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.