64/34. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4142 — Ali and the Ifk Case
The narration of Al-Ifk
وَالْأَفَكِ بِمَنْزِلَةِ النِّجْسِ وَالنَّجَسِ يُقَالُ: إِفْكُهُمْ أَفْكُهُمْ وَأَفَكُهُمْ فَمَنْ قَالَ: "أَفَكَهُمْ" يَقُولُ صَرَفَهُمْ عَنْ الْإِيمَانِ وَكَذَّبَهُمْ كَمَا قَالَ {يُؤْفَكُ عَنْهُ مَنْ أُفِكَ} يُصْرَفُ عَنْهُ مَنْ صُرِفَ
Hadith About Ali and the Slander Case of Aisha
Sahih Bukhari : 4142
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4142
حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ أَمْلَى عَلَىَّ هِشَامُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ مِنْ حِفْظِهِ أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، قَالَ قَالَ لِي الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ أَبَلَغَكَ أَنَّ عَلِيًّا، كَانَ فِيمَنْ قَذَفَ عَائِشَةَ قُلْتُ لاَ. وَلَكِنْ قَدْ أَخْبَرَنِي رَجُلاَنِ مِنْ قَوْمِكِ أَبُو سَلَمَةَ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ الْحَارِثِ أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ قَالَتْ لَهُمَا كَانَ عَلِيٌّ مُسَلِّمًا فِي شَأْنِهَا. فَرَاجَعُوهُ فَلَمْ يَرْجِعْ وَقَالَ مُسَلِّمًا بِلَا شَكٍّ فِيهِ وَعَلَيْهِ كَانَ فِي أَصْلِ الْعَتِيقِ كَذَلِكَ
Az-Zuhri Narrated from:
Al-Walid bin `Abdul Malik said to me, "Have you heard that `Ali' was one of those who slandered `Aisha?" I replied, "No, but two men from your people (named) Abu Salama bin `Abdur-Rahman and Abu Bakr bin `Abdur-Rahman bin Al-Harith have informed me that Aisha told them that `Ali remained silent about her case."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4142In-book reference : Book 64, Hadith 186USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 463
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4142
This hadith about Ali and the slander case is short, but it carries an important lesson about careful speech. Al-Walid asked Az-Zuhri whether Ali was among those who slandered Aisha. Az-Zuhri answered no. He then reported that two men had informed him that Aisha said Ali remained silent about her case. The teaching here should not be stretched beyond the wording. The report does not say Ali spread the slander. It only says he remained silent about her case. For readers searching for the hadith al ifk story, this narration helps separate a claim from what was actually reported in the text.
What we learn from this hadith
- Do not accuse a person of slander without clear proof from the report.
- The narration distinguishes silence from spreading false speech.
- Careful wording matters when discussing sensitive events.
