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 يُحِبُّونَ أَن تَشِيعَ ٱلْفَـٰحِشَةُ فِى ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread [or publicized] among those who have believed will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And Allāh knows and you do not know.
وَيُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
And Allāh makes clear to you the verses [i.e., His rulings], and Allāh is Knowing and Wise.
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."
۞ ٱللَّهُ نُورُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ مَثَلُ نُورِهِۦ كَمِشْكَوٰةٍ فِيهَا مِصْبَاحٌ ۖ ٱلْمِصْبَاحُ فِى زُجَاجَةٍ ۖ ٱلزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوْكَبٌ دُرِّىٌّ يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٍ مُّبَـٰرَكَةٍ زَيْتُونَةٍ لَّا شَرْقِيَّةٍ وَلَا غَرْبِيَّةٍ يَكَادُ زَيْتُهَا يُضِىٓءُ وَلَوْ لَمْ تَمْسَسْهُ نَارٌ ۚ نُّورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورٍ ۗ يَهْدِى ٱللَّهُ لِنُورِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَيَضْرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْأَمْثَـٰلَ لِلنَّاسِ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ عَلِيمٌ
Allāh is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp; the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allāh guides to His light whom He wills. And Allāh presents examples for the people, and Allāh is Knowing of all things.