Talha and al-Zubayr, without realizing that, if this charge were valid, it would be still more applicable as a charge against Ali; for Talha and al-Zubayr held Aisha in high esteem, agreed with her, and acted at her command. All three were among those furthest removed from indecency or assisting in it. If a Rāfidī (1) may impugn the two of them, saying (2): “How will you face (3) the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace? If one of us were merely to speak with (4) another man’s wife until he took her out of her home and traveled with her…”(5)—even though this merely accorded her the status of a queen whose commands he followed (6) and whom he obeyed, nor had she been taken to places associated with indecency—then a Nāsibī (7) could say: “How will the man who fought the Messenger of Allah’s wife and unleashed his supporters against her ever face the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—when they went so far as to hamstring her camel beneath her, and she fell from her litter, while her enemies circled all around her as though she were a captive woman surrounded by men intent on taking her captive?”

It is well known that this—being liable to entail the humiliation of a man’s wife, the violation of her sanctity, and her capture,(8) as well as empowering (9) unrelated men to overpower, abase, capture, and demean her—is graver than bringing her [from her home] (10) with the standing of an exalted and revered (11) queen who is not approached