24-11 Surely they who concocted the lie are a party from among you.a Deem it not an evil to you. Nay, it is good for you. For every man of them is what he has earned of sin; and as for him among them who took upon himself the main part thereof, he shall have a grievous punishment.b
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ جَآءُو بِٱلْإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌۭ مِّنكُمْ ۚ لَا تَحْسَبُوهُ شَرًّۭا لَّكُم ۖ بَلْ هُوَ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ ۚ لِكُلِّ ٱمْرِئٍۢ مِّنْهُم مَّا ٱكْتَسَبَ مِنَ ٱلْإِثْمِ ۚ وَٱلَّذِى تَوَلَّىٰ كِبْرَهُۥ مِنْهُمْ لَهُۥ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌۭ (۱۱)
24-11a: The incident of Ifk with the Hazrat A‘ishah: The incident which is indicated here is the calumny against Hazrat A‘ishah Siddiqa, which were fabricated by the hypocrites with some Muslims involved in spreading rumors. The falsehood of the incident and its fabrication by the hypocrites is indicated by two words: إِفْكِ and عُصْبَةٌۭ . إِفْكِ is something which has been changed from the condition in which it should be (refer to 6-95a) or something that has been turned from the truth into falsehood, in other words, a simple incident that has been distorted into something evil. عُصْبَةٌۭ is a group whose members assist one another. This was the group of hypocrites that helped each other in opposing Islam. The word مِّنكُمْ amongst you is used because overtly the hypocrites professed to be Muslims.
The incident indicated here took place in the fifth year after migration when the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was returning after the expedition against the Bani Mustaliq, and is narrated by Hazrat A‘ishah herself in Sahih Bukhari. Its summarized version is recorded as follows.
When the Holy Prophet left on a journey, he would take one wife, selected by random drawing, with him. My name was drawn for this expedition, and I accompanied him. This expedition took place after the verse prescribing hijab had been revealed (this showed that hijab does not stop women from going out because of the necessity of war, or other necessities). On our return when we were near Madinah, the announcement was made at night to break camp and to march onward. I left the group to answer the call of nature and as I was returning, I realized that my necklace had dropped somewhere. I started looking for it and while I was away, my howdah was lifted and placed on the camel under the assumption that I was in it. At that time, the women were very light weight because there was not much to eat and, on top of that, I was just a young girl. When I came back after searching for the necklace, the caravan had departed, and the area was deserted. I sat down at the campsite thinking that when it was realized that I was not in my howdah, they would come back for me. While waiting, I drifted off to sleep. Safwan ibn al-Mu’attal was tasked to follow the army at a distance, so that if something was left behind or dropped it could be picked up. When he reached the campsite, and saw a human figure lying there, he approached me and recognized me, because he had seen me before the restriction of hijab. He said in a loud voice: إِنَّا لِلَّهِ Surely We belong to Allah, and I woke up. He sat his camel down so that I could mount it and holding the reins of the camel, he walked ahead until by the afternoon we caught up with the expeditionary force.
Some people raised a big storm about this incident, and the ringleader of this storm was Abdullah ibn Ubayy ibn Salool. On reaching Madinah, I fell ill and remained indisposed for a month. I remained unaware of the storm that was brewing until I got to learn about it from the mother of Mustah. I then asked for permission from the Messenger of Allah to my parent’s house until he could investigate the matter. The Holy Prophet consulted with Osama and Hazrat Ali. Osama said that we have never seen anything but goodness, while Hazrat Ali advised to ask Barira (slave girl). Barira testified that she had never seen any flaw with her except that after preparing the dough for bread, being a young girl, sometimes she falls asleep and the goat eats the dough. Meanwhile I was crying for two nights and one day till the Messenger of Allah came and asked me about the incident. I said that if I plead my innocence, who will believe me, and if I falsely admit guilt then Allah knows that that is not the truth. So, I do not say anything except what Jacob said: فَصَبْرٌۭ جَمِيلٌۭ ۖ وَٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ : …So patience is goodly. And Allah is He Whose help is sought against what you describe (12:18). Then the revelation came and I was exonerated. Hazrat A‘ishah’s mother narrated that when she first heard the slander, she fainted from shock.
Some Christian authors have also said some vile things about this incident, although they are fully aware that if Hazrat A‘ishah Siddiqa faced such an accusation, so did another truthful lady, Hazrat Mary, the mother of Prophet Jesus. There was absolutely nothing to base this charge on, and it was solely the evil of the hypocrites, who were always looking for ways to hurt Islam.
24-11b: This incident is called خَيْرٌۭ because its end result was good, and Allah prohibited the Muslims from ever participating in such matters in the future, for their own sake. The group who spread the accusations were the hypocrites. There are four people whose names are specifically associated with the Ifk: Abdullah ibn Ubbay, Hamna, the sister of Zainab bint Jahsh, a wife of the Holy Prophet, Mistah, who was a relative of Abu Bakr, and Hassan ibn Thabit. There is disagreement about whether the legal punishment of slander was meted out to them or not. The description of وَٱلَّذِى تَوَلَّىٰ كِبْرَهُۥ took upon him the main part is for Abdullah bin Ubbay who first fabricated this lie and then spread it through his followers. Some people have wrongly assumed it to be Hassan ibn Thabit.
24-12 Why did not the believing men and the believing women, when you heard it, think well of their own people, and say: This is an evident falsehood?a
لَّوْلَآ إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ ظَنَّ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتُ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ خَيْرًۭا وَقَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَآ إِفْكٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ (۱۲)
24-12a: Muslims should think well of one another, since they have knowledge of each other’s nature and know that a Muslim is always desirous of Allah’s pleasure, and cannot commit such an abominable act. How was it possible that in a short period of eight to ten hours, without any previous relationship, a woman of such high moral virtue as Hazrat A‘ishah Siddiqa, the wife of a purified person like the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), the daughter of a pious man like Abu Bakr Siddique, commit such an reprehensible act which could only be expected from a wicked and depraved person. Moreover, the initiator of the rumor was Abdullh bin Ubbay, an inveterate enemy of Islam. Even a little reflection could have shown that this was slander, and to allege that the Holy Prophet himself had doubts is also a slander against him. Even before the revelation, the Holy Prophet had stated in a sermon that he knew nothing but goodness regarding the people of his household.
24-13 Why did they not bring four witnesses of it? So, as they have not brought witnesses, they are liars in the sight of Allah.a
لَّوْلَا جَآءُو عَلَيْهِ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَآءَ ۚ فَإِذْ لَمْ يَأْتُوا۟ بِٱلشُّهَدَآءِ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُمُ ٱلْكَـٰذِبُونَ (۱۳)
24-13a: Spreading gossip, when there is not a single witness, can only be the work of a liar. Allah’s command is that such a person be considered a liar who accuses pious women without any evidence, and spreads evil news about them.
24-14 And were it not for Allah’s grace upon you and His mercy in this world and the Hereafter, a grievous chastisement would certainly have touched you on account of the talk you indulged in.
وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُۥ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُمْ فِى مَآ أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ (۱۴)
24-15 When you received it on your tongues and spoke with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge, and you deemed it a trifle, while with Allah it was serious.a
إِذْ تَلَقَّوْنَهُۥ بِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَتَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَاهِكُم مَّا لَيْسَ لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلْمٌۭ وَتَحْسَبُونَهُۥ هَيِّنًۭا وَهُوَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ عَظِيمٌۭ (۱۵)
24-15a: تَلَقَّوْنَهُۥ – In reality, it is تتلقونه . Refer to 2-37a for further details. There are many sins that one commits considering them to be minor, but they have grievous consequences. An evil action should never be considered insignificant.
24-16 And why did you not, when you heard it, say: It beseems us not to talk of it. Glory be to Thee! This is a great calumny.
وَلَوْلَآ إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ قُلْتُم مَّا يَكُونُ لَنَآ أَن نَّتَكَلَّمَ بِهَـٰذَا سُبْحَـٰنَكَ هَـٰذَا بُهْتَـٰنٌ عَظِيمٌۭ (۱۶)
24-17 Allah admonishes you that you return not to the like of it ever again, if you are believers.
يَعِظُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَن تَعُودُوا۟ لِمِثْلِهِۦٓ أَبَدًا إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ (۱۷)
24-18 And Allah makes clear to you the messages; and Allah is Knowing, Wise.
وَيُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ (۱۸)
24-19 Those who love that scandal should circulate respecting those who believe, for them is a grievous chastisement in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah knows, while you know not.a
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَن تَشِيعَ ٱلْفَـٰحِشَةُ فِى ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ (۱۹)
24-19a: Any legal punishment awarded under Islamic law (fiqh) cannot be classed as the grievous chastisement of this world – in particular when the grievous chastisement of the Hereafter is also mentioned along with it. The grievous chastisement of this world is experiencing the consequences of malice, jealousy, etc., that burn like a fire in the heart, causing intense pain, such that one is unable to relax and find inner peace. An alternative interpretation is that those who levy false charges against others, themselves become the victim of those charges. The answer to لَوْلَا were it not for in the next verse, is the same as mentioned in verse 24:21.
24-20 And were it not for Allah’s grace on you and His mercy— and that Allah is Compassionate, Merciful.
وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُۥ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَءُوفٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ (۲۰)
