After this, some people began spreading slanderous rumors connecting Aishah and Safwan. When Aishah knew about it, she was very agitated, and she went on weeping and praying to Allah to prove her innocence.

One can imagine how upset Abu Bakr was on knowing about the plight of his daughter. While some people stood by Aishah and believed in her innocence, many others took part in gossiping and spreading false rumors, and there was nothing Abu Bakr could do to spare his daughter this pain.

Innocence of Aisha

Some time later, after Aishah, Abu Bakr, and Prophet Muhammad had endured much pain and stress due to this incident, a revelation came to the Prophet declaring the innocence of Aishah, and castigating the slanderers. 

How consoling that revelation was to both Aisha and her father, Abu Bakr. The Prophet himself was greatly relieved at having the innocence of his wife proven.

The accusation was false, and the whole incident would teach Muslims the importance of saying the truth and not speaking ill of others. Muslims are also given a wonderful example in the way such a complicated situation was handled by Prophet Muhammad, Aishah, and Abu Bakr, as they all bore the pain patiently seeking the pleasure of Allah.

Abu Bakr came to know that one of the persons who played a key role in the spreading of the slander was a person called Mistah ibn Uthatha.

Abu Bakr, being such a great and generous man, used to spend of his own wealth to support many destitute persons. Mistah was one of those people.

After finding out that Mistah had taken part in slandering his daughter, Abu Bakr was very angry with him; he decided to stop the financial support he was providing him.

However, the revelation came to Prophet Muhammad saying:

Those who have been graced with bounty and plenty should not swear that they will [no longer] give to kinsmen, the poor, and those who emigrated in God’s way. Let them pardon and forgive! Do you not wish that God should forgive you? God is All-Forgiving and All-Merciful. (24:22)

Abu Bakr felt the sting of this admonition, and immediately repented. Soon he corrected himself, and restored his liberal grant to Mistah. Thus, he forgave the man who took part in slandering his daughter, and mercifully continued to give of his own wealth in order to support him.

The refinement of the wild Arabs of the desert through the revelation of Allah and the example of His Prophet was in itself nothing short of miraculous. Indeed, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq is ever one of the shining models for the whole of humanity.

Works Cited:

Ibn Hisham, Abd al-Malik. Seerat Ibn Hisham. Vol. 1. Beirut: Dar al-Fikr, 1998.

(From Discovering Islam archive.)