Being slandered for a crime one is innocent of
Question: What should one do if one is unmarried and accused of zina and is being slandered by the entire community based on random things said by someone who once desired her? How can one deal with that emotionally as well as defend their honor? How can one pursue marriage after that?
Answer:
Assalamu alaykum,
Thank you for your question. I am sorry that you are going through such a horrible trial and that your name is being tarnished. Know that Allah is enough as your defender and that truth always overcomes falsehood.
The best advice that I can give you is to read the answers in these links:
https://seekers.flywheelstaging.com/answers/my-sister-is-falsely-accusing-me-what-can-i-do/
https://seekers.flywheelstaging.com/answers/islamic-belief/having-hatred-for-a-sinful-person-falsely-accusing-someone-of-fornication/
Punishable enormity
The major sin that this person has committed against you will not go unpunished by Allah; he will pay for his crime. Had this been an Islamic caliphate, he would have suffered 80 lashes for lying about you.
Allah Most High says, ‘Indeed, those who [falsely] accuse chaste, unaware and believing women are cursed in this world and the Hereafter; and they will have a great punishment.’ [24: 23]
Involve the men
This being said, you have a right to protect your name and honor. You should get your family involved, brothers, father, uncles, anyone else that you can muster and tell them what is going on and ask them to speak on your behalf. They should go straight to the man and tell him to stop spreading lies about you.
Talk to your local imam or scholar and ask him to give a talk on spreading rumors and lying about others. The community needs to understand the severity of backbiting, lying, repeating stories, let alone pride, enmity, suspicion, and assuming. It would do them well to hear the story of A`isha, the mother of believers, who was accused of adultery and then exonerated by Allah, Most High.
Trust in Allah
Once you have taken this action, there is not much more that you can do. Trust in Allah, rely on Him, and ask him to help you out of this painful situation and leave it behind you. At this time, devote yourself to Allah, fear Him as much as you can, and know that He is the one who sent this test, and He is watching for a correct reaction from you. Don’t let the Devil persuade you to do something haram in return, and don’t leave off worshipping Him because He is worthy of worship no matter what is going on in your life.
Take this opportunity to draw closer to Allah, for there is no better and faster way to turn to Allah in sincere du`a than through the shackles of pain and suffering. May Allah rectify this for you, and may it make you a stronger person with even better character.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, Tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
