The Slander against ‘Aisyah RA: An Authentic Hadith on the Incident of al-Ifk

Short answer

The hadith of al-Ifk is authentic and was narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim from ‘Aisyah RA. The accusation of adultery against her was a slander, and Allah revealed verses of the Qur’an that cleared her name. The excerpt below is taken from the section concerning the revelation of the wahy in Muslim’s narration, no. 2770.

Translation

‘Aisyah RA said: “By Allah, Rasulullah SAW had not yet moved from his seat, and no one from the household had gone out, until Allah sent down revelation to His Prophet. He experienced the heaviness that he would normally experience when receiving revelation. His sweat dripped like pearls, even on a cold day, due to the weight of the words being revealed to him.

When that state ended, Rasulullah SAW smiled. The first words he uttered were: ‘Rejoice, O ‘Aisyah! Indeed, Allah has cleared your name.’

My mother said to me: ‘Get up and go to him.’ I replied: ‘By Allah, I will not get up and go to him, and I will not praise anyone except Allah. He is the One who sent down my exoneration from the accusation.’

Allah revealed ten verses beginning with: ‘Indeed, those who came with the falsehood are a group among you.’ Allah revealed those verses to clear my name.”

Narrator

‘Aisyah binti Abi Bakr, Umm al-Mu’minin

Sources and scholars

al-Bukhari; Muslim bin al-Hajjaj; al-Nawawi

Scholarly commentary

1. al-Bukhari narrated the story of al-Ifk in Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bab Hadith al-Ifk, no. 4141. This narration includes the false accusation and the exoneration of ‘Aisyah through revelation.

2. Muslim narrated it in Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Tawbah, Bab fi Hadith al-Ifk wa Qabul Tawbah al-Qadhif, no. 2770. The Arabic excerpt and translation above follow the final part of this narration.

3. al-Nawawi explained that al-Zuhri could compile the sections of the narration from his four teachers because he clarified that method, and all of his teachers were trusted imams with strong retention. Reference: al-Minhaj Sharh Sahih Muslim, 17/251–252, commentary on hadith no. 2770.

Explanation

1. What was the incident of al-Ifk?

Al-Ifk means a false report or a fabricated accusation. ‘Aisyah RA was left behind by the caravan while searching for her necklace. Safwan bin al-Mu‘attal found her and then brought her back to the caravan. That incident was turned into material for slander. The narration affirms that the accusation was untrue.

2. What is the proof of ‘Aisyah’s exoneration?

Allah revealed ten verses of Surah al-Nur, verses 11–20, which cleared her name. The Prophet SAW then conveyed that glad tidings. Therefore, this account is a story of exoneration from accusation, not an admission that adultery had occurred.

3. Why is this hadith authentic?

This story is narrated in Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. Al-Zuhri received its sections from Sa‘id bin al-Musayyib, ‘Urwah bin al-Zubayr, ‘Alqamah bin Waqqas and ‘Ubayd Allah bin ‘Abd Allah bin ‘Utbah. Al-Nawawi explained that this compilation is accepted because its method was stated and his teachers were trustworthy. It does not mean that al-Zuhri fabricated the story.

4. Distinguishing the excerpt from the full story

The wording and translation above are an excerpt from the section on the descent of revelation within a long hadith. The cited sources allow readers to consult the full narration. Statements made before the revelation came down must be read in the sequence of the events, together with the final ruling that cleared ‘Aisyah.

5. A lesson for the general public

Do not treat rumours as evidence or spread them merely because many people are talking about them. Preserve people’s honour and read an account through to its conclusion. In this hadith, Zaynab bint Jahsh guarded her speech and stated that she knew only good about ‘Aisyah. This attitude teaches us to speak based on knowledge.

Conclusion

The hadith of al-Ifk is authentic. ‘Aisyah RA was exonerated from the false accusation through Qur’anic revelation. The excerpt presented follows Muslim’s narration, no. 2770, and the full story is also found in Sahih al-Bukhari, no. 4141.