The Light of the Holy Qur'an Interpretation of (sura An-nur)

Section 2 : the Scandal Against Ayeshah Commentary : Verse 11.12.13.14

About the accusation against Ayeshah when she had been left behind by the caravan

  1. إِنَّ الَّذِينَ جَآءُوا بِالإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌ مِنكُمْ لاَ تَحْسَبُوهُ شَرّاً لَّكُم بَلْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ لِكُلّ‌ِ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُم مَا اكْتَسَبَ مِنَ الإِثْمِ وَالَّذِي تَوَلَّي كِبْرَهُ مِنْهُمْ لَهُ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

  2. لَوْلآ إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ ظَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ خَيْراً وَقَالُوا هَذَآ إِفْكٌ مُّبِينٌ

  3. لَوْلاَ جَآءُوا عَلَيْهِ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَآءَ فَإِذْ لَمْ يَأْتُوا بِالشُّهَدَآءِ فَاُوْلَئِكَ عِندَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْكَاذبُونَ

  4. وَلَوْلاَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالاَخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُمْ فِي مَآ أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ

11.“Verily those who brought forward the lie are a band of you. Do not regard it an evil to you; nay, it is good for you. Unto every man of them will be paid that which he has earned of the sin; and as for him among them who had the greater part therein, he shall have a grievous chastisement.”

  1. “Why did not the believers, men and women, when you heard of it, think well of themselves; and say: ’This is a manifest lie’?”

  2. “Why did they not bring four witnesses about it? But since they have not brought witnesses, they are liars before Allah.”

  3. “And had it not been Allah's and grace His mercy on you in the world and the Hereafter, a grievous chastisement would certainly have touched you on account of the discourse which you entered into.”

The Adventure of ’Ifk, (a Great Slander):

It is understood from all the verses 11-16 that an innocent person was accused of unchaste act at the descending of these verses, and this rumour was spread throughout the society.

When a group of hypocrites, who were apparently Muslim, also wanted to use this event maliciously for causing Islamic society harm and for the sake of their own interest and weakening the common reputation of the Prophet (p.b.u.h.), these verses were sent down and so this incident was dealt with in an unprecedented resoluteness. And so the insulting astray-goers and sinister hypocrites were firmly suppressed.

The holy Qur’an, without mentioning the main phenomenon in this verse, says:

“Verily those who brought forward the lie are a band of you....”

Then it commiserates the believers who were very annoyed by accusing a pure person of such an evil act, by saying:

“... Do not regard it an evil to you; nay,it is good for you. ...”

By means of it, the evil intentions of some of defeated enemies and undiscerning hypocrites were uncovered and these outwardly good persons who were of a bad character, were disgraced. Possibly if this event had not occurred and they had still remained unknown, they would have attacked more severely and dangerously in the future.

This event taught the Muslims a lesson that following rumourmongers will cause them lose every thing. They must firmly resist this matter.

Then, two points are mentioned in the remaining part of the verse. At first, it says:

“... Unto every man of them will be paid that which he has earned of the sin; ...”

It indicates that the great responsibility of those who led and found a sin would never prevent the responsibility of others, but every person is as responsible for a sin as he participates and shares in a conspiracy.

For the second step, the verse continues saying:

“... and as for him among them who had the greater part therein, he shall have a grievous chastisement.”

Commentators say that this person was ‘Abdullah Ibn ’Abi Maslul, who was the chief person of ’Ifk companions. Some others have also mentioned Mastah Ibn ’Ithamah and Hassan Ibn Thabit as the referent of this concept.

Anyway, the one who was more active than others and set off the flames of ’Ifk and is considered as the leader of the group will be imposed with a punishment as great as his sin is great.

Then, in the next verse, the believers who were deceived in this affair and were influenced by this group are severely reprimanded through a few verses. At first, it says:

“Why did not the believers, men and women, when you heard of it, think well of themselves; and say: this is a manifest lie?”

It means those why believers did not think good of other believers, who are as their own selves, when they heard hypocrites’ words about their faithful persons, and why they did not say that it was a great and manifest slander.

They knew the evil and notorious background of these hypocrites. They were certain out of various contexts that such an accusation was impossible. They were well aware of that accused person’s chastity. They knew the plots which were planned and were carried out against the Prophet (p.b.u.h.). Nevertheless, they must be reprimanded that they heard such false rumours and they remained silent, the worse was when they consciously or unconsciously spread it!

It is interesting that instead of asking believers to think good of the one who is accused of this calumny, it says they must think well of themselves. This way of speaking means that believers are of one essence, and if one of them is accused, it is as though all of them were accused. They are like the limbs of each other, if world brings harm to one of the limbs, the other limbs do not stay calm and indifferent. As one is to defend himself against accusations, one must defend his religious female and male brothers.

The use of the word /’anfus/, in such cases, also is seen in other verses of the holy Qur’an, including Sura Al-Hujurat No. 49, verse 12 which says: “... and find not fault with your own selves ...”. And that its emphasis is put on ‘ the believers, men and women’ shows that Faith is a quality that can prevent evil thinking and suspicions.

Up to now those believers were spiritually and morally reprimanded and rebuked, because on the whole it was not its time for the believers to be silent against that evil calumny or to be puppet of benighted rumourmongers.

Then, in this verse the subject is judicially paid attention, where it says:

“Why did they not bring four witnesses about it? But since they have not brought witnesses, they are liars before Allah.”

This reprimand shows that the commandment of producing four witnesses as well as ‘Qathf punishment’, if witnesses are not produced, had been revealed before the verses of ‘Ifck’.

But,why the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) did not proceed to carry out this prescribed punishment is clearly answered. If people do not cooperate, the execution of such an affair is not possible, because tribal bigoted relationships sometimes make negative resistances to be temporarily brought about against carrying out some judgments. This event, as the history indicates, happened in the same way.

Finally,all these reprimands are concluded in the next holy verse, when it says:

“And had it not been Allah's and grace His mercy on you in the world and the Hereafter, a grievous chastisement would certainly have touched you on account of the discourse which you entered into.”

With regard to the matter that the Qur’anic word /’afadtum/is derived from the word /’ifadah/, meaning pouring water out increasingly, and it is also sometimes used to mean sinking into water, it is understood froni this phrase that the rumour of such a calumny spread so much that it also enveloped all believers.

Commentary : Verse 15.16.17.18

  1. إِذْ تَلَقَّوْنَهُ بِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَتَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَاهِكُم مَا لَيْسَ لَكُم بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَتَحْسَبُونَهُ هَيّـِناً وَهُوَ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَظِيمٌ

  2. وَلَوْلآ إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ قُلْتُم مَّا يَكُونُ لَنَآ أَن نَّتَكَلَّمَ بِهَذَا سُبْحَانَكَ هَذَا بُهْتَانٌ عَظِيمٌ

  3. يَعِظُكُمُ اللَّهُ أَن تَعُودُوا لِمِثْلِهِ أَبَداً إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ

  4. وَيُبَيّـِنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمُ الاَيَاتِ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

  5. "When you received it with your tongues, and uttered with your mouths what you had no knowledge of, and you counted it a trifle; while in the sight of Allah it is very great."

  6. "And why did you not, when you heard it, say: 'It is not right of us to speak of this: glory be to You (O' Lord)! This is a great calumny'?"

  7. "Allah admonishes you that you should never repeat the like of it for ever, if you are (true) believers."

  8. "And Allah makes clear to you the signs: and Allah is knowing, Wise."

Commentary:

As a matter of fact this holy verse explains the previous discussion that how they were carelessly involved in this great sin. It implies that you may remember the time when you welcomed this great lie and you used to receive this rumour from the tongues of each other; and you used to utter something with your mouths that you had not any knowledge about it.

268 You considered it a tiny thing while it is very great with Allah. The verse says:

"When you received it with your tongues, and uttered with your mouths what you had no knowledge of, and you counted it a trifle; while in the sight of Allah it is very great."

Actually this verse refers to their 3 great sins that were related to the affair:

First, they embraced and admitted this rumour by taking it from the tongues of each other.

Second, they spread this rumour and recited it for others, while they were not certain of it.

Third, they regarded it as an easy trifle act. It was not only about the reputation and honour of two Muslims, but also it involved the reputation of the Islamic society (thinking too little of rumour and using it as an amusing tool).

It is interesting that in one place the phrase ("...with your tongues...") is used and in another place the phrase ("...with your mouths ...") is used. Although all words are uttered through tongue and mouth, the verse refers to the matter that neither their admission nor their distribution of this rumour was based on any reason. They only fell back on words that were nonsense, baseless and resulted from the movement of the tongue and the mouth.

Sines this event was a very important incident but a group of Muslims had considered it trifle, it is again in this verse emphasized, and they are once more faced with reprimand and their souls are scourged more firmly. It says:

" And why did you not, when you heard it, say: 'It is not right of us to speak of this: glory be to You (O' Lord)! This is a great calumny'?"

In fact they were rebuked, because they did not regard the accused ones with a good consideration, but here it is said that not only they must regard them good, but also they must not have expressed such a calumny, let alone they themselves proceed to spread it.

They must have got wondered at such a great calumny. They must have remembered the pureness of Allah and have sought refuge to Him for being not involved in spreading this rumour of calumny.

Nevertheless, they took it lightly by saying it is easy to do it, and they touched off it, and became the puppet of rumour-mongering and conspiring hypocrites.

We will, if Allah wills, discuss the importance of sinful rumour-mongering and its motivations and how to struggle against it. We will also mention in detail some points in the commentary of later verses.

Since in the next verse the story of ''Ifk' is mentioned and the gloomy agonizing consequences of rumour-mongering and slandering reputation of pure persons are brought up, the Qur'an says:

"Allah admonishes you that you should never repeat the like of it for ever, if you are (true) believers."

If an individual does not go after such great sins, it means this individual is faithful. As a matter of fact the above verse outlines one of the principles of repentance, because merely being regretful of the past is not enough, and decision for not repeating it in the future must be taken, too.

To give caution that these words are not some common or usual ones and it is Allah, the All-Knowing and Wise, Who has stated this to make some great facts clear. The next verse explains some crucial truths:

"And Allah makes clear to you the signs: and Allah is knowing, Wise."

Allah is aware of our needs, evil and good deeds as His knowledge demands and He modulates His commandments and ordinances to it as His Wisdom demands.

Some Points about Tongue:

Tongue is the only limb that, because of speaking, does not ache and get tired during man's lifetime. Its form and size is small, but its crime and sin is great. There are many faithless persons who become Muslim and pure by saying one sentence (testifying that Allah is One and Unique). And there are many Muslims who become faithless and impure by profaning Allah or denying religion ordinances. On one hand, tongue can bring peace and serenity by telling truth, repeating Allah's name, praying and advising others. On the other hand, it can cause annoyance and resentment by irritating and biting others. Tongue is the key of intellect, the light of knowledge, and the simplest and the cheapest means of transmission of all sciences and experiments. Masters of ethics have written many books and papers about tongue.

Some Traditions on Tongue Maladies

  1. The Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.) said: "The salvation of the believer lies in controlling his tongue."[^1]

  2. Imam Amir-ul-Mu'mineen Ali (a.s.) said: "One who does not keep his tongue does not protect his faith."[^2]

  3. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) said: "Do not you get satisfied and pleased that you perform ritual prayers, pay amis-tax, and keep your tongue and then enter Paradise."[^1]

  4. Ibn Abbas said: "The Messenger of Allah (p.b.uJi.) once said: 'May Allah bless one who keeps his tongue, knows circumstances of his era, and his way is a straight path'."[^2]

  5. Imam Ali (a.s.) said: "The slip of the tongue is more painful than the harm of spearhead."[^3]

  6. Imam Ali (a.s.) said: "The slip of the tongue is the severest perdition."[^4]

  7. The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: "The worst person is the one of whose tongue people are afraid."[^5]

  8. Imam Sadiq (a.s.) narrated from his great father, Imam Sajjad Ali-ibn-il-Hussayn (a.s.), who said that his father, Imam Ali (a.s.), retold that the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: "Tongue will be so chastised that no other limb will be punished (in that way). Then the tongue will say: 'Oh Allah, you have punished me in a way that none of other limbs has been chastised so.' Allah will say: 'You, tongue, have uttered words that have reached east and west and because of that many honorable bloods have been shed, people's properties are plundered, and people's reputation is marred. I swear by My Glory that I punish you in a way that I have not chastised other limbs'."[^6]

  9. Imam Ali (a.s.) said: "Hell-dwellers are inspire because of tongue, and the dead will merit and deserve light because of tongue. Then keep your tongue and make it busy with uttering Allah's name."[^1]

  10. Imam Ali (a.s.) said: "The tongue is a beast of prey. If you release it, it attacks and bites."[^2]

  11. Imam Ali (a.s.) said: "There are many persons whose tongue caused them annihilation."[^3]

  12. 'Abi Bakr said: "I heard the Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: 'Verily most of man's faults are caused by his tongue' ."[^4]

  13. The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: "Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand people are saved, and believer is the one to whom people can entrust their blood and properties."[^5]