64/34. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4146 — Aisha and Hassan's Poetry
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 Aisha, Hassan, and Defending the Prophet
Sahih Bukhari : 4146
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4146
حَدَّثَنِي بِشْرُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي الضُّحَى، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، قَالَ دَخَلْنَا عَلَى عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ وَعِنْدَهَا حَسَّانُ بْنُ ثَابِتٍ يُنْشِدُهَا شِعْرًا، يُشَبِّبُ بِأَبْيَاتٍ لَهُ وَقَالَ: حَصَانٌ رَزَانٌ مَا تُزَنُّ بِرِيبَةٍ وَتُصْبِحُ غَرْثَى مِنْ لُحُومِ الْغَوَافِلِ فَقَالَتْ لَهُ عَائِشَةُ لَكِنَّكَ لَسْتَ كَذَلِكَ. قَالَ مَسْرُوقٌ فَقُلْتُ لَهَا لِمَ تَأْذَنِينَ لَهُ أَنْ يَدْخُلَ عَلَيْكِ. وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى {وَالَّذِي تَوَلَّى كِبْرَهُ مِنْهُمْ لَهُ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ}. فَقَالَتْ وَأَىُّ عَذَابٍ أَشَدُّ مِنَ الْعَمَى. قَالَتْ لَهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ يُنَافِحُ ـ أَوْ يُهَاجِي ـ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Masruq Narrated from:
We went to `Aisha while Hassan bin Thabit was with her reciting poetry to her from some of his poetic verses, saying "A chaste wise lady about whom nobody can have suspicion. She gets up with an empty stomach because she never eats the flesh of indiscreet (ladies)." `Aisha said to him, "But you are not like that."I said to her, "Why do you grant him admittance, though Allah said:-- "and as for him among them, who had the greater share therein, his will be a severe torment." (24.11) On that, `Aisha said, "And what punishment is more than blinding?" She, added, "Hassan used to defend or say poetry on behalf of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) (against the infidels).
[1] Eating the flesh of other people means backbiting them.(2) Hassān had become blind then.Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4146In-book reference : Book 64, Hadith 190USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 467
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4146
This hadith about Aisha and Hassan shows a careful mix of honesty and restraint. Masruq entered upon Aisha while Hassan was reciting poetry that praised a chaste, wise lady and spoke against eating the flesh of careless women. Aisha replied to him, But you are not like that. Masruq then asked why she allowed him to enter when the verse mentioned a severe torment for the one with the greater share in the slander. Aisha answered by pointing to his blindness and added that Hassan used to defend, or speak poetry on behalf of, Allah's Messenger. The hadith keeps both sides in view: wrong speech and remembered service.
What we learn from this hadith
- Aisha did not hide the fact that Hassan had fallen short in this matter.
- She still remembered that he had defended the Prophet with poetry.
- A believer can speak honestly without turning every hurt into ongoing abuse.
