To what extent is a man's doubting his wife and consulting others about divorcing her permissible, following the example of the Prophet's action - peace be upon him - in the incident of the Ifk? And was what the Prophet did before the revelation of the legislation requiring witnesses? What is the correct stance in dealing with such suspicions? Is the statement of Ali ibn Abi Talib in the incident of the Ifk permissible in our time? And was Aisha's saying "By Allah, I praise none but Allah" a rebuke to the Prophet - peace be upon him - for doubting her?

Scholars are unanimous that whoever accuses the Mother of the Believers, Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, of that from which Allah has cleared her, after the revelation of her exoneration, is a disbeliever.

First: The issue of the Prophet’s, peace be upon him, doubt concerning his wife: The Prophet, peace be upon him, never suspected Aisha of committing indecency. Rather, his intention in saying: "If you have committed a sin, then seek Allah's forgiveness" was the possibility of committing minor sins. Scholars differed on the issue of whether he experienced some doubt due to the slander: 1. First opinion: The Prophet, peace be upon him, never doubted Aisha, but rather knew of her innocence due to his knowledge of the innocence of the prophets’ wives, and he awaited revelation to settle the matter. 2. Second opinion: He experienced some doubt due to what happened, with her innocence being the more probable outcome, and he was not certain until after the revelation descended. He consulted Ali, Usamah, and Barirah. This does not diminish his status, peace be upon him, as it was a matter of Ijtihad (independent judgment) before the revelation came down.

Second: Is a man allowed to doubt his wife when nothing has been proven against her? The principle is the prohibition of ill-suspicion and searching for faults unless there is clear evidence or obvious signs. The Prophet, peace be upon him, forbade a man from entering upon his family at night to catch them unawares. Doubt based on satanic whispers is not considered. As for the incident of the slander, it was a tribulation and a test due to the spread of the rumor and the delay of the revelation, and this differs from doubt without reason. The Prophet, peace be upon him, never accused Aisha of indecency; rather, her innocence was the more probable outcome for him. And whoever accuses his wife must bring four witnesses or resort to Mula'anah (mutual imprecation).

Third: The stance of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him: The stance of Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, was not shameful, nor was it out of hatred for Aisha. Rather, his consultation was to relieve the Prophet’s, peace be upon him, mind and remove his worry and anxiety, either by temporarily separating from her until the revelation came down, or by verifying the matter by questioning Barirah, which indicates that he did not definitively decide to separate from her.

Fourth: Aisha’s, may Allah be pleased with her, saying: "And I praise none but Allah": This was out of pride and anger from her, because she hoped that the Prophet, peace be upon him, would immediately refute the people of slander without waiting for revelation. So when the revelation descended, she singled out Allah for praise.

And in the incident of the slander, there are many lessons and admonitions, as Allah Almighty says: ﴿Indeed, those who came with the slander are a group among you. Do not think it bad for you; rather, it is good for you. For every person among them is what he has earned of sin; and he who took upon himself the greater portion thereof - for him is a great punishment.﴾