and she exclaimed, “May Mistah be ruined!”

I said to her, “How awful a thing to say! Are you reviling a man who fought at Badr?”

She replied, “Ah, you naïve girl (1), have you not heard what he has been saying?”

I asked, “And what is that?”

She then informed me of the whole affair, and my illness only worsened.

When I returned home, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came in, greeted me, and said, “How is that one?”

I asked, “Will you allow me to visit my parents?”—for I wanted to ascertain the report from them. He gave me leave, and I went to my parents.

I said, “Mother, what are the people saying?”

She replied, “My daughter, take it easy. By Allah, it is rare for a beautiful woman who is loved by her husband and has co-wives that they do not gang up against her.”

I said, “Glory be to Allah! Have people really been talking about this?”

That night I wept until my tears would not stop and no sleep touched my eyes. I continued weeping the next morning.

Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ summoned ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Usāmah ibn Zayd, for revelation had been delayed, to consult them about separating from his wife.

Usāmah, knowing his family’s innocence and the affection the Prophet held for them, said, “Messenger of Allah, they are your family, and we know of them only good.”

But ʿAlī said, “Allah has not restricted you; there are plenty of other women. Ask the servant-girl, and she will tell you the truth.”

So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called Barīrah (2) and said, “O Barīrah, have you seen anything that would make you suspicious?”

She answered, “No, by the One Who sent you with the truth. I have seen nothing in her that I could reproach her for except that she is a young girl who sometimes falls asleep while kneading the dough, and the household goat comes and eats it.” (3)

(1) A gentle rebuke meaning “You simple girl.”
(2) Barīrah was ʿĀʾishah’s freed servant.
(3) I.e., that is the only shortcoming I ever noticed in her.