[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ used to travel with some of his wives and divide his time among them. He traveled with Aisha, the daughter of Abu Bakr, and she had a howdah. The howdah was carried by men who placed it on the camel. The Prophet ﷺ and his companions performed the marriage for Aisha, and she went out for a need and got delayed without anyone realizing it. When the Prophet ﷺ woke up, the people had already set off, and the men carrying the howdah came and lifted it without knowing that she was in it. So they set off, and Aisha arrived and found that they had already left, so she sat in her place. A man from the Ansar named Safwan bin Al-Muattal, who used to avoid women, came near her. He had a camel with him, and when he saw her, he carried her and used to see her before the veil. He put her on the camel and led it until they reached the people and the Prophet ﷺ . People spoke about it, and it reached the Prophet ﷺ , so it was hard for him. He secluded her and consulted Zaid bin Thabit and others about it. Zaid said, "O Messenger of Allah, leave her. Perhaps Allah will provide you with something better." Ali bin Abi Talib said, "Women are many." So the Prophet ﷺ lifted her onto him (for a better understanding of what is meant, refer to the Arabic text), and Aisha set out walking in the company of women. She stumbled and fell, causing people to curse a Mus`ab bin Umayr. Aisha said, "How terrible! You say such a thing to a man of the Messenger of Allah!" She told her the news, and she fainted. Then the Quran was revealed to excuse her in Surah An-Nur: "Verily those who brought forth the slander (against Aisha, the wife of the Prophet ﷺ ) are a group among you." Until it reached "Those who brought forth the lie are the obstructing group." And it was revealed until "Allah is Ever Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." Abu Bakr used to support a man called Mistah financially and to give him charity. He also used to maintain good relations with him. But after this incident, Abu Bakr said that he would never spend anything on Mistah again. Then the verse was revealed: "Would you not love that Allah should forgive you?" So the Prophet ﷺ commanded him to go to her, cheer her up, and inform her of what Allah had revealed. Abu Bakr went to her and told her of her excuse and of what Allah had revealed. She said, "It is not because of your praise or of your companion's praise."
أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ كَانَ إِذَا سَافَرَ سَافَرَ بِبَعْضِ نِسَائِهِ وَيُقْسِمُ بَيْنَهُمْ فَسَافَرَ بِعَائِشَةَ بِنْتِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَكَانَ لَهَا هَوْدَجٌ وَكَانَ الْهَوْدَجُ لَهُ رِجَالٌ يَحْمِلُونَهُ وَيَضَعُونَهُ فَعَرَّسَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَأَصْحَابُهُ وَخَرَجَتْ عَائِشَةُ لِلْحَاجَةِ فَتَبَاعَدَتْ فَلَمْ يُعْلَمْ بِهَا فَاسْتَيْقَظَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَالنَّاسُ قَدِ ارْتَحَلُوا وَجَاءَ الَّذِينَ يَحْمِلُونَ الْهَوْدَجَ فَحَمَلُوهُ وَلَا يَعْلَمُونَ إِلَّا أَنَّهَا فِيهِ فَسَارُوا وَأَقْبَلَتْ عَائِشَةُ فَوَجَدَتْهُمْ قَدِ ارْتَحَلُوا فَجَلَسَتْ مَكَانَهَا فَاسْتَيْقَظَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْأَنْصَارِ يُقَالُ لَهُ صَفْوَانُ بْنُ الْمُعَطَّلِ وَكَانَ لَا يَقْرَبُ النِّسَاءَ فَتَقَرَّبَ مِنْهَا وَكَانَ مَعَهُ بَعِيرٌ لَهُ فَلَمَّا رَآهَا حَمَلَهَا وَقَدْ كَانَ يَرَاهَا قَبْلَ الْحِجَابِ وَجَعَلَ يَقُودُ بِهَا الْبَعِيرَ حَتَّى أَتَوُا النَّاسَ وَالنَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَمَعَهُ عَائِشَةُ وَأَكْثَرُوا الْقَوْلَ فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَشَقَّ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى اعْتَزَلَهَا وَاسْتَشَارَ فِيهَا زَيْدَ بْنَ ثَابِتٍ وَغَيْرَهُ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ دَعْهَا لَعَلَّ اللهَ أَنْ يُحَدِّثَ لَكَ فِيهَا فَقَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ النِّسَاءُ كَثِيرٌ فَحَمَلَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَلَيْهَا وَخَرَجَتْ عَائِشَةُ لَيْلَةً تَمْشِي فِي نِسَاءٍ فَعَثَرَتْ أُمُّ مِسْطَحٍ فَقَالَتْ تَعِسَ مِسْطَحٌ فَقَالَتْ عَائِشَةُ بِئْسَ مَا قُلْتِ تَقُولِينَ هَذَا لِرَجُلٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ؟ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّكِ مَا تَدْرِينَ مَا يَقُولُونَ وَأَخْبَرَتْهَا الْخَبَرَ فَسَقَطَتْ عَائِشَةُ مَغْشِيًّا عَلَيْهَا ثُمَّ نَزَلَ الْقُرْآنُ بِعُذْرِهَا فِي سُورَةِ النُّورِ {إِنَّ الَّذِينَ جَاءُوا بِالْإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌ مِنْكُمْ} حَتَّى بَلَغَ {وَالَّذِي تَوَلَّى كِبْرَهُ مِنْهُمْ لَهُ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ} وَنَزَلَ {وَلَا يَأْتَلِ أُولُو الْفَضْلِ مِنْكُمْ} إِلَى قَوْلِهِ {وَاللهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ} وَكَانَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يُعْطِي مِسْطَحًا وَيَبَرُّهُ وَيَصِلُهُ وَكَانَ مِمَّنْ أَكْثَرَ عَلَى عَائِشَةَ فَحَلَفَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ أَنْ لَا يُعْطِيَهُ شَيْئًا فَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الْآيَةُ {أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ اللهُ لَكُمْ} فَأَمَرَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَنْ يَأْتِيَهَا وَيُبَشِّرَهَا فَجَاءَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَأَخْبَرَهَا بِعُذْرِهَا وَبِمَا أَنْزَلَ اللهُ فَقَالَتْ لَا بِحَمْدِكَ وَلَا بِحَمْدِ صَاحِبِكَ