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.”
يَعِظُكُمُ اللَّهُ أَن تَعودوا لِمِثلِهِ أَبَدًا إِن كُنتُم مُؤمِنينَ
God admonishes you never to return to such a thing, if you are believers.
وَيُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمُ الآياتِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَليمٌ حَكيمٌ
God clarifies the verses for you. God is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
إِنَّ الَّذينَ يُحِبّونَ أَن تَشيعَ الفاحِشَةُ فِي الَّذينَ آمَنوا لَهُم عَذابٌ أَليمٌ فِي الدُّنيا وَالآخِرَةِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ يَعلَمُ وَأَنتُم لا تَعلَمونَ
Those who love to see immorality among the believers will face severe punishment in this life and the Hereafter. God knows, and you don’t know.
وَلَولا فَضلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيكُم وَرَحمَتُهُ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ رَءوفٌ رَحيمٌ
God extends His grace and mercy upon you. God is Kind and Merciful.
يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنوا لا تَتَّبِعوا خُطُواتِ الشَّيطانِ ۚ وَمَن يَتَّبِع خُطُواتِ الشَّيطانِ فَإِنَّهُ يَأمُرُ بِالفَحشاءِ وَالمُنكَرِ ۚ وَلَولا فَضلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيكُم وَرَحمَتُهُ ما زَكىٰ مِنكُم مِن أَحَدٍ أَبَدًا وَلـٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُزَكّي مَن يَشاءُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَميعٌ عَليمٌ
O you who believe, don’t follow Satan’s footsteps. Whoever follows Satan’s footsteps—he orders immorality and what’s objectionable. If not for God’s grace and mercy upon you, none of you would ever be purified. But God purifies whom He wills. God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.