Bismillahirrahmanirrahim
There have been happenings right here in Egypt ever since I got back from Malaysia, personal and non-personal. A mixture of the good, bad and the ugly. Alhamdulillahirabbil Alameen, many thanks to Allah the Almighty, for without the strength given by him, nobody could withstand the tribulations in this world.
I am currently going through the slanderous event which happened in Rasul's time. An event which could never be forgotten, not by history, not by anybody. An event Allah made happen, though bitter, taught those who are willing to learn a great lesson.
The "ifk" or slander thrown upon Rasulullah's wife, Abu Bakr's daughter was unforgivable. A chaste woman was said to be unchaste, and a sincere sahaba, carrying out his duty was said to have an affair.
The slander was started by a munafiq (trans:hypocrite), Abdullah bin Ubai bin Salul. From the very first day Islam established itself in Madina, he anticipated its fall. He worked day and night plotting against Islam, always trying to find "
the moment", and true enough, the moment came, just after the the War of Bani Mustolaq. As he saw Safwan coming into Madina, guiding the camel which carried Aisha, he began to raise questions in people's heads. The questions were pondered upon, by most people. Some willingly claimed the scene as an affair, most of them were the hypocrites, and sadly to say there were also a few sahabas who weren't spared from falling into this great trap.
This was a bitter lesson which had had to be learned. For a long period of time nothing was revealed from the Seven Heavens to clear the case. Was Aisha innocent? Was she guilty? Nobody knows. Not even ar-Rasul himself. But as far as most of the people in Madina were concerned, she was simply guilty until proven innocent, a school of thought far far far away from the islamic teaching.
Among those who remained steadfast was Zainab al-Jahsy. Beautiful, aristocratic Zainab was known to be one of Rasulullah's wives envied most by Aisha. But this small everyday quarrel was not a stop to steadfastness. When asked about Aisha during the event, she firmly replied, "I protect my eyes and my ears, the only thing I know of her is goodness."
After a whole month of uncertainty, Allah reveled in Sura An-Nur Aisha's innocence. But that was not the only thing reveled. Allah directed solemn words to all who had their share in the slander, either by just listening to it, or even worse, by spreading the word.
This IS truly a serious matter. The slander which broke out was like a deep crack in a well-built tower, it had threatened the muslim community. People were divided, one bad-mouthing the other. The thick wall of trust had gotten thinner by the day. They needed a hard slap on their backs to awaken them up.
This particular event, we do encounter, in our everyday lives. And it does adversely effect the outcome of dakwah, tarbiyyah and ukhuwwah. The best way to deal with it is actually the simplest. Turn a deaf ear upon any slander. Shut the wide open eyes.
Sura An-Nur :
11. Verily! Those who brought forth the slander are a group among you. Consider it not a bad thing for you. Nay, it is good for you. Unto every man among them will be paid that which he had earned of the sin...
12. Why then, did not the believers, men and women, when you heard it think good of their own people and say, "This is an obvious lie!"
Islam as the last religion to be revealed, and as the only religion Allah will accept on Judgment Day, has already guided us through each and every single situation we may encounter in life which could lead us astray from the path of Allah.
Sura Al-Hujurat clearly highlighted the answer to this problem.. "Fatabayyanu.." and in other readings "Fatatsabbatu..", 2 things of utmost important when facing a slander, 1. to verify, 2. to stay put, just like Zainab Al-Jahsy.
As a lay down my fingers beside the laptop, I can't help but pray that Allah enlightens us all, show us all to the right path, ensure that we follow no one other than ar-Rasul in every single aspect of life, in order to achieve our ultimate goal. There is simply no other way.
The days which have passed made me reflect, mostly upon my own carelessness and recklessness. May Allah forgive us all.
