إِذْ تَلَقَّوْنَهُۥ بِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَتَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَاهِكُم مَّا لَيْسَ لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ وَتَحْسَبُونَهُۥ هَيِّنًا وَهُوَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ عَظِيمٌ 15
Translations
When you received it with your tongues and said with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge and thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of Allāh, tremendous.
Transliteration
Idh talaqawnahoo bi-alsinatikum wa taqooloon bi-afwahikum ma laysa lakum bihi ilm wa tahasiboonahu hayyin wa huwa inda Allahi azeem
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes those who spread the slander about 'Aisha (the incident of al-ifk), condemning them for casually repeating accusations without knowledge and treating grave sins lightly. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir emphasize that spreading unverified rumors with one's tongue is a serious matter in Allah's sight, even if the spreaders consider it insignificant gossip. The ayah teaches that what seems trivial to humans may be a grave sin before Allah, particularly regarding the honor and reputation of others.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in the context of the slander campaign (hadith al-ifk) against 'Aisha bint Abi Bakr during the 5th or 6th year of Hijrah, when she was left behind on a journey and returned to Madinah with Safwan ibn al-Mu'attal. Hypocrites and some believers spread false accusations about her chastity, and this surah addresses the gravity of such slander and the rules of verification (bayyinah) before spreading rumors.
Related Hadiths
Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him speak good or remain silent' (Sahih Bukhari & Muslim). Additionally, the Prophet warned: 'The most grievous type of riba (usury) is when a man attacks the honor of his brother Muslim' (Sunan Ibn Majah), illustrating the severity of spreading rumors.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that casual speech and rumor-spreading carry profound spiritual weight before Allah, and believers must verify information before repeating it. In our modern age of rapid information sharing, this verse demands that we exercise critical thinking and refuse to participate in spreading unverified claims that could harm others' reputations and dignity.
Related Ayahs
لَّا تَجْعَلُوا۟ دُعَآءَ ٱلرَّسُولِ بَيْنَكُمْ كَدُعَآءِ بَعْضِكُم بَعْضًا ۚ قَدْ يَعْلَمُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ يَتَسَلَّلُونَ مِنكُمْ لِوَاذًا ۚ فَلْيَحْذَرِ ٱلَّذِينَ يُخَالِفُونَ عَنْ أَمْرِهِۦٓ أَن تُصِيبَهُمْ فِتْنَةٌ أَوْ يُصِيبَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ
Do not make [your] calling of the Messenger among yourselves as the call of one of you to another. Already Allāh knows those of you who slip away, concealed by others. So let those beware who dissent from his [i.e., the Prophet's] order, lest fitnah strike them or a painful punishment.
وَٱلْخَـٰمِسَةُ أَنَّ لَعْنَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهِ إِن كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ
And the fifth [oath will be] that the curse of Allāh be upon him if he should be of the liars.
أَلَمْ تَرَ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُزْجِى سَحَابًا ثُمَّ يُؤَلِّفُ بَيْنَهُۥ ثُمَّ يَجْعَلُهُۥ رُكَامًا فَتَرَى ٱلْوَدْقَ يَخْرُجُ مِنْ خِلَـٰلِهِۦ وَيُنَزِّلُ مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مِن جِبَالٍ فِيهَا مِنۢ بَرَدٍ فَيُصِيبُ بِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَصْرِفُهُۥ عَن مَّن يَشَآءُ ۖ يَكَادُ سَنَا بَرْقِهِۦ يَذْهَبُ بِٱلْأَبْصَـٰرِ
Do you not see that Allāh drives clouds? Then He brings them together; then He makes them into a mass, and you see the rain emerge from within it. And He sends down from the sky, mountains [of clouds] within which is hail, and He strikes with it whom He wills and averts it from whom He wills. The flash of its lightning almost takes away the eyesight.
ٱلْخَبِيثَـٰتُ لِلْخَبِيثِينَ وَٱلْخَبِيثُونَ لِلْخَبِيثَـٰتِ ۖ وَٱلطَّيِّبَـٰتُ لِلطَّيِّبِينَ وَٱلطَّيِّبُونَ لِلطَّيِّبَـٰتِ ۚ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ مُبَرَّءُونَ مِمَّا يَقُولُونَ ۖ لَهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ
Evil words are for evil men, and evil men are [subjected] to evil words. And good words are for good men, and good men are [an object] of good words. Those [good people] are declared innocent of what they [i.e., slanderers] say. For them is forgiveness and noble provision.