Tafsir of An-Nur 24:16

Surah An-Nur (24): Verse 16

{And why did you not, when you heard it, say, "It is not for us to utter this falsehood..."}

This verse is about etiquette. It means: Why did you not, upon hearing this slander, say, "It is not appropriate for us to speak about this matter"?

They were obligated to refrain from spreading it for several reasons:

1. The Prevailing Evidence: The factors compelling them to refrain from this act—reason (aql) and religion (din)—were present and unopposed. Therefore, the presumption that they should refrain from sin must be stronger than the presumption that they committed it. If they had reported the sin as having occurred, they would have given precedence to the weaker possibility over the stronger one, which is impermissible.
2. Harm to the Messenger: Spreading the slander involves harming the Messenger (peace be upon him), which incurs a curse, as stated in the verse: {Indeed, those who abuse Allah and His Messenger—Allah has cursed them in this world and the Hereafter...} (Al-Ahzab: 57).
3. Harm to 'Aishah and Her Parents: It causes harm to 'Aishah, her parents, and those connected to them, without any known reason or offense on their part, which is forbidden (haram).
4. Risking Harm Without Necessity: It is an action that might lead to harm while being completely unnecessary. Reason dictates avoiding it because:
   • If the slanderer were truthful (which is impossible here), he would not deserve reward for his truthfulness but punishment for spreading obscenity (fahishah).
   • If he were lying, he deserves severe punishment.
   • Reason explicitly demands abstaining from such matters.
5. Wasting Time: It is a waste of time with no benefit. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Among the excellence of one's Islam is leaving that which does not concern him."
6. Emulating Divine Attributes: Revealing people's virtues and concealing their faults is adopting the characteristics of Allah. The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Adorn yourselves with the characteristics of Allah."

These reasons obligate a rational person, upon hearing slander, to remain silent about it and strive to avoid engaging in it.

If one asks why there is a separation between lā (the negative particle in walā) and qultum (you said) by the adverbial phrase (the slander itself), the answer is that the purpose is to indicate that their primary obligation upon hearing the falsehood (ifk) was to refrain from speaking about it immediately.

Regarding the phrase: {Exalted is You! This is a grave slander.}

There are two questions concerning this:

First Question: How is Subhanaka (Exalted is You) appropriate in this context?

The answer lies in several interpretations:

1. Expression of Astonishment: It signifies astonishment at the magnitude of the matter. It is used for astonishment because one glorifies Allah upon witnessing the wonders of His creation, and eventually, it became used for anything astonishing.
2. Purity of the Prophet's Household: It means declaring Allah free from the possibility that the Prophet's wife could be immoral.
3. Divine Displeasure with Injustice: It means declaring Allah free from consenting to the injustice committed by this group of fabricators.
4. Divine Justice: It means declaring Allah free from failing to punish these unjust slanderers.

Second Question: Why were they obligated to say, "This is a grave slander," even though they were not absolutely certain it was a lie?

The answer has two aspects:

1. Capacity for Knowledge: They were capable of knowing it was slander because the Messenger's wife could not possibly be immoral.
2. Stating Certainty: Since they were certain in their hearts that they did not believe the slander, reporting this certainty is truthful. This is analogous to the verse: {And Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are indeed liars} (Al-Munafiqun: 1).

The Sixth Type (of Divine Admonition)

{Allah admonishes you that you should ever repeat the like of it, if you are believers. * And Allah makes clear to you the verses; and Allah is Knowing and Wise.} (24:17-18)