Tafsir of An-Nur 24:15

(إذ تلقونه): With one of the two [original] 'ta's removed. Idh (when) serves as an adverbial of time for [the verb] massakum (touched you). It is also permissible for it to be an adverbial of time for afadtum (you engaged in), though that is not as strong. The accusative pronoun refers to the aforementioned, meaning: that great torment touched you at the time you were receiving what you engaged in regarding the ifk (slander), taking it from one another by asking about it.

Talaqqi (receiving), talaqquf (snatching), and talaqqun (learning/mastering) are close in meaning, except that talaqqi contains the meaning of "receiving," talaqquf contains the meaning of "snatching and taking rapidly," and talaqqun contains the meaning of "acumen and skill."

Ubayy (may Allah be pleased with him) read it as tatalaqawnahu according to the original form. Al-Bazzi doubled the 'ta', and the two Grammarians [Basri and Kufi] along with Hamzah assimilated the dhal into the ta. Ibn al-Sumayqa' read it as tuluqqawnahu with a damma on the ta and the qaf, and a sukun on the lam, as the imperfect of alqa. From him also is talaqqawnahu with a fatha on the ta and qaf, and a sukun on the lam, as the imperfect of laqiya.

'Aishah, Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), 'Isa, Ibn Ya'mar, and Zayd ibn 'Ali read it with a fatha on the ta, a kasra on the lam, and a damma on the qaf, derived from walaqa the speech, meaning "to lie." Al-Saraqusti narrated this, and it contains a rebuttal to those who claimed that walaqa, when it means "to lie," cannot be transitive, which is the apparent position of Ibn Sidah and is supported by Abu Hayyan. For this reason, it is considered a case of omission and connection (hadhf wa-isal), the original being taluqquna fihi (you lie about it). It is narrated from 'Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she used to read it this way and say: "The walaq is the lie." Ibn Abi Mulaykah said: "She was more knowledgeable about that than others, because it was revealed concerning her."

Ibn al-Anbari said: walaqa the speech means to invent and fabricate it. It is also said: it is from walaqa the speech, meaning to repeat it. Al-Tabari and others narrated that this word is derived from walaq, which is "hastening with a thing," like one count following another count, or one word following another word. It is said: a walaqiyyah she-camel is a fast one. From this is al-awlaq for the insane, because the intellect is a gateway to stillness and self-control, while insanity is a gateway to speed and instability.

According to Ibn Jinni, if what is in the verse is interpreted as mentioned, it is a case of hadhf wa-isal, the original being tusri'una fihi (you hasten in it) or ilayhi (towards it). Zayd ibn Aslam and Abu Ja'far read it as ta'laqunahu with a fatha on the ta, a hamza with sukun, followed by a lam with sukun, from al-alq which is lying. Ya'qub, in the narration of al-Mazini, read it as taylaqunahu with a ta with kasra, followed by a ya and a lam with fatha, as if it were the imperfect of laqa with a kasra on the lam, just as they say tijalu as the imperfect of wajila.

From Sufyan ibn 'Uyaynah: I heard my mother reading it as idh tathqafunahu, from thaqaftu a thing, meaning: I sought it and reached it. It was read as doubled and lightened, meaning: you were hunting for the speech regarding the ifk from here and there. It was also read as tathaqqafunahu, from qafahu (following him), meaning: you were pursuing it.

Meaning: You speak with a speech restricted to the mouths without it having any substance or origin in the hearts, because it is not an expression of knowledge held within your hearts. This is like the saying of the Almighty: {They speak with their mouths what is not in their hearts}. Ibn al-Munir said: It is possible that His saying {You speak with your mouths} is a rebuke, like your saying: "Do you say that with your full mouth?" For the speaker might use allusions or insinuate, and sometimes he might talk with his mouth full as if he were knowledgeable. This has been said regarding His saying {Hatred has appeared from their mouths}. The author of al-Fara'id said: It is possible to say that the benefit of mentioning {with your mouths} is so that it is not thought that they said it with their hearts, for "speech" can be used for that which does not emanate from the mouths, as in His saying {They said: We come willingly}, and the saying of the poet: "The basin filled up, and it said: 'Enough, take it easy, you have filled my belly.'" Thus, it is an emphasis to reject [the notion of] the hearts. You know that the context necessitates the former, and this is the view of al-Zamakhshari. The apparent construction would have been taqulunahu bi-afwahikum (you say it with your mouths), but he deviated from that to what is in the magnificent text for reasons not hidden.

Easy, having no consequences.

Meaning: And the matter is, in the sight of Allah the Almighty, a grave affair whose magnitude in terms of sin and the drawing forth of torment cannot be estimated. The two verbal sentences [in the previous verses] are coordinated with the sentence {you receive it}, entering with it into the sphere of idh (when). Thus, the touching of the great torment is contingent upon their receiving the ifk with their tongues, speaking of it without contemplation, reflection, or calculation, and their thinking that it is something of no consequence, while it is, in the sight of Allah the Almighty, grave.