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→The Necklace Affair
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It is highly unlikely that Aisha was actually guilty: she had witnessed the stoning to death of adulterers<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 266-267; {{Bukhari|8|82|809}}; {{Bukhari|6|60|79}}; {{Bukhari|4|56|829}}.</ref> and she was far too intelligent to betray Muhammad so blatantly. Besides, she was still pre-menarchal, and it is unlikely that she found sex a pleasurable activity; infidelity would not have been much of a temptation to her. Hundreds had witnessed that she had already lost the necklace in a separate incident just the previous day,<ref>{{Bukhari|1|7|330}}; {{Bukhari|7|62|177}}; {{Bukhari|8|82|827}}; {{Bukhari|8|82|828}}.</ref> so it presumably did have an unreliable clasp; and since it was borrowed, it was only natural that she would put considerable effort into searching for it. The more interesting question is why she was even accused. Four people who were not eyewitnesses and apparently had little in common with one another formed a spontaneous alliance to speculate on Aisha’s guilt and smear her character. | It is highly unlikely that Aisha was actually guilty: she had witnessed the stoning to death of adulterers<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 266-267; {{Bukhari|8|82|809}}; {{Bukhari|6|60|79}}; {{Bukhari|4|56|829}}.</ref> and she was far too intelligent to betray Muhammad so blatantly. Besides, she was still pre-menarchal, and it is unlikely that she found sex a pleasurable activity; infidelity would not have been much of a temptation to her. Hundreds had witnessed that she had already lost the necklace in a separate incident just the previous day,<ref>{{Bukhari|1|7|330}}; {{Bukhari|7|62|177}}; {{Bukhari|8|82|827}}; {{Bukhari|8|82|828}}.</ref> so it presumably did have an unreliable clasp; and since it was borrowed, it was only natural that she would put considerable effort into searching for it. The more interesting question is why she was even accused. Four people who were not eyewitnesses and apparently had little in common with one another formed a spontaneous alliance to speculate on Aisha’s guilt and smear her character. | ||
#'''Mistah ibn Uthatha''' was a poor relation of Abu Bakr’s,<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 495, 497; {{Bukhari|5|59|462}}; {{Muslim|37|6673}}. His maternal grandmother was Abu Bakr’s maternal aunt, i.e., he was Aisha’s second cousin. Both his parents were the second cousins of Muhammad’s father.</ref> and his mother cursed him for attacking their patron’s daughter.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 495; {{Bukhari|5|59|462}}; {{Muslim|37|6673}}.</ref> It is not at all obvious why Mistah might have accused Aisha | #'''Mistah ibn Uthatha''' was a poor relation of Abu Bakr’s,<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 495, 497; {{Bukhari|5|59|462}}; {{Muslim|37|6673}}. His maternal grandmother was Abu Bakr’s maternal aunt, i.e., he was Aisha’s second cousin. Both his parents were the second cousins of Muhammad’s father.</ref> and his mother cursed him for attacking their patron’s daughter.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 495; {{Bukhari|5|59|462}}; {{Muslim|37|6673}}.</ref> It is not at all obvious why Mistah might have accused Aisha; perhaps he had some reason to resent her or perhaps he was just very careless in his speech; yet he is the strongest contender for being the first author of the gossip. | ||
#'''Hassan ibn Thabit''' was Muhammad’s poet;<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 497; {{Bukhari|5|59|462}}.</ref> his usual job was to satirise Muhammad’s political enemies.<ref>{{Bukhari|4|56|731}}.</ref> It is not known whether he had had any previous dealings with Aisha, but a tabloid editor makes it his business to publish scandals. | #'''Hassan ibn Thabit''' was Muhammad’s poet;<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 497; {{Bukhari|5|59|462}}.</ref> his usual job was to satirise Muhammad’s political enemies.<ref>{{Bukhari|4|56|731}}.</ref> It is not known whether he had had any previous dealings with Aisha, but a tabloid editor makes it his business to publish scandals. | ||
#'''Abdullah ibn Ubayy''' was the most powerful chief in Medina.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 206.</ref> “The people propagated the slander and discussed it in his presence. He confirmed it, listened to it and asked about it to let it prevail.”<ref>{{Bukhari|5|59|462}}.</ref> It would have been more fitting for a leader among the people to forbid such idle tales. There is no evidence that he had any personal grudge against Aisha, but he seems to have been quite willing to sacrifice her to his political agenda. Six years earlier, he had been elected King of Medina. But before he could be crowned, a dissident faction had announced their support for the prophet from Mecca.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 277-278.</ref> Abdullah had at first cooperated with the Muslims and had even instructed his own partisans to support Muhammad rather than fight over the leadership of the city.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 249, 391.</ref> But he came to regret the way he had facilitated the Muslim take-over. After his intercession for the lives of his Qaynuqa allies<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 363-364.</ref> and his refusal to fight his Meccan friends at Uhud,<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 372.</ref> Muhammad had labelled him the “chief hypocrite”.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 245-246; {{Muslim|37|6673}}.</ref> By 628 Abdullah must have hoped that the Muslims would quarrel among themselves so that Islam would crumble from within. | #'''Abdullah ibn Ubayy''' was the most powerful chief in Medina.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 206.</ref> “The people propagated the slander and discussed it in his presence. He confirmed it, listened to it and asked about it to let it prevail.”<ref>{{Bukhari|5|59|462}}.</ref> It would have been more fitting for a leader among the people to forbid such idle tales. There is no evidence that he had any personal grudge against Aisha, but he seems to have been quite willing to sacrifice her to his political agenda. Six years earlier, he had been elected King of Medina. But before he could be crowned, a dissident faction had announced their support for the prophet from Mecca.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 277-278.</ref> Abdullah had at first cooperated with the Muslims and had even instructed his own partisans to support Muhammad rather than fight over the leadership of the city.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 249, 391.</ref> But he came to regret the way he had facilitated the Muslim take-over. After his intercession for the lives of his Qaynuqa allies<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 363-364.</ref> and his refusal to fight his Meccan friends at Uhud,<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 372.</ref> Muhammad had labelled him the “chief hypocrite”.<ref>Guillaume/Ishaq 245-246; {{Muslim|37|6673}}.</ref> By 628 Abdullah must have hoped that the Muslims would quarrel among themselves so that Islam would crumble from within. | ||