The Hadith of the Slander

Muhammad ibn al-Husayn—may Allah have mercy on him—said: Through the affair of the slander, Allah—Majestic is His glory—only increased Aisha—may Allah be pleased with her—in honor, nobility, and dignity, while He increased the hypocrites who accused her in humiliation and disgrace. As for those believers who spoke about her but were not hypocrites, He admonished them in the sternest terms and warned them never again to entertain such an impermissible suspicion. He—Majestic is His glory—said:

“When you heard it, you should have said, ‘It is not for us to speak of this. Glory be to You! This is a monstrous slander.’ Allah admonishes you never to do the like of it again, if you are believers.” [al-Nūr: 17]

Take careful note of this passage—may Allah have mercy on you—so that you may know that Allah—Majestic is His glory—glorified Himself in view of the enormity of the accusation made against her, and that He sternly admonished the believers.

I heard Abū Abd Allah ibn Shāhīn—may Allah have mercy on him—say: “Whenever Allah—Mighty and Majestic—mentions what the unbelievers have falsely attributed to Him, He glorifies Himself in view of the enormity of their claim. An example is His saying—Majestic is His glory:

‘They say, “Allah has taken a son.” Glory be to Him!’ [al-Baqara: 116]

Likewise, when Aisha—may Allah be pleased with her—was falsely accused as she was, He glorified Himself in view of the enormity of that accusation. He—Majestic is His glory—said:

‘When you heard it, you should have said, “It is not for us to speak of this. Glory be to You! This is a monstrous slander.”’ [al-Nūr: 16]

Thus He—Glorious and Mighty—glorified Himself in view of the enormity of the accusation made against Aisha—may Allah be pleased with her.”