وَالَّذينَ يَرمونَ أَزواجَهُم وَلَم يَكُن لَهُم شُهَداءُ إِلّا أَنفُسُهُم فَشَهادَةُ أَحَدِهِم أَربَعُ شَهاداتٍ بِاللَّهِ ۙ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الصّادِقينَ
If a man accuses his wife, but has no witnesses except himself, he must swear by God four times that he is truthful.
وَالخامِسَةُ أَنَّ لَعنَتَ اللَّهِ عَلَيهِ إِن كانَ مِنَ الكاذِبينَ
On the fifth instance, he must invoke God’s curse upon himself if he’s lying.
وَيَدرَأُ عَنهَا العَذابَ أَن تَشهَدَ أَربَعَ شَهاداتٍ بِاللَّهِ ۙ إِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الكاذِبينَ
Her punishment will be averted if she swears four times by God that he’s lying.
وَالخامِسَةَ أَنَّ غَضَبَ اللَّهِ عَلَيها إِن كانَ مِنَ الصّادِقينَ
On the fifth occasion, she must invoke God’s wrath upon herself, if he is truthful.
وَلَولا فَضلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيكُم وَرَحمَتُهُ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ تَوّابٌ حَكيمٌ
But for God’s grace and mercy upon you, and that God is Accepting of Repentance, Wise.
إِنَّ الَّذينَ جاءوا بِالإِفكِ عُصبَةٌ مِنكُم ۚ لا تَحسَبوهُ شَرًّا لَكُم ۖ بَل هُوَ خَيرٌ لَكُم ۚ لِكُلِّ امرِئٍ مِنهُم مَا اكتَسَبَ مِنَ الإِثمِ ۚ وَالَّذي تَوَلّىٰ كِبرَهُ مِنهُم لَهُ عَذابٌ عَظيمٌ
Those who initiated the slander are a group among you. Don’t consider it harmful for you; it is beneficial for you. Each person involved will bear a portion of the sin, but the one who played the major role will face harsh punishment.
لَولا إِذ سَمِعتُموهُ ظَنَّ المُؤمِنونَ وَالمُؤمِناتُ بِأَنفُسِهِم خَيرًا وَقالوا هـٰذا إِفكٌ مُبينٌ
When you heard it, the believing men and women should’ve thought positively of one another and said, “This is obviously a lie.”
لَولا جاءوا عَلَيهِ بِأَربَعَةِ شُهَداءَ ۚ فَإِذ لَم يَأتوا بِالشُّهَداءِ فَأُولـٰئِكَ عِندَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الكاذِبونَ
Why didn’t they produce four witnesses for it? If they don’t produce the witnesses, then in the sight of God, they are the liars.
وَلَولا فَضلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيكُم وَرَحمَتُهُ فِي الدُّنيا وَالآخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُم في ما أَفَضتُم فيهِ عَذابٌ عَظيمٌ
Were it not for God’s grace and mercy upon you, in this world and the Hereafter, a tremendous punishment would’ve befallen you for what you engaged in.
إِذ تَلَقَّونَهُ بِأَلسِنَتِكُم وَتَقولونَ بِأَفواهِكُم ما لَيسَ لَكُم بِهِ عِلمٌ وَتَحسَبونَهُ هَيِّنًا وَهُوَ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَظيمٌ
You propagated it with your tongues and spoke with your mouths what you had no knowledge of, considering it trivial, while it was, in the sight of God, significant.
وَلَولا إِذ سَمِعتُموهُ قُلتُم ما يَكونُ لَنا أَن نَتَكَلَّمَ بِهـٰذا سُبحانَكَ هـٰذا بُهتانٌ عَظيمٌ
Upon hearing it, you should’ve said, “It is not for us to speak of this. Glory be to You, this is a serious slander.”