How Zaynab bint Jahsh defended Aisha’s honor
෴How Zaynab bint Jahsh defended Aisha’s honor when she was falsely accused of adultery෴
Zaynab was one of the few people who supported Aisha when she was slandered by some hypocrites who accused her of adultery. Zaynab testified to Aisha’s innocence and chastised her own sister, Hamna, who was involved in spreading the false rumors. Hamna bint Jahsh was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad. She was the daughter of Umayma bint Abdulmuttalib, the paternal aunt of the Prophet. She was also the sister of Zaynab bint Jahsh, one of the wives of the Prophet. Thus, she was sister-in-law of the Prophet. She became a Muslim in the first years of Islam and was married to Mus’ab bin Umayr, one of the great Companions.
Zaynab showed her loyalty and honesty by standing up for the truth despite her rivalry with Aisha.
Aisha was grateful to Zaynab for her support and praised her for her courage and honesty. She also acknowledged that Zaynab had a special status among the wives of the Prophet as she was married to him by Allah’s command. Aisha said:
“I have never seen a woman more advanced in religious piety than Zaynab, more God-conscious, more truthful, more alive to the ties of blood, more generous and having more sense of self-sacrifice in practical life and having more charitable disposition and thus more closer to God, the Exalted, than her.”
What was the source of the false accusation against Aisha?
The source of the false accusation against Aisha was a group of hypocrites who wanted to harm the Prophet and his family. The leader of the hypocrites was Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul, who fabricated the lie and spread it among the people. The accusation was that Aisha had committed adultery with a companion named Safwan bin Mu`attal, when she was left behind by a caravan and he found her and brought her back to the camp. The accusation caused great distress and anguish to the Prophet, Aisha and their families for a month, until Allah revealed verses in Surah An-Nur (24:11-20) that declared Aisha’s innocence and condemned the slanderers.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ جَآءُو بِٱلْإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌ مِّنكُمْ ۚ لَا تَحْسَبُوهُ شَرًّا لَّكُم ۖ بَلْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۚ لِكُلِّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُم مَّا ٱكْتَسَبَ مِنَ ٱلْإِثْمِ ۚ وَٱلَّذِى تَوَلَّىٰ كِبْرَهُۥ مِنْهُمْ لَهُۥ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
Those who brought up that slander were a band from among you. Do not regard it as a misfortune, for it is good for you. Every one of them shall be held to account for the sin he has committed; and he who took the greater part in it shall have a terrible punishment.
لَّوْلَآ إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ ظَنَّ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتُ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ خَيْرًا وَقَالُوا۟ هَٰذَآ إِفْكٌ مُّبِينٌ
When you heard of it, why did not the believing men and believing women think well of their own people, and say, "This is a manifest slander?"
لَّوْلَآ إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ ظَنَّ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَٰتُ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ خَيْرًا وَقَالُوا۟ هَٰذَآ إِفْكٌ مُّبِينٌ
When you heard of it, why did not the believing men and believing women think well of their own people, and say, "This is a manifest slander?"
لَّوْلَا جَآءُو عَلَيْهِ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَآءَ ۚ فَإِذْ لَمْ يَأْتُوا۟ بِٱلشُّهَدَآءِ فَأُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُمُ ٱلْكَٰذِبُونَ
Why did they not produce four witnesses? If they could not produce any witnesses, they were indeed liars in the sight of God!
وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُۥ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُمْ فِى مَآ أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
Were it not for the grace of God and His mercy upon you in this world and the next, you would have suffered a great affliction for the false accusation.
إِذْ تَلَقَّوْنَهُۥ بِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَتَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَاهِكُم مَّا لَيْسَ لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ وَتَحْسَبُونَهُۥ هَيِّنًا وَهُوَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ عَظِيمٌ
When you were spreading it with your tongues and saying with your mouths things of which you had no knowledge, you considered it to be a trivial matter, but, in God's sight, it was very serious.
وَلَوۡلَاۤ إِذۡ سَمِعۡتُمُوهُ قُلۡتُم مَّا یَكُونُ لَنَاۤ أَن نَّتَكَلَّمَ بِهَـٰذَا سُبۡحَـٰنَكَ هَـٰذَا بُهۡتَـٰنٌ عَظِیمࣱ
And why was it not that, when you heard it, you would have said, “It does not befit us to speak regarding this; Purity is to You, O Allah – this is a great accusation.”
يَعِظُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَن تَعُودُوا۟ لِمِثْلِهِۦٓ أَبَدًا إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
God warns you never to repeat the like of it again, if you are true believers.
وَيُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلْءَايَٰتِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
God explains the commandments to you. God is all knowing and wise.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَن تَشِيعَ ٱلْفَٰحِشَةُ فِى ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
Those who desire that indecencies should spread among the believers, will have a painful chastisement in this world and the Hereafter. God knows, and you do not know.
وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُۥ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَءُوفٌ رَّحِيمٌ
But for the grace of God and His mercy upon you, and were not God compassionate and merciful, [you would have come to grief].