وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُۥ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُمْ فِى مَآ أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ 14
Translations
And if it had not been for the favor of Allāh upon you and His mercy in this world and the Hereafter, you would have been touched for that [lie] in which you were involved by a great punishment
Transliteration
Wa law laa fadlu Allahi alaikum wa rahmatuhu fi ad-dunya wa al-akhirati lamas-sakum fi ma afdatum fihi adhabun azim
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah concludes the account of the slander against Aisha (radiyallahu anha) and warns that without Allah's grace and mercy in this world and the hereafter, those who engaged in spreading false accusations would have faced severe punishment. Classical scholars like Al-Qurtubi and Ibn Kathir emphasize that this verse highlights how Allah's mercy prevents immediate retribution for grave sins, offering believers the opportunity for repentance and reformation.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah An-Nur's discussion of the incident of al-ifk (the great slander), where innocent people were accused of immoral conduct during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him). The revelation context concerns those who participated in spreading these false rumors without evidence, serving as both a warning and a reminder of Allah's clemency toward the Muslim community.
Related Hadiths
Aisha (radiyallahu anha) reported regarding the slander against her: 'By Allah, I did not know what to say, and I did not know the answer to this (slander).' (Sahih Bukhari 2661). Also relevant is the hadith about the severity of accusations without evidence and the protection Allah grants to the innocent.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers that Allah's mercy is a shield protecting us from deserved punishment for our transgressions, and we should reciprocate this mercy by refraining from spreading accusations without evidence and by exercising caution in our speech. It reminds us that accountability for grave sins like slander is deferred by Allah's grace, not because such sins are minor.
Related Ayahs
قُلْ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ ۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْهِ مَا حُمِّلَ وَعَلَيْكُم مَّا حُمِّلْتُمْ ۖ وَإِن تُطِيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا۟ ۚ وَمَا عَلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ إِلَّا ٱلْبَلَـٰغُ ٱلْمُبِينُ
Say, "Obey Allāh and obey the Messenger; but if you turn away - then upon him is only that [duty] with which he has been charged, and upon you is that with which you have been charged. And if you obey him, you will be [rightly] guided. And there is not upon the Messenger except the [responsibility for] clear notification."
لَّوْلَا جَآءُو عَلَيْهِ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَآءَ ۚ فَإِذْ لَمْ يَأْتُوا۟ بِٱلشُّهَدَآءِ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُمُ ٱلْكَـٰذِبُونَ
Why did they [who slandered] not produce for it four witnesses? And when they do not produce the witnesses, then it is they, in the sight of Allāh, who are the liars.
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.
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.