24. Surah An Nur
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
لَوْلَا
إِذْ
سَمِعْتُمُوهُ
ظَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ
بِأَنفُسِهِمْ
خَيْرًا...
24: 12. Why did not Believers -- men and women -- when ye heard of the affair -- put the best construction on it in their own minds
C2965. Both men and women were involved in spreading the scandal. Their obvious duty was to put the best, not the worst, construction on the acts of one of the "mothers of the Believers".
...وَقَالُوا هَذَا إِفْكٌ مُّبِينٌ ﴿١٢﴾
and say, "This (charge) is an obvious lie"?
لَوْلَا
جَاؤُوا
عَلَيْهِ بِأَرْبَعَةِ
شُهَدَاء...
24: 13. Why did they not bring four witnesses to prove it?
C2966. If any persons took it seriously, it was their duty to search for and produce the evidence, in the absence of which they themselves became guilty of slander.
...فَإِذْ لَمْ يَأْتُوا بِالشُّهَدَاء فَأُوْلَئِكَ عِندَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْكَاذِبُونَ ﴿١٣﴾
When they have not brought the witnesses, such men, in the sight of Allah, (stand forth) themselves as liars!
وَلَوْلَا
فَضْلُ اللَّهِ
عَلَيْكُمْ
وَرَحْمَتُهُ
فِي الدُّنْيَا
وَالْآخِرَةِ...
24: 14. Were it not for the grace and mercy of Allah on you, in this world and the Hereafter,
...لَمَسَّكُمْ فِي مَا أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿١٤﴾
a grievous penalty would have seized you in that ye rushed glibly into this affair.
C2967. Cf. 24:10 above.
It was Allah's mercy that saved them from many evil consequences, both in this life and in the Hereafter,
- in this life, because the Prophet's wise measures nipped in the bud any incipient estrangement between those nearest and dearest to him, and
- from a spiritual aspect in that the minor agents in spreading the scandal repented and were forgiven.
No doubts and divisions, no mutual distrust, were allowed to remain in their hearts after the whole matter had been cleared up.
إِذْ
تَلَقَّوْنَهُ
بِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ
وَتَقُولُونَ
بِأَفْوَاهِكُم
مَّا
لَيْسَ لَكُم
بِهِ عِلْمٌ...
24: 15. Behold, ye received it on your tongues, and said out of your mouths things of which ye had no knowledge;
...وَتَحْسَبُونَهُ هَيِّنًا وَهُوَ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَظِيمٌ ﴿١٥﴾
and ye thought it to be a light matter, while it was most serious in the sight of Allah.
C2968. There are three things here reprobated by way of moral teaching:
1. if others speak an evil word, that is no reason why you should allow it to defile your tongue;
2. if you get a thought or suspicion which is not based on your certain knowledge, do not give it currency by giving it expression; and
3. others may think it is a small matter to speak lightly of something which blasts a person's character or reputation: in the eyes of Allah it is a most serious matter in any case, but specially when it involves the honour and reputation of pious women.
وَلَوْلَا
إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ
قُلْتُم مَّا
يَكُونُ لَنَا
أَن نَّتَكَلَّمَ
بِهَذَا...
24: 16. And why did ye not, when ye heard it, say --
"It is not right of us to speak of this:
...سُبْحَانَكَ هَذَا بُهْتَانٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿١٦﴾
Glory to Allah!
this is a most serious slander!"
C2969. The right course would have been to stop any further currency of false slanders by ignoring them and at least refusing to help in their circulation.
The exclamation "Subhanaka", "Praise to Thee (O Allah)", or "Glory to Allah!" is an exclamation of surprise and disavowal as much as to say,
"We do not believe it! And we shall have nothing to do with you, 0 false slanderers!"
يَعِظُكُمُ
اللَّهُ
أَن تَعُودُوا
لِمِثْلِهِ
أَبَدًا إِن
كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ
﴿١٧﴾
24: 17. Allah doth admonish you, that ye may never repeat such (conduct), if ye are (true) Believers.
وَيُبَيِّنُ
اللَّهُ لَكُمُ
الْآيَاتِ...
24: 18. And Allah makes the Signs plain to you:
...وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ ﴿١٨﴾
for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom.
Asad’s Version:
24:12
Why do not the believing men and women, whenever such [a rumour] is heard, 15 think the best of one another and say, "This is an obvious falsehood"?
(24:13) Why do they not [demand of the accusers 16 that they] produce four witnesses to prove their allegation? 17 - for, if they do not produce such witnesses, it is those [accusers] who, in the sight of God, are liars indeed!
24:14
And were it not for God's favour upon you, [O men,] and His grace in this world and in the life to come, awesome suffering would indeed have afflicted you 18 in result of all [the calumny] in which you indulge
24:15
Ith talaqqawnahu bi-alsinatikum wataqooloona bi-afwahikum ma laysa lakum bihi AAilmun watahsaboonahu hayyinan wahuwa AAinda Allahi AAatheemun |
Generally Accepted Translations of the Meaning |
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when you take it up with your tongues, uttering with your mouths something of which you have no knowledge, and deeming it a light matter whereas in the sight of God it is an awful thing! |
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When ye welcomed it with your tongues, and uttered with your mouths that whereof ye had no knowledge, ye counted it a trifle. In the sight of Allah it is very great. |
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When you received it with your tongues and spoke with your mouths what you had no knowledge of, and you deemed it an easy matter while with Allah it was grievous. |
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Behold, ye received it on your tongues, and said out of your mouths things of which ye had no knowledge; and ye thought it to be a light matter, while it was most serious in the sight of Allah. |
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When you received it on your tongues and said with your mouths of what there is no knowledge, you assume it insignificant while it is serious with God. |
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When you were spreading it with your tongues and saying with your mouths things of which you had no knowledge, you considered it to be a trivial matter, but, in Gods sight, it was very serious. |
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When you encountered it on your tongues and said something with your own mouths that you had no knowledge about, you reckoned it was trifling although it was serious with God. |
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You simply give it a speaking tongue and you give utterance to words describing your thoughts of a subject you have but empty knowledge of and you treat it as a trivial or a light matter of no consequence when in fact it is considered by Allah of a grievous consequence. |
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For you have cast it with your tongues, and you say with your mouths what you have no knowledge of, and you think it is a minor issue, while with God it was great. |
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24:16
And [once again]: Why do you not say, whenever you hear such [a rumour], "It does not behoove us to speak of this, O Thou who art limitless in Thy glory: this is an awesome calumny"? 18 '
(24: 17) God admonishes you [hereby] lest you ever revert to the like of this [sin], if you are [truly] believers;
(24: 18) for God makes [His] messages clear unto you - and God is all-knowing, wise!
