Did Ayesha have no Knowledge that the Army had been Ordered to March on?

Did Ayesha have no Knowledge that the Army had been Ordered to March on?

Ibn al Hashimi states:

Incident of al-Ifk

On the way back to Medina, the Muslim army stopped for a rest, but then the Prophet (صلّى الله عليه وآله وسلّم) unexpectedly ordered the army to continue the march again. Aisha (رضّى الله عنها) noticed that her onyx necklace was missing so she retraced her steps to find it. When she finally found it and returned to the camp, the Muslim army had already left without her. Her litter was veiled so her absence was not noticed.

Comment

First and foremost there existed no unexpected element. Ayesha was fully aware that the army was about to depart, pursuant to the order of Rasulullah (s). She stated:

“…When the army was ordered to resume the homeward journey, I got up and walked on till I left the army (camp) behind. When I had answered the call of nature, I went towards my howdah, but behold ! A necklace of mine made of Jaz Azfar (a kind of black bead) was broken and I looked for it and my search for it detained me. The group of people who used to carry me, came and carried my howdah on to the back of my camel on which I was riding, considering that I was therein. At that time women were light in weight and were not fleshy for they used to eat little (food), so those people did not feel the lightness of the howdah while raising it up, and I was still a young lady. They drove away the camel and proceeded”.

• What was the battle that Ayesha mentions they were returning from?
• Where was the Prophet (s) when Ayesha went to relieve herself?
• She went when the Prophet (s) gave the order to leave, why didn’t she approach the Prophet (s) as she needed to relieve herself?
• Why did she not take any other female her, after all she was in unfamiliar
• Can any other example be given of a woman that would be so careless whilst in an unfamiliar terrain?
• On the one hand she is looking for a necklace, knowing that the caravan is due to depart at any minute, why was locating it of such importance?
• If it was so important why did she not simply tell her husband that she had lost this crucial accessory necessary for the journey home?
• When the army had left why did all those present not notice that Ayesha was missing?
• Ibn al Hashimi informs us ‘Her litter was veiled so her absence was not noticed’ Ayesha says in those days women were typically light so there simply would have been no knowledge about whether or not she was in the howdah, even if we accept this, is it not unusual that the Prophet (s) nor anyone else notices that Ayesha is not in the howdah, what did the Prophet s), Abu Bakr and indeed no other individual take the time to engage Ayesha on the journey back, is this not curious? We also see no evidence of Rasulullah (s) sending anyone, are we to say for that night through to the morning when Ayesha returned no one had the slightest knowledge that Ayesha was missing?