The Rightly Guided Ones 121up with the caravan, but did not make it to the next campsite until
morning.
The sight of Muhammad’s veiled wife clinging to Safwan atop the
camel launched a wave of rumors throughout Medina. When the
story first reached Muhammad, he reacted with uncertainty. He did
not believe that anything had happened between Aisha and Safwan,
but the scandal was starting to become disruptive. Already his enemies
had produced some deliciously lewd verses about the event. As the
days passed, he grew cold and distant toward his wife. When he asked
her to repent to God so that the matter could be settled and forgiven,
Aisha flew into a rage. “By God,” she said, “I will never repent to God
of that which you have spoken of.” Offended and unapologetic, she
stormed out of Muhammad’s house and moved back in with her
mother.
The absence of his beloved devastated Muhammad. One day he
stood among the people and, clearly distraught, asked, “Why are
some men hurting me regarding my family and saying falsehoods
about them?”
Although most of his advisers were convinced of her guilt, they
clambered over one another to praise Aisha’s chastity. “We know
nothing but good about [your wives],” they declared. Only Ali remained
adamant that regardless of Aisha’s guilt or innocence, the scandal was
damaging enough to Muhammad’s reputation to merit divorce. As
one can imagine, this advice infuriated Aisha’s father, Abu Bakr.
Eventually, Muhammad received a Revelation clearing Aisha of
the adultery charges. Overjoyed, he rushed to his wife, crying, “Rejoice,
Aisha! God has revealed your innocence.”
Aisha, who, as all the traditions attest, was the only person who
could get away with talking back to Muhammad, replied, “To God’s
praise and your blame!” Still, she was redeemed and the matter for-
gotten. But neither Aisha nor Abu Bakr ever forgave Ali.
The schism between the two men widened further when, without
any consultation whatsoever, Abu Bakr decided to appoint Umar as
his successor rather than call for another shura. As Wilferd Madelung
has clearly demonstrated, there is only one plausible explanation for
Abu Bakr’s decision: a shura would have undoubtedly revived the