that was burdensome or difficult; rather, it is easy to avoid in practice, though its gravity with Allah is immense. As for one of them, he would not protect himself from urine—meaning he did not perform a thorough cleansing. If urine touched his clothes or body he simply paid no attention. The other went about with malicious gossip, repeating to people what some had said about others in order to drive a wedge between them—may Allah protect us. Tale-bearing is among the major sins: the talebearer is punished in his grave, and no talebearer will enter Paradise. We ask Allah for safety.

Now, when this remark reached ʿĀʾishah, she—may Allah be pleased with her—vowed never again to speak to him, so intense was her anger toward her nephew and her resolve to shun him. It is obvious that being boycotted by the Mother of the Believers would weigh heavily on her nephew. He tried to appease her, but she remained firm because she considered the vow binding.

He therefore sought the intercession of two Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. They did, in fact, employ a stratagem with the Mother of the Believers, yet it was a laudable one, for it led to a noble end: reconciliation. If uttering an untruth to mend relations is permissible, how much more so a non-verbal ruse that serves the same purpose.

The two men asked permission to enter upon ʿĀʾishah—may Allah be pleased with her—and greeted her with peace, for the Sunnah when seeking entry is that, after knocking, one says, “Peace be upon you.” They then requested to come in. “May we enter?” they said. She replied, “Yes.” They asked, “All of us?” She answered, “All of you,” unaware that ʿAbd Allah ibn al-Zubayr was with them, yet she did not ask, “Is he with you?”