An-Nur 24:13
The Light · Juz 18 · Page 351
لَّوۡلَا جَآءُو عَلَيۡهِ بِأَرۡبَعَةِ شُهَدَآءَۚ فَإِذۡ لَمۡ يَأۡتُواْ بِٱلشُّهَدَآءِ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُمُ ٱلۡكَٰذِبُونَ ١٣
Why did they [who slandered] not produce for it four witnesses? And when they do not produce the witnesses, then it is they, in the sight of Allāh, who are the liars.
Tafsir · in Arabic
Al-Qurtubi
Detailed · Rulings, across the schools of law.
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Commentary on 24:13
[ ص: 187 ] التاسعة : قوله تعالى : لولا جاءوا عليه بأربعة شهداء هذا توبيخ لأهل الإفك . و لولا بمعنى هلا ؛ أي هلا جاءوا بأربعة شهداء على ما زعموا من الافتراء . وهذا رد على الحكم الأول وإحالة على الآية السابقة في آية القذف .العاشرة : قوله تعالى : فإذ لم يأتوا بالشهداء فأولئك عند الله هم الكاذبون أي هم في حكم الله كاذبون . وقد يعجز الرجل عن إقامة البينة وهو صادق في قذفه ، ولكنه في حكم الشرع وظاهر الأمر كاذب لا في علم الله تعالى ؛ وهو سبحانه إنما رتب الحدود على حكمه الذي شرعه في الدنيا لا على مقتضى علمه الذي تعلق بالإنسان على ما هو عليه ، فإنما يبنى على ذلك حكم الآخرة .قلت : ومما يقوي هذا المعنى ويعضده ما خرجه البخاري ، عن عمر بن الخطاب - رضي الله عنه - أنه قال : أيها الناس ، إن الوحي قد انقطع ، وإنما نأخذكم الآن بما ظهر لنا من أعمالكم ، فمن أظهر لنا خيرا أمناه وقربناه ؛ وليس لنا من سريرته شيء ، الله يحاسبه في سريرته ، ومن أظهر لنا سوءا لم نؤمنه ولم نصدقه ، وإن قال إن سريرته حسنة . وأجمع العلماء أن أحكام الدنيا على الظاهر ، وأن السرائر إلى الله - عز وجل - .
Page 351
24:11
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ جَآءُو بِٱلۡإِفۡكِ عُصۡبَةٞ مِّنكُمۡۚ لَا تَحۡسَبُوهُ شَرّٗا لَّكُمۖ بَلۡ هُوَ خَيۡرٞ لَّكُمۡۚ لِكُلِّ ٱمۡرِيٕٖ مِّنۡهُم مَّا ٱكۡتَسَبَ مِنَ ٱلۡإِثۡمِۚ وَٱلَّذِي تَوَلَّىٰ كِبۡرَهُۥ مِنۡهُمۡ لَهُۥ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٞ ١١
Indeed, those who came with falsehood1 are a group among you. Do not think it bad for you; rather, it is good for you. For every person among them is what [punishment] he has earned from the sin, and he who took upon himself the greater portion thereof2 - for him is a great punishment [i.e., Hellfire].
24:12
لَّوۡلَآ إِذۡ سَمِعۡتُمُوهُ ظَنَّ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَٰتُ بِأَنفُسِهِمۡ خَيۡرٗا وَقَالُواْ هَٰذَآ إِفۡكٞ مُّبِينٞ ١٢
Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think good of themselves [i.e., one another] and say, "This is an obvious falsehood"?
24:13
لَّوۡلَا جَآءُو عَلَيۡهِ بِأَرۡبَعَةِ شُهَدَآءَۚ فَإِذۡ لَمۡ يَأۡتُواْ بِٱلشُّهَدَآءِ فَأُوْلَٰٓئِكَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُمُ ٱلۡكَٰذِبُونَ ١٣
Why did they [who slandered] not produce for it four witnesses? And when they do not produce the witnesses, then it is they, in the sight of Allāh, who are the liars.
24:14
وَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَتُهُۥ فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُمۡ فِي مَآ أَفَضۡتُمۡ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ١٤
And if it had not been for the favor of Allāh upon you and His mercy in this world and the Hereafter, you would have been touched for that [lie] in which you were involved by a great punishment
24:15
إِذۡ تَلَقَّوۡنَهُۥ بِأَلۡسِنَتِكُمۡ وَتَقُولُونَ بِأَفۡوَاهِكُم مَّا لَيۡسَ لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلۡمٞ وَتَحۡسَبُونَهُۥ هَيِّنٗا وَهُوَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ عَظِيمٞ ١٥
When you received it with your tongues1 and said with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge and thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of Allāh, tremendous.
1 translator’s note
- Rather than your ears, i.e., not thinking about what you had heard but hastening to repeat it carelessly. ↩
24:16
وَلَوۡلَآ إِذۡ سَمِعۡتُمُوهُ قُلۡتُم مَّا يَكُونُ لَنَآ أَن نَّتَكَلَّمَ بِهَٰذَا سُبۡحَٰنَكَ هَٰذَا بُهۡتَٰنٌ عَظِيمٞ ١٦
And why, when you heard it, did you not say, "It is not for us to speak of this. Exalted are You, [O Allāh]; this is a great slander"?
24:17
يَعِظُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَن تَعُودُواْ لِمِثۡلِهِۦٓ أَبَدًا إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِينَ ١٧
Allāh warns you against returning to the likes of this [conduct], ever, if you should be believers.
24:18
وَيُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ ١٨
And Allāh makes clear to you the verses [i.e., His rulings], and Allāh is Knowing and Wise.
24:19
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَن تَشِيعَ ٱلۡفَٰحِشَةُ فِي ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٞ فِي ٱلدُّنۡيَا وَٱلۡأٓخِرَةِۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعۡلَمُ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ ١٩
Indeed, those who like that immorality1 should be spread [or publicized] among those who have believed will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And Allāh knows2 and you do not know.
24:20
وَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيۡكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَتُهُۥ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَءُوفٞ رَّحِيمٞ ٢٠
And if it had not been for the favor of Allāh upon you and His mercy...1 and because Allāh is Kind and Merciful.
1 translator’s note
- See footnote to verse 10. ↩