, there is no charming lady who is loved by her husband who has other wives as well, but that those wives would find fault with her." I said, "Subhan Allah! Did the people really talk about that?" That night I kept on weeping the whole night till the morning. My tears never stopped, nor did I sleep, and morning broke while I was still weeping, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) called `Ali bin Abi Talib and Usama bin Zaid when the Divine Inspiration delayed, in order to consult them as to the idea of divorcing his wife. Usama bin Zaid told Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) of what he knew about the innocence of his wife and of his affection he kept for her. He said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! She is your wife, and we do not know anything about her except good." But `Ali bin Abi Talib said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Allah does not impose restrictions on you; and there are plenty of women other than her. If you however, ask (her) slave girl, she will tell you the truth." `Aisha added: So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) called for Barira and said, "O Barira! Did you ever see anything which might have aroused your suspicion? (as regards Aisha). Barira said, "By Allah Who has sent you with the truth, I have never seen anything regarding Aisha which I would blame her for except that she is a girl of immature age who sometimes sleeps and leaves the dough of her family unprotected so that the domestic goats come and eat it." So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) got up (and addressed) the people and asked for somebody who would take revenge on `Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul then. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), while on the pulpit, said, "O Muslims! Who will help me against a man who has hurt me by slandering my family? By Allah, I know nothing except good about my family, and people have blamed a man of whom I know nothing except good, and he never used to visit my family except with me," Sa`d bin Mu`adh Al-Ansari got up and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! By Allah, I will relieve you from him. If he be from the tribe of (Bani) Al-Aus, then I will chop his head off; and if he be from our brethren, the Khazraj, then you give us your order and we will obey it." On that, Sa`d bin 'Ubada got up, and he was the chief of the Khazraj, and before this incident he had been a pious man but he was incited by his zeal for his tribe. He said to Sa`d (bin Mu`adh), "By Allah the Eternal, you have told a lie! You shall not kill him and you will never be able to kill him!" On that, Usaid bin Hudair, the cousin of Sa`d (bin Mu`adh) got up and said to Sa`d bin 'Ubada, "You are a liar! By Allah the Eternal, we will surely kill him; and you are a hypocrite defending the hypocrites!" So the two tribes of Al-Aus and Al-Khazraj got excited till they were on the point of fighting with each other while Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was standing on the pulpit. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) continued quietening them till they became silent whereupon he became silent too. On that day I kept on weeping so much that neither did my tears stop, nor could I sleep. In the morning my parents were with me, and I had wept for two nights and a day without sleeping and with incessant tears till they thought that my liver would burst with weeping. While they were with me and I was weeping, an Ansari woman asked permission to see me. I admitted her and she sat and started weeping with me. While I was in that state, Allah's Apostle came to us, greeted, and sat down. He had never sat with me since the day what was said, was said. He had stayed a month without receiving any Divine Inspiration concerning my case. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) recited the Tashahhud after he had sat down, and then said, "Thereafter, O `Aisha! I have been informed such and-such a thing about you; and if you are innocent, Allah will reveal your innocence, and if you have committed a sin, then ask for Allah's forgiveness and repent to Him, for when a slave confesses his sin and then repents to Allah, Allah accepts his repentance." When Allah's Apostle had finished his speech, my tears ceased completely so that I no longer felt even a drop thereof. Then I said to my father, "Reply to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) on my behalf as to what he said." He said, "By Allah, I do not know what to say to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)." Then I said to my mother, "Reply to Allah's Apostle." She said, "I do not know what to say to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)." Still a young girl as I was and though I had little knowledge of Qur'an, I said, "By Allah, I know that you heard this story (of the 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 Joseph's father: "So (for me) patience is most fitting against that which you assert and it is Allah (Alone) Whose help can be sought. Then I turned away and lay on my bed, and at that time I knew that I was innocent and that Allah would reveal my innocence. But by Allah, I never thought that Allah would sent down about my affair, Divine Inspiration that would be recited (forever), as I considered myself too unworthy to be talked of by Allah with something that was to be recited: but I hoped that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) might have a vision in which Allah would prove my innocence. By Allah, Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had not left his seat and nobody had left the house when the Divine Inspiration came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) . So there overtook him the same hard condition which used to overtake him (when he was Divinely Inspired) so that the drops of his sweat were running down, like pearls, though it was a (cold) winter day, and that was because of the heaviness of the Statement which was revealed to him. When that state of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was over, and he was smiling when he was relieved, the first word he said was, "Aisha, Allah has declared your innocence." My mother said to me, "Get up and go to him." I said, "By Allah, I will not go to him and I will not thank anybody but Allah." So Allah revealed: "Verily! They who spread the Slander are a gang among you. Think it not...." (24.11-20). When Allah revealed this to confirm my innocence, Abu Bakr As-Siddiq who used to provide for Mistah bin Uthatha because of the latter's kinship to him and his poverty, said, "By Allah, I will never provide for Mistah anything after what he has said about Aisha". So Allah revealed: "Let not those among you who are good and are wealthy swear not to give (help) to their kinsmen, those in need, and those who have left their homes for Allah's Cause. Let them Pardon and forgive (i.e. do not punish them). Do you not love that should forgive you? Verily Allah is Oft-forgiving. Most Merciful." (24.22) Abu Bakr said, "Yes, by Allah, I wish that Allah should forgive me." So he resumed giving Mistah the aid he used to give him before and said, "By Allah, I will never withhold it from him at all." Aisha further said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) also asked Zainab bint Jahsh about my case. He said, "O Zainab! What have you seen?" She replied, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I protect my hearing and my sight (by refraining from telling lies). I know nothing but good (about Aisha)." Of all the wives of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), it was Zainab who aspired to receive from him the same favor as I used to receive, yet, Allah saved her (from telling lies) because of her piety. But her sister, Hamna, kept on fighting on her behalf so she was destroyed as were those who invented and spread the slander

Rapporté par Aïcha : (L’épouse du Prophète) Chaque fois que le Messager d’Allah (ﷺ) voulait partir en voyage, il tirait au sort entre ses épouses et emmenait avec lui celle sur qui le sort était tombé. Une fois, il a tiré au sort lorsqu’il voulait participer à une expédition, et le sort est tombé sur moi. Je suis donc partie avec le Messager d’Allah après que l’ordre du voile (pour les femmes) ait été révélé, et ainsi j’étais transportée dans ma litière (sur un chameau) et j’en descendais toujours à l’intérieur. Nous avons poursuivi notre voyage, et quand le Messager d’Allah (ﷺ) a terminé son expédition et que nous étions sur le chemin du retour, il a ordonné de voyager de nuit. Quand l’armée a reçu l’ordre de reprendre la route, je me suis levée et j’ai marché jusqu’à ce que je laisse le camp derrière moi. Après avoir satisfait un besoin naturel, je suis retournée vers ma litière, mais j’ai remarqué que mon collier en perles noires s’était cassé. Je l’ai cherché, ce qui m’a retardée. Le groupe chargé de porter ma litière l’a soulevée et l’a installée sur le dos de mon chameau, pensant que j’étais dedans. À cette époque, les femmes étaient légères car elles mangeaient peu, donc ils n’ont pas remarqué que la litière était vide, et j’étais encore jeune. Ils ont emmené le chameau et sont partis. J’ai retrouvé mon collier après le départ de l’armée. Je suis revenue au camp mais il n’y avait plus personne, alors je me suis assise à l’endroit où je restais, pensant qu’ils reviendraient me chercher. En attendant, je me suis endormie. Safwan ibn Al-Mu’attal As-Sulami, qui suivait l’armée, est arrivé à mon emplacement le matin et a vu une silhouette endormie. Il m’a reconnue car il m’avait vue avant l’obligation du voile. Je me suis réveillée en entendant : « Inna li-llahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un », qu’il a prononcé en me reconnaissant. J’ai couvert mon visage avec mon vêtement, et par Allah, il ne m’a rien dit d’autre que : « Inna li-llahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un », jusqu’à ce qu’il fasse agenouiller sa chamelle, sur laquelle je suis montée. Safwan a alors conduit la chamelle jusqu’à ce que nous rejoignions l’armée pendant leur pause de midi. Ensuite, ceux qui étaient destinés à tomber dans la calomnie l’ont fait, et le chef de la calomnie était `Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salul. Après cela, nous sommes arrivés à Médine et je suis tombée malade pendant un mois, tandis que les gens répandaient les rumeurs sans que je le sache. Ce qui m’a intriguée pendant ma maladie, c’est que le Messager d’Allah (ﷺ) n’était plus aussi attentionné envers moi qu’avant. Il entrait, me saluait et disait : « Comment va-t-elle ? », puis repartait. Cela a éveillé mes soupçons, mais je n’étais pas au courant de ce qui se disait. Quand je me suis rétablie, je suis sortie avec Um Mistah pour satisfaire un besoin, comme nous le faisions la nuit, car il n’y avait pas de toilettes près des maisons. Cette habitude était celle des anciens Arabes, car nous trouvions difficile d’avoir des toilettes dans la maison. Um Mistah, la fille d’Abi Ruhm, m’accompagnait. Après avoir terminé, nous sommes revenues, et Um Mistah a trébuché sur sa robe et a dit : « Que Mistah soit perdu ! » Je lui ai dit : « Quelle mauvaise parole ! Tu insultes un homme qui a combattu à Badr ? » Elle a répondu : « Toi, là ! Tu n’as pas entendu ce qu’il a dit ? » Je lui ai demandé : « Qu’a-t-il dit ? » Elle m’a alors raconté ce que disaient les gens, ce qui a aggravé ma maladie. De retour à la maison, le Messager d’Allah (ﷺ) est venu, m’a saluée et a dit : « Comment va-t-elle ? » J’ai demandé : « Puis-je aller chez mes parents ? » Je voulais vérifier la nouvelle auprès d’eux. Il a accepté, et j’ai demandé à ma mère : « Maman, de quoi parlent les gens ? » Elle m’a dit : « Ma fille, prends patience. Par Allah, il n’y a pas de femme belle et aimée de son mari, qui a d’autres épouses, sans que les autres ne cherchent à la dénigrer. » J’ai dit : « Subhan Allah ! Les gens ont vraiment parlé de cela ? » Cette nuit-là, j’ai pleuré sans arrêt jusqu’au matin. Le Messager d’Allah (ﷺ) a alors consulté `Ali ibn Abi Talib et Usama ibn Zayd. Usama a témoigné de mon innocence et de l’amour du Prophète pour moi : « Ô Messager d’Allah (ﷺ) ! C’est ta femme, et nous ne savons rien d’elle sauf du bien. » Mais `Ali a dit : « Ô Messager d’Allah (ﷺ) ! Allah ne t’a pas imposé de contrainte ; il y a beaucoup d’autres femmes. Mais si tu veux, demande à sa servante, elle te dira la vérité. » Aïcha ajoute : Le Messager d’Allah (ﷺ) a donc appelé Barira et lui a demandé : « Ô Barira ! As-tu vu quelque chose de suspect chez Aïcha ? » Barira a répondu : « Par Allah, qui t’a envoyé avec la vérité, je n’ai rien vu de répréhensible chez elle, sauf qu’elle est jeune et parfois elle s’endort et laisse la pâte sans surveillance, alors les chèvres la mangent. » Le Messager d’Allah (ﷺ) s’est alors levé et a demandé à la communauté : « Ô musulmans ! Qui m’aidera contre un homme qui m’a blessé en calomniant ma famille ? Par Allah, je ne sais rien de mal sur ma famille, et la personne accusée n’a jamais rendu visite à ma famille sans ma présence. » Sa`d ibn Mu`adh s’est levé et a dit : « Ô Messager d’Allah (ﷺ) ! Par Allah, je m’occuperai de lui. S’il est des Aws, je lui couperai la tête ; s’il est des Khazraj, donne-nous ton ordre et nous obéirons. » Sa`d ibn ‘Ubada, chef des Khazraj, s’est levé, poussé par la fierté de sa tribu, et a dit à Sa`d ibn Mu`adh : « Par Allah, tu mens ! Tu ne le tueras pas et tu n’en es pas capable ! » Usaid ibn Hudair, cousin de Sa`d ibn Mu`adh, s’est levé et a dit à Sa`d ibn ‘Ubada : « C’est toi le menteur ! Par Allah, nous le tuerons, et tu es un hypocrite qui défend les hypocrites ! » Les deux tribus faillirent se battre alors que le Messager d’Allah (ﷺ) était sur le minbar. Il les calma jusqu’à ce qu’ils se taisent. Ce jour-là, j’ai pleuré sans arrêt, sans dormir, jusqu’à ce que mes parents pensent que j’allais en mourir. Une femme ansarie est venue pleurer avec moi. Alors que j’étais dans cet état, le Messager d’Allah (ﷺ) est venu, a salué, s’est assis et a récité le Tashahhud. Il a dit : « Ensuite, ô Aïcha ! On m’a parlé de toi. Si tu es innocente, Allah montrera ton innocence. Si tu as commis une faute, demande pardon à Allah et repens-toi, car quand un serviteur avoue son péché et se repent, Allah accepte son repentir. » Quand il eut fini, mes larmes cessèrent. J’ai demandé à mon père de répondre pour moi, il a dit : « Par Allah, je ne sais quoi dire. » J’ai demandé à ma mère, elle a dit : « Je ne sais quoi dire. » J’ai alors dit, bien que jeune et connaissant peu le Coran : « Par Allah, je sais que vous avez entendu cette histoire et qu’elle s’est ancrée dans vos esprits. Si je dis que je suis innocente, vous ne me croirez pas ; si j’avoue alors qu’Allah sait que je suis innocente, vous me croirez. Par Allah, je ne trouve d’exemple pour moi que celui du père de Joseph : “La patience est la meilleure attitude face à ce que vous dites, et c’est Allah dont l’aide doit être recherchée.” » Je me suis tournée et allongée sur mon lit, sachant qu’Allah prouverait mon innocence. Mais je n’aurais jamais pensé qu’Allah ferait descendre une révélation à mon sujet qui serait récitée pour toujours. Par Allah, le Messager d’Allah (ﷺ) n’avait pas quitté sa place, personne n’était sorti, quand la Révélation est descendue sur lui. Il a été saisi par la difficulté habituelle de la révélation, au point que des gouttes de sueur coulaient de son front comme des perles, bien qu’il fasse froid. Quand cela s’est terminé, il souriait et a dit : « Aïcha, Allah a déclaré ton innocence. » Ma mère m’a dit : « Lève-toi et va vers lui. » J’ai répondu : « Par Allah, je n’irai pas vers lui et je ne remercierai personne sauf Allah. » Alors Allah révéla : « Ceux qui ont propagé la calomnie font partie d’un groupe parmi vous… » (24.11-20). Quand Allah a révélé mon innocence, Abu Bakr As-Siddiq, qui aidait Mistah à cause de leur lien de parenté et de sa pauvreté, a dit : « Par Allah, je ne l’aiderai plus jamais après ce qu’il a dit sur Aïcha. » Alors Allah révéla : « Que ceux d’entre vous qui sont bons et riches ne jurent pas de ne plus aider leurs proches, les nécessiteux, et ceux qui ont émigré pour Allah. Qu’ils pardonnent et oublient. N’aimez-vous pas qu’Allah vous pardonne ? » (24.22). Abu Bakr a dit : « Oui, par Allah, je veux qu’Allah me pardonne. » Il a donc repris son aide à Mistah et a dit : « Par Allah, je ne lui refuserai plus jamais rien. » Aïcha a ajouté : Le Messager d’Allah (ﷺ) a aussi interrogé Zaynab bint Jahsh à mon sujet : « Ô Zaynab ! Qu’as-tu vu ? » Elle a répondu : « Ô Messager d’Allah (ﷺ) ! Je protège mon ouïe et ma vue (je ne mens pas). Je ne sais que du bien sur Aïcha. » Parmi toutes les épouses du Prophète (ﷺ), Zaynab souhaitait recevoir la même faveur que moi, mais Allah l’a préservée du mensonge par sa piété. Mais sa sœur Hamna a pris sa défense et a été perdue, comme ceux qui ont inventé et propagé la calomnie