ibn Thābit, Hamnah bint Jahsh, and Mistah ibn Athā’ah—so too the warning contained in the second verse is not restricted to those who accused ‘Ā’ishah or the other wives of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. If it had to be restricted to ‘Ā’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, because it was revealed concerning her and what those responsible for the slander said about her, then the verse on mutual imprecation would have to be restricted to Hilāl ibn Umayyah, the verse on theft to the man who stole Safwān ibn Umayyah’s cloak, and the verse on zihār—declaring one’s wife forbidden to oneself as one’s mother—to Aws ibn al-Sāmit, since the incidents involving them occasioned the revelation of these verses. Since the latter restrictions are not required, neither is the former.

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As for the report from Ibn ‘Abbās that the threatened punishment must be carried out against anyone who accuses the wives of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, it is not sound, because Allah accepted the repentance of those responsible for the slander who repented. The evidence is that Allah reproached Abū Bakr al-Siddīq for discontinuing his financial support for Mistah, the son of his maternal aunt, and other relatives, saying:

“Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [Al-Nūr: 22]

Abū Bakr said, “Indeed, my Lord, I love that Allah should forgive me,” and resumed supporting them. Hassān ibn Thābit would also visit ‘Ā’ishah, and she would receive him graciously. It is reported that Masrūq said: “I was with ‘Ā’ishah when Hassān ibn Thābit once came to visit her. At her instruction, a cushion was set out for him, and he began reciting some verses of his own, including:

Chaste and dignified, no suspicion stains her name;
She never feeds upon the flesh of unsuspecting women.

‘Ā’ishah said, ‘But you are not like that.’”

Masrūq said: “I said to her, ‘You allow this man to visit you, despite what he said, when Allah revealed concerning him:

“As for the one among them who took the greatest share in it, his will be a tremendous punishment.” [Al-Nūr: 11]’

She replied, ‘What punishment could be worse than blindness?’ She added, ‘He used to defend the Prophet, peace be upon him.’”

The correct view, however, is that the one who took the greatest share in it was ‘Abd Allāh ibn Ubayy ibn Salūl, who was one of the hypocrites. As for Hassān ibn Thābit, some have denied that he was among those who participated in spreading the slander or that he was flogged for it,