Tafsir of An-Nur 24:20

"And were it not for the grace of Allah upon you and His mercy"

The address—according to what At-Tabarani recorded from Ibn Abbas—is directed toward Mistah, Hassan, and Hamnah, or to those other than Ibn Ubayy and his peers among the hypocrites who engaged in the slander. This is a repetition of the favor of withholding immediate punishment, intended to draw attention to the extreme gravity of the offense.

"And that Allah is All-Raoof (Kind), All-Raheem (Merciful)"

This is conjoined to "the grace of Allah." The Majestic Name is manifest here to foster awe and to signal that the attribute of Divinity entails kindness and mercy. The structure is altered and initiated with the particle of affirmation (anna) because the intent is to declare His Essence as being permanently and continuously characterized by these two glorious attributes, rather than merely indicating the occurrence of their attachment to them—which is the intent of the preceding clause.

The apodosis (response) of the conditional "if not" (law la) is omitted, as previously mentioned. This is analogous to the verse appearing at the end of the hadith regarding Li'an (the oath of condemnation), except that here, the concluding invocation of "All-Raoof, All-Raheem" replaces "All-Tawwab (Acceptor of Repentance), All-Hakim (All-Wise)." This suggests that the sin in this instance is greater, as if it cannot be absolved except by His pure kindness; it is so grave that it is not even removed by repentance. This is in accordance with what has been narrated from Ibn Abbas: "Whoever engaged in the discourse of the Ifk (the Slander) and repented, his repentance would not be accepted." The intent is to emphasize the severity of the act, so be not heedless.