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Sitaram · Site Admin Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 1079

: Sun May 11, 2003 8:44 am
Subject: Doubted Innocence: Sita, Mary, Ayesha

A very interesting common episode in the lives of Hadhrat Ayesha(
The mother of Believers) and Sita, lovingly also known as "Sita Mayya"
amongst the Hindus.

In 628 C.E. the jealousy of vested interests against Ayesha(ra) culminated in
what came to be known as the 'ordeal of falsehood.' Ayesha, the most loving
wife of Prophet Muhammed(saw) had accompanied the Holy Prophet on the
expedition against Banu al-Mustaliq. On the way back the army camped for the
night and early next morning departed without realizing that Ayesha was not in
the caravan. She had gone to find her necklace dropped somewhere and it was
with some difficulty that she was able to locate the lost necklace. When she
returned, the caravan had left.

Ayesha wrapped herself and lay down. After some time a companion
Safwan bin Mu'attal passed that way. He led his camel to Ayesha which she
mounted. Safwan walked on foot leading the camel Ayesha joined the camp at
the next stop. The interested parties made this simple incident the subject
of scandal and calumny. Hamna daughter of Jahsh, and a sister of Zainab another
wife of the Holy Prophet, Abdullah bin Ubayye the hypocrite, Mistah a relative
of Abu Bakr( a close friend of the Prophet and father of Ayesha), and Hassan
bin Thabit, the poet, were active in spreading the calumny.

The Holy Prophet became cool to Ayesha and she shifted to her father's house.
Her mother Umm Ruman said, "My daughter, take life calmly for it is seldom that
a beautiful woman married to a loving husband, having rival wives, will not
have problems for them and other people." This incident created a great crisis
for Abu Bakr(Ayesha's father) and he was at a loss to understand what to do or
not to do.

One day the Holy Prophet called at the house of Abu Bakr and said, "If Ayesha
is guilty of what is said about her she should repent and ask for the
forgiveness of God." Ayesha said, "I swear I shall never ask forgiveness for
the thing you speak of, for if I admit, that will be an admission of what I
have never done, and if I do not admit you will not believe me. At this some
verses of Surah Nur were revealed to the Holy Prophet absolving Ayesha of the
false accusation against her. The Holy Prophet recited the revealed verses and
said, "Ayesha rejoice, for God has revealed to me your innocence."

Umm Ruman wanted Ayesha to rise up and thank the Holy Prophet. Ayesha said, "I
will never get up, in gratitude to him for I have no one to thank except God
Who has declared me innocent."

Ayesha next turned to Abu Bakr and said "Father would you not have pardoned me
if there had been no revelation." Abu Bakr kissed her on the forehead and
said, "What heaven would cover me, and what earth would carry me if I judged
that which I could not know."

The Holy Prophet went to the mosque and told the people of the revelation.
Those who had taken part in the calumny without any proof were punished.
Mistah, one of the slanderers of Ayesha, used to get an allowance from Abu Bakr
( Ayesha's father), and in view of the part played by Mistah in the ordeal of
falsehood, Abu Bakr decided to discount the allowance, and swore that he would
no longer help Mistah. On this descended the verse: "And let not those who
possess dignity and affluence among you, swear not to give to kinsmen and the
poor, and those who migrated for God's sake. Let them forgive and show
forbearance. Do you wish that God should forgive you; And God is Forgiving,
Merciful."

When this revelation was brought to the notice of Abu Bakr he said, "Yes, by
God, I want God to forgive me." Thereupon he restored the allowance to Mistah.

"And those who launch a charge against chaste women, and produce not four
witnesses (to support their allegations),- flog them with eighty stripes; and
reject their evidence ever after: for such men are wicked transgressors;-
Unless they repent thereafter and mend (their conduct); for Allah is Oft
-Forgiving, Most Merciful. Quran 24:4-5"
=============================================

http://www.indiaparenting.com/stories/krishna/rama13.shtml

Sita’s Trial by Fire

Sita had been confined to the Ashoka grove for the entire time that the battle
had been raging. She had lived through those days with her heart in her mouth,
worrying about Ram and Laxman. After Ravan had been vanquished, Ram sent
Hanuman to Sita to convey the good news.

Sita’s reunion with Ram was not at all as she expected. His demeanour was cold
as he greeted her from a distance. Ram then told Sita that now that Ravan had
been salin, she was free to choose her path in life. He told her that she could
stay in Lanka with Vibhishan, or accompany Laxman or may be Sugriva. She could
also go to Bharat if she so desired. Sita was bewildered by Ram’s behaviour.
She soon understood when Ram explained that he doubted Sita’s fidelity after
she had lived with Ravan for a year.

Sita was deeply hurt that Ram should question her loyalty in front of a
gathering of people. Insulted, she turned to Laxman and bade him to build a
fire. She reminded Ram that Ravan had kept her captive in Lanka for a year
against her will. He had tried to woo her in that time, but she had been
steadfastly loyal to Ram. She told Ram that she would prove her fidelity by a
trial of fire. She would walk through the fire that Laxman built, and if she
had been unfaithful to her husband in thought or in deed, the flames would
consume her. On the other hand, if her mind and heart had never wavered from
her husband, she would emerge from the fire unscathed. After saying this, Sita
calmly walked into the flames. The assembled crowd gasped with horror as the
flames enveloped Sita. But a few moments later the people heaved a collective
sigh of relief as Sita emerged from the roaring fire unscathed. Not a hair on
her head was singed.

There could be no greater proof of Sita’s fidelity. Ram embraced Sita and said
that he had never for a moment doubted her purity. But being a monarch, he had
a duty to satisfy the minds of his subjects on this issue. Else, they would
have no respect for him as a king. He praised Sita saying that her trial by the
fire had put to rest any doubts that might have been raised in the future.

============================================

Sitaram comments:

It is most interesting to observe that Christianity also has an example of a
blameless woman who is falsely accused.

Joseph doubts Mary's chastity until an angel advises him that the conception is
a virgin conception.

Jung and Joseph Campbell have observed that certain motifs recur in many world
religious traditions.

============================================

http://www.sulekha.com/chpost.asp...ilosophy&show=0&cid=58823

Clouds of Butterflies: Effigy of Dreams - Page 420

http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Atlantis/3425/page420.htm

I once read a wonderful scholarly work entitled "The Many Ramayans," which
explained the history and development of the over 300 versions of the epic. In
this book, the author mentions that his absolute favorite scene from all these
versions of Valmiki's and Tulsidas' Ramayan is one in which Lord Ram is arguing
with Sita, trying to dissuade her from joining him in his exile. Sita scolds
her Lord saying, "Look at how many versions of the Ramayan have been recited
for countless Yugas, and tell me please, in which one of them has Sita not
accompanied her Lord Ram into Exile!". Well, Lord Ram was speechless, and
offered no further objections. And how could he?

I am very much reminded at this moment of the wonderful penultimate chapter of
Rushdie's novel, "Satanic Verses." Ayesha has lead a pilgrimage of her devotees
to the edge of the sea, hoping that the waters will part in Mosaic fashion and
afford them passage to Mecca. During their entire journey, they have been
constantly accompanied and enveloped in mystical cloud of butterflies. When
they reach the ocean's edge, the butterflies swarm out over the ocean, form the
image of a great human likeness, and then plunge in the unison of that effigy
into the waters and disappear. That larger than life butterfly effigy reminds
me of the Internet "Sitaram," who is no longer me (though I have very much
become Him)! That metaperson, "Sitaram," is that effigy composed of all
the "butterflies" who read and contribute and react. That metaperson, that
virtual "Sitaram" is also in some sense, the quixotic Jungian projection upon
thought-space-time of the hopes and desires of many who ardently wish for such
a "Sitaram" as a spokesperson and a champion and defender for their various
agendas. God may perhaps fashion mankind after His image and likeness, but most
definitely, humanity fashions its historical figures and heroes in the image
and likeness of humanity's most cherished hopes and dreams. Indeed, Rushdie's
allegory of Aiyeshya and here butterfly crusade is a profound exploration of
the genesis, ontogeny and mythopoiesis of the heroic/avataric metaperson.
Collectively, it is we who shape and forge our metaperson identity, and nurture
it until it becomes real enough to nurture, shape and fashion us. The symbiosis
and synergy between person and MetaPerson reveals a causality which, in a very
Buddhist sense, is "dependent co-arising".

Shortly after his death, Mahound's wife, Ayesha announces to a large crowd:

If there is anyone here who worshipped the Messenger, let them grieve, for
Mahound is dead; but if there be any here who worship God, then let them
rejoice, for he is surely alive. (p.407)

Ayesha was in the room at the time of Mahound's death and she bore witness to
all that occurred there. Unlike her husband, Ayesha never fully submitted to
Submission, as she always maintained a small piece of her self-identity with
her. By saying this to the crowd, Ayesha is telling the people that if all they
worshipped was Mahound (Submission), then they should grieve because both are
dead. God, however, lives on. Ayesha saw that God had taken Mahound from the
living world because he was no longer human; he had become a religion. This
reasserts Ayesha's faith in God and she rejoices in this fact, in the wake of
her husband's death.

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