Al-Nur

caravan to see whether anything had been left behind. When he reached the campsite the following morning, he saw someone sleeping there. As he drew nearer, he recognized Aisha and exclaimed: Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji‘un. That is, we belong to God, and to Him we shall return. Hearing his voice, Aisha awoke and covered her face with her shawl. Without speaking, Safwan brought his camel close to her and made it kneel. Aisha mounted the camel, and Safwan took hold of its reins and led it forward. They caught up with the caravan around midday. When news of the incident spread in Madinah, some malicious people seized the opportunity to make a false accusation against the Prophet’s wife and thereby discredit his religious mission. Even some sincere but unsuspecting Muslims became involved in repeating the allegation. Among them were Hassan ibn Thabit, Mistah ibn Uthathah and Hamnah bint Jahsh. The rumour continued to circulate for more than a month. Finally, verses of the Quran were revealed rejecting the accusation and providing clear guidance concerning the matter. A translation of some of these verses is given below: Those who defame chaste women, but cannot produce four witnesses, shall be given eighty