I asked Um Ruman, ʿAisha's mother about the accusation forged against ʿAisha. She said, "While I was sitting with ʿAisha, an Ansari woman came to us and said, 'Let Allah condemn such-and-such person.' I asked her, 'Why do you say so?' She replied, 'For he has spread the (slanderous) story.' ʿAisha said, 'What story?' The woman then told her the story. ʿAisha asked, 'Have Abu Bakr and Messenger of Allah ﷺ heard about it ?' She said, 'Yes.' ʿAisha fell down senseless (on hearing that), and when she came to her senses, she got fever and shaking of the body. The Prophet ﷺ came and asked, 'What is wrong with her?' I said, 'She has got fever because of a story which has been rumored.' ʿAisha got up and said, 'By Allah! Even if I took an oath, you would not believe me, and if I put forward an excuse, You would not excuse me. My example and your example is just like that example of Jacob and his sons. Against that which you assert, it is Allah (Alone) Whose Help can be sought.' (12.18) The Prophet ﷺ left and then Allah revealed the Verses (concerning the matter), and on that ʿAisha said, 'Thanks to Allah (only) and not to anybody else."
سَأَلْتُ أُمَّ رُومَانَ وَهْىَ أُمُّ عَائِشَةَ عَمَّا قِيلَ فِيهَا مَا قِيلَ قَالَتْ بَيْنَمَا أَنَا مَعَ عَائِشَةَ جَالِسَتَانِ إِذْ وَلَجَتْ عَلَيْنَا امْرَأَةٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ وَهْىَ تَقُولُ فَعَلَ اللَّهُ بِفُلاَنٍ وَفَعَلَ قَالَتْ فَقُلْتُ لِمَ قَالَتْ إِنَّهُ نَمَا ذِكْرَ الْحَدِيثِ فَقَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ أَىُّ حَدِيثٍ فَأَخْبَرَتْهَا قَالَتْ فَسَمِعَهُ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَتْ نَعَمْ فَخَرَّتْ مَغْشِيًّا عَلَيْهَا فَمَا أَفَاقَتْ إِلاَّ وَعَلَيْهَا حُمَّى بِنَافِضٍ فَجَاءَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَقَالَ مَا لِهَذِهِ قُلْتُ حُمَّى أَخَذَتْهَا مِنْ أَجْلِ حَدِيثٍ تُحُدِّثَ بِهِ فَقَعَدَتْ فَقَالَتْ وَاللَّهِ لَئِنْ حَلَفْتُ لاَ تُصَدِّقُونِي وَلَئِنِ اعْتَذَرْتُ لاَ تَعْذِرُونِي فَمَثَلِي وَمَثَلُكُمْ كَمَثَلِ يَعْقُوبَ وَبَنِيهِ فَاللَّهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَى مَا تَصِفُونَ فَانْصَرَفَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ مَا أَنْزَلَ فَأَخْبَرَهَا فَقَالَتْ بِحَمْدِ اللَّهِ لاَ بِحَمْدِ أَحَدٍ