She said: When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, had finished speaking, my tears (1) poured forth until I could no longer sense even a single drop. I said to my father, “Answer the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, regarding what he has said.” My father replied, “By Allah, I do not know what to say to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him.”

I then said to my mother, “Answer the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, regarding what he has said.” My mother replied, “By Allah, I do not know what to say to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him.”

Then I said—being a young girl who had not learned much of the Quran—“By Allah, I know that you have heard this report until it has settled in your hearts, and you have accepted it as true. If I tell you that I am innocent, you will not believe me; but if I confess to something, while Allah knows that I am innocent of it, you will believe me. By Allah, I can find no example for myself and you except the words of Joseph’s father when he said: ‘So patience is most fitting, and Allah is the One whose help is sought against what you describe.’” (Joseph 18)

Then I turned away and lay down upon my bed, knowing—and Allah knew—that I was innocent at that moment, and that Allah would vindicate me by declaring my innocence. Yet, by Allah, I never thought that Allah would send down concerning me a revelation to be recited. In my own estimation, my affair was too insignificant for Allah to speak concerning me with a revelation. Rather, I had hoped that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, would see a dream through which Allah would vindicate me.

By Allah, the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, had not left his seat, nor had anyone from the household departed, before revelation (2) descended upon him. The severe distress that would come upon him overtook him, and sweat poured from him like pearls, even though it was a cold day, because of the weight of the words being revealed to him.

She said: Then the state left the Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, and he was smiling. The first words he spoke were: “O Aishah, indeed, by Allah, Allah has declared you innocent.”

She said: My mother then said to me, “Get up and go to him.” But I replied, “By Allah, I will not get up and go to him, for I praise none but Allah.”

Allah Most High then revealed: “Indeed, those who came with the slander are a group among you”—the ten verses.

When Allah revealed my innocence, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq, who had been providing for Mistah ibn Uthathah because of their kinship and Mistah’s poverty, said, “By Allah, I shall never again spend anything on Mistah after what he said about Aishah.” Then Allah revealed: “Let not those of virtue and means among you swear ...” up to His words, “Forgiving, Merciful.” Abu Bakr al-Siddiq said, “Indeed, by Allah, I certainly love that Allah should forgive me.” So he resumed the support he had been giving Mistah and said, “By Allah, I shall never withdraw it from him.”

⦗37/A⦘ Aishah said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, had asked Zaynab bint Jahsh about me. He said to Zaynab, “What do you know, or what have you seen?” She replied, “O Messenger of Allah, I guard my hearing and my sight. By Allah, I have known nothing but good.”

Aishah said: She was the one among the wives of the Prophet, may Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, who rivalled me, but Allah safeguarded her through her scrupulous piety. Her sister Hamnah, however, set about championing her cause, and so she was ruined along with those who were ruined.

Ibn Shihab said: This is what has reached me of the reports concerning these people.

Aishah said: By Allah, the man concerning whom what was said was said would declare, “Glory be to Allah! By Him in whose hand is my soul, I have never uncovered any woman’s body.” She said: