562 – ʿUbayd Allah ibn Jarir, Abū al-ʿAbbās al-Azdi, narrated to us; Abū Maʿmar ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAmr narrated to us; ʿAbd al-Wārith ibn Saʿīd narrated to us; Muhammad ibn al-Zubayr narrated to us, from ʿUmar ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, who said:

A mild dispute arose between the Prophet ﷺ and ʿĀʾishah. He laid his hand on her, and she pushed it away. He repeated the gesture, and again she pushed it away. He then said, “You are not going to leave me behind you; appoint a man to stand between us (as an arbiter).” She answered, “Very well.” I considered ʿUmar, but disliked the idea because of his severity. He said, “Let the one between us be your father.” I agreed.

He sent for him, and he (Abū Bakr) came and sat down. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “This woman—regarding such-and-such of her affair…” ⦗761⦘ She objected, “Fear Allah and say only the truth.” Abū Bakr raised his hand, struck her on the face, humiliated her, and said, “May you be bereft of your mother! You and your father claim to speak the truth while the Messenger of Allah does not?” He then stood, took a palm stalk, and began to beat her. She rose and sheltered behind the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Abū Bakr, we did not wish for this. I swear to you, leave us.” So he left. When he had gone, she stood and withdrew to another part of the room. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ called her, but she refused to come. He said, “Just a moment ago you were clinging so tightly to my back!”