وَلَوْلَآ إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ قُلْتُم مَّا يَكُونُ لَنَآ أَن نَّتَكَلَّمَ بِهَـٰذَا سُبْحَـٰنَكَ هَـٰذَا بُهْتَـٰنٌ عَظِيمٌ 16
Translations
And why, when you heard it, did you not say, "It is not for us to speak of this. Exalted are You, [O Allāh]; this is a great slander"?
Transliteration
Wa law lā idh sami'tūmūhu qultum mā yakūnu lanā an natakallama bi hādhā subḥānaka hādhā buhṭānun 'aẓīm
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah rebukes those who heard the false accusation against 'Ā'ishah (رضي الله عنها) for not immediately rejecting it as a grave lie. The verse teaches that upon hearing a serious false claim, the believers should have immediately disassociated themselves from it and proclaimed Allah's transcendence, recognizing the accusation as a monstrous fabrication. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir and Al-Qurtubi emphasize that this establishes an obligation to defend the honor of Muslims and reject slander without delay or hesitation.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah An-Nur (Chapter 24), which was revealed in response to the grave slander (ifk) spread against 'Ā'ishah, the Prophet's wife, during the expedition to Banī al-Muṣṭaliq (5 AH). The surah addresses both the incident itself and establishes broader principles regarding chastity, modesty, and the protection of reputation in the Muslim community.
Related Hadiths
Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim record the detailed account of the slander (hadith of ifk) where the Prophet's companions gradually came to 'Ā'ishah's defense. Additionally, the hadith in Muslim, "Whoever defends the honor of his brother [in his absence], Allah will defend his face from the Fire on the Day of Judgment," relates thematically to the obligation of defending reputations.
Themes
Key Lesson
Muslims have a collective duty to immediately refute false accusations and slander against their brothers and sisters, recognizing that defending reputation is an Islamic obligation. This ayah teaches that silence in the face of lies amounts to participation in evil, and swift, clear rejection of falsehood is both a moral and religious necessity.
Related Ayahs
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ جَآءُو بِٱلْإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌ مِّنكُمْ ۚ لَا تَحْسَبُوهُ شَرًّا لَّكُم ۖ بَلْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ ۚ لِكُلِّ ٱمْرِئٍ مِّنْهُم مَّا ٱكْتَسَبَ مِنَ ٱلْإِثْمِ ۚ وَٱلَّذِى تَوَلَّىٰ كِبْرَهُۥ مِنْهُمْ لَهُۥ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
Indeed, those who came with falsehood are a group among you. Do not think it bad for you; rather, it is good for you. For every person among them is what [punishment] he has earned from the sin, and he who took upon himself the greater portion thereof - for him is a great punishment [i.e., Hellfire].
وَٱلَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ ٱلْمُحْصَنَـٰتِ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَأْتُوا۟ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَآءَ فَٱجْلِدُوهُمْ ثَمَـٰنِينَ جَلْدَةً وَلَا تَقْبَلُوا۟ لَهُمْ شَهَـٰدَةً أَبَدًا ۚ وَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ
And those who accuse chaste women and then do not produce four witnesses - lash them with eighty lashes and do not accept from them testimony ever after. And those are the defiantly disobedient,
وَلَقَدْ أَنزَلْنَآ إِلَيْكُمْ ءَايَـٰتٍ مُّبَيِّنَـٰتٍ وَمَثَلًا مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ خَلَوْا۟ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ وَمَوْعِظَةً لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ
And We have certainly sent down to you distinct verses and examples from those who passed on before you and an admonition for those who fear Allāh.
وَلَا يَأْتَلِ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْفَضْلِ مِنكُمْ وَٱلسَّعَةِ أَن يُؤْتُوٓا۟ أُو۟لِى ٱلْقُرْبَىٰ وَٱلْمَسَـٰكِينَ وَٱلْمُهَـٰجِرِينَ فِى سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ وَلْيَعْفُوا۟ وَلْيَصْفَحُوٓا۟ ۗ أَلَا تُحِبُّونَ أَن يَغْفِرَ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
And let not those of virtue among you and wealth swear not to give [aid] to their relatives and the needy and the emigrants for the cause of Allāh, and let them pardon and overlook. Would you not like that Allāh should forgive you? And Allāh is Forgiving and Merciful.