The Slander: Al-’Ifk Incident

Q 24.11 refers to a group of people who have slandered a woman. Though the verse does not identity the accusers or the victim of the false allegations, Islamic sources provide disparate interpretations of this verse and its related context (Q 24.11-19), based on Sunni and Shiite narrations concerning a certain event involving ‘Ā’isha, Muhammad’s third and favorite wife. Her portrayal in these narrations is presented by contradictory images: as a victim in Sunni accounts but as an evildoer in Shiite accounts.

Sunni Perspective

Sunni narrations state that in the year AH 6 (AD 628), when the Muslim army was returning from the Battle of Banū al-Mušţaliq, a man was seen, together with a woman riding a camel, in the distant horizon. Soon the people in the Muslim army camp realized that the woman, who eventually reached the camp at dawn, was ‘Ā’isha and the person leading the camel was Šafwān Ibn al-Mu‘aţţal, a young Muslim man.

Her arrival into camp in this manner was greatly astounding because ‘Ā’isha was assumed to be already within the Muslim procession in her howdah, instead of now coming behind the army, accompanied by one of the fighters. This mystifying situation caused people to speculate about her delayed return—in the sole company of an unrelated man—behind the army. ‘Abd Allah Ibn ’Ubayy Ibn Salūl, a Medinan leader and a chief of the Arab tribe Banū Khazraj (and later considered the “leader of the Hypocrites,” according to Islamic tradition), quickly seized the opportunity to discredit and humiliate Muhammad: “By Allah! She didn’t escape from him, nor did he escape from her”. In other words, Ibn ’Ubayy claimed that ‘Ā’isha had committed adultery with her escort.

The main account of this incident in the various Islamic sources is by ‘Ā’isha herself. She narrates that when Muhammad and his soldiers were getting ready to continue their journey after the army’s break, she briefly withdrew to relieve herself. Upon her return to the army, she discovered that she had lost her necklace and so she retraced her steps to look for it until she found it. Meanwhile, Muhammad and his soldiers had left and the men who carried her howdah thought she was in it because she was so light in weight. (She was a slender 13-year-old at the time).

‘Ā’isha narrates that when she found herself left behind by the army, she wrapped herself with her garment and lay down, in hope that they would discover her absence and come back to search for her. A short time later Šafwān Ibn al-Mu‘aţţal came upon her and immediately recognized her. He had her sit upon his camel and quickly set off to rejoin the army of Muhammad. But ‘Ā’isha and her rescuer arrived at camp no sooner than dawn.

And so their compromising arrival into the camp, hours after the main army, became a highly public scandal, a topic of continuous talk by all the people. Rumors about ‘Ā’isha and Šafwān circulated for a month.

In the meantime, ‘Ā’isha became severely ill, and so ‘Ā’isha asked Muhammad to allow her to move to her parents’ house to be nursed there. According to her narration, she was unaware of the rumors when she moved to her parents’ home. It would be more than a month after her arrival to the camp before ‘Ā’isha learned about the accusations, and she collapsed when she heard these rumors, weeping day and night.

Muhammad in Crisis

‘Ā’isha’s plight put Muhammad into a delicate situation for personal as well as political reasons, providing his enemies, “the Hypocrites,” with a dangerous tool against Islam. If ‘Ā’isha was found guilty of adultery, her illicit behavior would cause far-reaching ramifications for Muhammad and Islam:

Muhammad’s personal reputation and honor, now jeopardized, may be irretrievably damaged.

Muhammad’s religious leadership and authority (including ‘Ā’isha’s father, Abū Bakr, Muhammad’s closest Companion) would be challenged and vilified, undermining the Islamic movement.

Muhammad took his time before responding to the accusations of adultery concerning ‘Ā’isha and Šafwān. Obviously confused and distressed by the swirl of rumors and their potential consequences if the accusations were true, Muhammad waited several weeks before making any decisions.

Eventually he consulted with several prominent and trusted Companions, but they were divided in their opinions. From ‘Umar Ibn al-Khaţţāb (one of Muhammad’s fathers-in-law), Muhammad heard praise about ‘Ā’isha’s goodness. When Muhammad discussed the issue in a special meeting with Usāma Ibn Zayd ( Muhammad’s adopted grandson) and ‘Alī Ibn Abī Ţālib ( Muhammad’s son-in-law and first cousin), Usāma defended ‘Ā’isha, saying the rumors were just lies while ‘Alī Ibn Abī Ţālib suggested that Muhammad abandon her, saying, “Women are plentiful, and you can easily change one for another”. ‘Alī also advised Muhammad to ask ‘Ā’isha’s bondmaid Burayra, “for she will tell the truth”. When Muhammad did ask her about ‘Ā’isha, ‘Alī beat her violently, demanding that she tell Muhammad the truth. She responded that she knew “only good” of ‘Ā’isha.

At that point, Muhammad publicly addressed his men about the accusations:

[O people!] What do certain men mean by worrying me about my family and saying false things about them? By Allah, I know only good of them, and they say these things of a man of whom I know naught but good, who never enters a house of mine but in my company.

Qur’ān’s Exoneration of ‘Ā’isha

The issue was serious enough to require an intervention from heaven to silence the people. So Muhammad went to the house of Abū Bakr and confronted ‘Ā’isha, saying to her, “‘Ā’isha, you know what people say about you. Fear God and if you have done wrong as men say then repent towards God, for He accepts repentance from His slaves” (emphasis added). But ‘Ā’isha initially did not answer his question and began to cry. When her parents remained silent, ‘Ā’isha made this statement:

Never will I repent towards God for what you mention. By Allah, I know that if I were to confess what men say of me, God knowing that I am innocent of it, I should admit what did not happen; and if I denied what they said you would not believe me.

At this critical moment Muhammad lost consciousness and the revelation came to him. Upon waking, Muhammad joyfully told ‘Ā’isha that Allah had sent down the news of her innocence. He went outside to address the men and recited Q 24.11-22. Then, to restore his family reputation, Muhammad ordered the punishment of eighty lashes upon each of the most vocal slanderers, in accordance to the Qur’ān (Q 24.4):

but those who cast (imputations) on chaste women and then do not bring four witnesses, scourge them with eighty stripes, and do not receive any testimony of theirs ever, for these are the workers of abomination.

The execution of this severe punishment was sufficient to publicly silence the rumors.

Shiite Perspective

Shiites reject the Sunni narrations and present a vastly different version. While Sunni sources unanimously agree that the slander story concerns ‘Ā’isha and that the Qur’ān exonerates her, Shiite sources characterize ‘Ā’isha as the slanderer and the Qur’ān implicitly confirms ‘Ā’isha’s guilt as an adulterer:

The passage Q 24.11-19 is about the slander and exoneration of Maria the Coptic ( Muhammad’s concubine) and not ‘Ā’isha.

‘Ā’isha (and possibly others) conspired to slander Maria with lies.

In general, Shiite literature takes a very negative stance towards ‘Ā’isha. A sample of this critical viewpoint is the book Obscenity: The Other Face of ‘Ā’isha, written by Yāsir Habīb, a Muslim Shia cleric. Additionally, a survey of the Shiite narrations about this incident shows that the Shiite interpretation of the passage Q 24.11-19 (“verses of innocence”) exists in two versions concerning the fabricators of the slander. In one, ‘Ā’isha is the sole accuser; in the other, ‘Ā’isha is one of several co-conspirators.

‘Ā’isha the Sole Accuser (Version One)

Shiite narrations state that the accusation of adultery was started by ‘Ā’isha against Maria during the time when Muhammad was grieving over the death of his eighteen-month-old son Ibrāhīm, the product of his union with Maria. ‘Ā’isha said to him, “Why do you grieve for him? He is only the son of Jurayh.” (Jurayh was Maria’s personal servant.) After ‘Ā’isha’s insinuating comment that he was not the child’s father, Muhammad commissioned ‘Alī Ibn Abī Ţālib to kill Jurayh, according to the narration. When ‘Alī reached Jurayģ, the servant had climbed a palm tree. ‘Alī climbed up the tree behind Jurayģ in pursuit until he saw Jurayģ’s private parts, which were neither male nor female. When ‘Alī returned to Muhammad with this information, the falsity of the charges became immediately apparent to Muhammad.

Collective Conspiracy (Version Two)

Some Shiite sources state that after Maria moved to the house of Muhammad, she was provided with the service of “an anointed servant, named Jurayh”.

Muhammad’s wives became envious of Maria once they realized that Muhammad was in love with Maria. So ‘Ā’isha and Hafša (both wives of Muhammad), along with their respective fathers Abū Bakr and ‘Umar Ibn al-Khaţţāb, plotted to get rid of Maria. They exploited the pregnancy of Maria to accuse her of having an illicit relationship with her servant Jurayh. This scheme almost fooled Muhammad because he ordered ‘Alī Ibn Abī Ţālib to investigate the matter and kill them both if he caught them flirting with each other. However, ‘Alī discovered instead the threads of the conspirators’ plot and made their scheme known to Muhammad. With their secret plan now exposed, Abū Bakr and ‘Umar requested Muhammad’s forgiveness.