Here Allah disciplines the believers with regard to the matter of `A'ishah,
because some of them spread this evil talk and the slander that had been
mentioned. So Allah says:
[لَّوْلا إِذْ
سَمِعْتُمُوهُ]
(Why then, when you heard it,) meaning, the talk which accused the Mother of
the believers, may Allah be pleased with her,
[ظَنَّ
الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَـتُ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ خَيْراً]
(the believers, men and women, think good of their own people) means, why did
they not compare what was said to themselves -- if it was not befitting for them
then it was even less appropriate for the Mother of the believers, and she was
more likely to be innocent. Or it was said that this was revealed about Abu
Ayyub Khalid bin Zayd Al-Ansari and his wife, may Allah be pleased with them.
Imam Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar narrated, "The wife of Abu Ayyub Khalid bin
Zayd Al-Ansari, Umm Ayyub, said to him, `O Abu Ayyub, have you heard what the
people are saying about `A'ishah' He said, `Yes, and it is all lies. Would you
do that, O Umm Ayyub' She said, `No, by Allah, I would not do that.' He said,
`And by Allah, `A'ishah is better than you.' When the Qur'an was revealed, Allah
mentioned those who spoke about the evil deed among the people of the slander,
[إِنَّ الَّذِينَ
جَآءُوا بِالإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌ مِّنْكُمْ]
(Verily, those who brought forth the slander are a group among you.) [24:1]
This refers to Hassan and his companions who said what they said. Then Allah
said,
[لَّوْلا إِذْ
سَمِعْتُمُوهُ ظَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ]
(Why then, did not the believers, men, when you heard it, think...) means, as
Abu Ayyub and his wife did.'' Allah's saying:
[ظَنَّ
الْمُؤْمِنُونَ]
(the believers, men think...) meaning, `why did they not think good, because
the Mother of the believers is his wife and is closer to him.' This is concerned
with innermost feelings;
[وَقَالُواْ]
(and say:) means, with their tongues, verbally,
[هَـذَآ إِفْكٌ
مُّبِينٌ]
("This (charge) is an obvious lie'') means, a clear untruth told about the
Mother of the believers, may Allah be pleased with her. What happened should not
have been the cause of suspicion. The fact that the Mother of the believers came
openly, riding on the camel of Safwan bin Al-Mu`attal at midday, with the entire
army watching and the Messenger of Allah among them, should have made it clear
that there was no cause for suspicion. If there had been anything suspicious
about the matter, they would not have come openly in this manner in front of so
many witnesses; they would have come secretly. On this basis, what the people of
the slander said accusing the Mother of the believers was an utter lie, false
speech and evil foolish talk, by which people who indulged in it lost out. Allah
said:
[لَّوْلاَ جَآءُو
عَلَيْهِ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَآءَ]
(Why did they not produce four witnesses against him) meaning, to prove that
what they were saying was true.
[فَإِذْ لَمْ
يَأْتُواْ بِالشُّهَدَآءِ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ عِندَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْكَـذِبُونَ]
(Since they have not produced witnesses! Then with Allah they are the
liars.)Allah has ruled that they are indeed wicked liars.
[وَلَوْلاَ فَضْلُ
اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ فِى الدُّنْيَا وَالاٌّخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُمْ فِى مَآ
أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ - إِذْ تَلَقَّوْنَهُ بِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ
وَتَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَهِكُمْ مَّا لَّيْسَ لَكُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَتَحْسَبُونَهُ
هَيِّناً وَهُوَ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَظِيمٌ ]
(14. Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you in this
world and in the Hereafter, a great torment would have touched you for that
whereof you had spoken.) (15. When you were propagating it with your tongues,
and uttering with your mouths that whereof you had no knowledge, you counted it
a little thing, while with Allah it was very great.)
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