The majority of Muslims refused to accept or even listen to them, however, there were a few including Lady Ayesha's own cousin, Mistah, who believed and helped to spread the rumor. Despite the fact that everyone in Medina knew about the rumors, Lady Ayesha remained completely unaware, and when her illness worsened she asked the Prophet's permission to return to her mother so that she might look after her and the Prophet (sa) agreed. Twenty days after she had gone to stay with her mother, her illness abated.

One evening, shortly thereafter, as she was walking with her paternal aunt, Mistah's mother, her aunt's foot became entangled in her gown and caused her to stumble, whereupon she surprised Lady Ayesha with her exclamation, "May Mistah stumble!" Lady Ayesha exclaimed, "Allah! That is not a good thing to say about a Muhajir who fought at Badr!"

Then it dawned upon her aunt that Lady Ayesha knew nothing of the rumors and asked, "Haven't you heard what is being said?" Lady Ayesha was puzzled and replied that she had no idea what she referred too whereupon her aunt broke the news of the vicious lies the hypocrites and her son were spreading about her.

Lady Ayesha could not believe her ears and exclaimed, "Can this be so!" and with deep regret her aunt swore by Allah that it was. Lady Ayesha burst into tears and returned home sobbing so much that later on she said that she feared her liver would split. When she reached home she went straight to her mother saying, "May Allah forgive you, people talk, yet you did not tell me anything of it!" Her mother did her best to comfort her but it did nothing to alleviate the great sorrow and hurt she felt as she lay awake all night sobbing her young, innocent heart out.

Prophet Muhammad (sa) knew Lady Ayesha to be innocent of the charges but had to wait for a Revelation to be sent down that would exonerate her before everyone. In the meantime he approached his wives and asked their opinion of her so as to confound the whisperings of satan. Without exception all praised Lady Ayesha saying that they only knew good things about her.

The following morning when the Prophet (sa) was in the Mosque he climbed the pulpit, praised Allah then said, "O people, what do you say of men who seek to hurt me with regard to my family by spreading untruths about them? By Allah, I know nothing but good about my household, and nothing but good about the man they mention who has never entered a house of mine except that I was with him."

As soon as the words had left the Prophet's mouth, Usayd jumped up and said, "O Messenger of Allah (sa), if they are from the Aws, we will deal with them; but if they are from our Khazraj brothers then command us -- they should be killed!" Amongst the chief perpetrators other than Mistah, and ibn Ubayy, was Hamnah, and Hassan, Thabit's son from the Khazraj.

When Sa’ad, heard Usayd's words he exclaimed, "You will not kill them, nor can you. You would not have spoken like this if they had been your people! A heated argument broke out as Usayd said, "We will kill them, and you are a hypocrite to take their side! The Prophet (sa) intervened and quieted them down and they left the Mosque in peace. A well intentioned person thought Lady Ayesha would be comforted when she learned of the kind words her co-wives had said about her when the Prophet (sa) inquired about her.

However, it caused her greater distress as she began to wonder whether he had asked them because he distrusted her. Had she also been told about the events in the Mosque she would have realized otherwise but she remained unaware. Lady Ayesha wept continuously for two days and nights during which time one of the ladies from the Ansar came to visit her and she too sat and wept with her.

A while later, the Prophet (sa) came to visit her and sat down and said, "I bear witness that there is no god except Allah," then he explained the situation to her saying compassionately, "O Ayesha, I have heard such and such a thing concerning you. Allah will surely declare the innocence of the innocent. Should it be that you have done something that is wrong, then repent to Allah, for Allah is the Receiver of repentance."

When Lady Ayesha heard these words she stopped crying and asked her father to speak on her behalf, but he said, "I do not know how to reply." She asked her mother to do the same, but like her husband she did not know how to reply. Lady Ayesha, who was still extremely distressed, replied with the best reply against the slanderers and quoted the words Prophet Jacob had uttered when Joseph's brothers claimed that a wolf had devoured him:

" ... 'But come sweet patience! The help of Allah is always there to seek against that which (some of) you describe.’” (Koran 12:18)

then she went and laid down upon her couch, hoping all the while that Allah would clarify the matter. Such was her humility that she did not expect to be worthy of a Revelation being sent down proclaiming her innocence, but she hoped that the Prophet (sa) would see a vision that would exonerate her. Not long after Lady Ayesha had laid down Allah sent Gabriel with a Revelation of exoneration to the Prophet (sa) whereupon he called to her with great happiness, "O Ayesha, praise Allah, for He has announced your innocence."

".. those who came with slander were a number of you. Do not regard it evil for you, rather it is good for you. Every person of them shall have the sin that he has earned charged to him. As for he who took upon himself the greater part there is a mightier punishment." (Koran 24:11)

The Revelation spoke not only of Lady Ayesha's innocence but the punishment of those who slander innocent women. The verses Allah sent down regarding the punishment of slanderers reads:

"Those who accuse chaste women and cannot produce four witnesses, you shall lash them with eighty lashes. And never accept their testimony, for they are evildoers, except those among them that afterwards repent and mend their ways. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful." (Koran 24:4-5)

And so in compliance with the Word of Allah, those that admitted taking part in the slander were punished. As for the hypocrites, they did not admit their part, so the Prophet (sa) left them alone committing their affair to Allah. Prior to the slandering, Abu Bakr it had been his custom to give his nephew, Mistah, who was poor, an allowance. Now that Mistah’s mischief had been revealed he swore by Allah never to give him anything again on account of the harm he had caused. But, unknown to him at that time, Allah had sent down another verse that instructs:

"Do not let those of you who possess bounty and plenty swear not to give kinsmen and the poor and those who emigrate in the Way of Allah. Let them pardon and forgive. Do you not yearn that Allah forgives you? And Allah is the Forgiver, the Most Merciful." (Koran 24:22)

When this verse was recited to Abu Bakr he exclaimed, "Indeed, I yearn that Allah forgives me," and went to Mistah to give him his allowance saying, "I swear that I will never again withhold it from him!"