Verses 11–26
Key Debate: The Slander (al-Ifk) →
These verses refer to the famous story of ifk (slander, lie). According to Sunni narrations, the accused person in this story was ʿĀʾishah, the Mother of Believers (Umm al-Muʾminīn). According to Shia narrations, it was Māriyah al-Qibṭiyyah (the Coptic), who was a female slave sent as a gift to the Prophet by the ruler of Egypt, titled Muqawqis. She was the mother of Ibrāhīm [son of the Prophet]. Both accounts suffer from certain problems that we shall discuss in our examination of narrations below.
That is why it is best to only discuss the text of the verses, irrespective of both accounts. What is certain is that the story of slander mentioned in these verses pertains to some member of the Prophet’s household: either his wife, or his [bondwoman who was his] son’s mother. This can possibly be inferred from the verse: you deemed it an easy matter while with Allah it was grievous (). It can also be inferred from the verses that this slander spread among the Muslims and they plunged into it, and also from other allusions in the verses.
What we understand from these verses is that a member of the Prophet’s household was accused of indecency [that is, adultery] by a group of Muslims. Then the story spread among the people, one passing it to another. Some of the hypocrites or “those who have sickness in their hearts” [that is, weak believers] endorsed the spread of the story, loving indecency to disperse among the believers. Thus, God revealed these verses and vindicated His Prophet.
Commentary
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ جاؤُ بِالْإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌ مِنْكُمْ لا تَحْسَبُوهُ شَرًّا لَكُمْ بَلْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَكُمْ لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِنْهُمْ مَا اكْتَسَبَ مِنَ الْإِثْمِ وَ الَّذِي تَوَلَّى كِبْرَهُ مِنْهُمْ لَهُ عَذابٌ عَظِيمٌ ١١
(24:11) Surely they who concocted the slander (bil-ifk) are a band (ʿuṣbah) from among you. Do not regard it an evil to you; nay, it is good for you. Every man of them shall have what he has earned of sin; and [as for] him who took upon himself the main part thereof, he shall have a grievous chastisement.
According to al-Rāghib, the word ifk means “lie” (kidhb, kadhib) in its absolute sense [that is, without any condition or qualification]. Its root meaning is: anything that has been turned away from its original form, such as a belief that is averted from right to wrong, an act that is diverted from virtue to vice, or a speech that is turned from truth to lie. Ifk has been used in God’s Book in all of these meanings. Al-Rāghib also says that ʿuṣbah means “a group of individuals that are united and support each other.” It has also been said that it means “a group of ten to forty people.”
The second person pronouns (that is, “you”), in this verse and the following verses, are addressed to all believers in the general sense, including the believers, the hypocrites, and those who have sickness in their hearts. Some exegetes have said that the first four pronouns—or the second, third and fourth ones—in the verses are directed at the Prophet, the accused lady, and the accused man. However, this would cause a disconnection in the addresses of the verses in the chapter after the first ten verses, while up to more than twenty verses, most of the addresses are undoubtedly directed at the believers in general.
Some exegetes have said that the abovementioned three or four pronouns are addressed to the believers who were disturbed and annoyed by the story. This is even less logical than the previous claim, because not only does it cause disharmony among the verses, but it is also unwarranted [given the wording of the verses].
The article al- (lit. “the”) in al-ifk is a definite article. The meaning is: “Those who came up with this lie are a party of certain individuals among you who are connected to one another.” This verse alludes to a conspiracy and agreement by the liars to spread this story in order to tarnish the purity of the Prophet’s household and discredit him among the people. Therefore, the main point of the predicate—“are a band from among you”—is that they are a “band” (ʿuṣbah, meaning a united and connected group) not that they are “from among you.” Some exegetes have taken the emphasis to be on “from among you,” thus concluding that this statement is meant to comfort the Prophet and those who were upset by the slander. However, this does not comply with the theme of the verses.
… Do not regard it an evil to you; nay, it is good for you…: This sentence is addressed to the community of believers. The event was not evil for them but it was good for them, in the sense that in a righteous society it is necessary to identify and distinguish those who pursue deviation and cause mischief. This way the society can be aware of them and take the necessary measures to correct its members. This is especially applicable to the society that is connected to the source of revelation, where revelation is sent down upon the occurrence of such events in order to admonish them and remind them of what they have neglected and taken lightly. This would make them more cautious in their religion and more heedful of what concerns them.
What we said above is confirmed by what God says next in the verse: Every man of them shall have what he has earned of sin (al-ithm). Ithm means “the evil trace and consequence that remains with a person after committing sin.” Therefore, the apparent meaning of this sentence is: Those who came up with the slander can now be known and identified among you by the sign of their sin. As a result, they will be discredited in return for their intention to discredit the Prophet.
Some exegetes have said that the verse means: “It is good for them, in the sense that they will be rewarded for the false accusation that was made against them, just as the slanderers will bear the evil consequences of their sin.” This interpretation is based on the verse being addressed to the victims of the slander only, which is not a plausible view as we established earlier.
… and (as for) him who took upon himself the main part thereof (kibrahu), he shall have a grievous chastisement: The pronoun in kibrahu (translated as “thereof”) refers to al-ifk (the slander). Thus kibrahu has been interpreted as the main part or the greater share of the slander. The meaning is: Out of these slanderers, the person who carried out the main part of the slander and insisted in spreading it among the people shall have a grievous punishment.
لَوْ لا إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ ظَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَ الْمُؤْمِناتُ بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ خَيْراً وَ قالُوا هذا إِفْكٌ مُبِينٌ١٢
(24:12) Why did not the believing men and the believing women, when you heard it, think well of their own people, and say: This is an evident falsehood?
This verse rebukes those who did not dismiss the story when they heard it, and who did not have good thoughts the accused believers.
Why did not the believing men and the believing women … think well of their own people: What is meant here is: “Why did you not think well of yourselves?” However, instead of using a pronoun (yourselves or themselves) the verse uses its corresponding noun (their own people). The reason for this substitution is to indicate the reason for what is said in the verse: The quality of being a believer should naturally prevent one from evil and indecency in both speech and action. Hence, one who dons the garment of faith should have good conjecture about others who are wearing the same garment. He should refrain from speaking of them without knowledge, because they are all like a single soul, in the sense that they are all covered by the garment of faith with its consequences and implications.
The meaning is: When you heard the slander, why did you not think well of the slandered individuals? After all, you are all believers, you belong to the same group, and the accused person is one of yourselves. It is upon a believer to think well of another believer and to not describe him by what he does not know.
… and say: This is an evident falsehood?: The believing men and women should have said: “This is a clear lie.” When one hears some news about which one has no knowledge, and when one makes a claim without supporting it by evidence, that news or claim is legally ruled as a lie—regardless of whether it is true or false in the fact of matter. The proof for this is what God says in the next verse: But as they have not brought witnesses they are liars before Allah (). The believing men and women are the target audience in this verse. Thus, what is meant is “You should have said: This is a clear lie…”
لَوْ لا جَاءُو عَلَيْهِ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَداءَ فَإِذْ لَمْ يَأْتُوا بِالشُّهَداءِ فَأُولئِكَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْكاذِبُونَ ١٣
(24:13) Why did they not bring four witnesses of it? But as they have not brought witnesses they are liars before Allah.
If they were truthful in their claim and accusation, then they should have brought evidence for it, which, in the case of adultery, is four witnesses. Since they have not brought the witnesses, they are ruled as liars in the shariah, because a claim without evidence is ruled as false.
وَ لَوْ لا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ رَحْمَتُهُ فِي الدُّنْيا وَ الْآخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُمْ فِيما أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ عَذابٌ عَظِيمٌ ١٤
(24:14) And were it not for Allah’s grace upon you and His mercy in this world and the hereafter, a grievous chastisement would certainly have touched you on account of the discourse which you entered into (afaḍtum fīhi, from ifāḍah).
Ifāḍah in speech means “plunging and immersing into it.”
And were it not for Allah’s grace…: The conjunction “and” links this verse to “Why … when you heard it…” (). Therefore, this verse is another rebuke against the believers. Qualifying God’s grace and mercy by “this world and the hereafter” shows that the chastisement mentioned in this verse includes chastisement in both this world and the hereafter.
The meaning is: If it were not for God’s grace and mercy upon you in this world and the hereafter, then a grievous punishment would have afflicted you in this world and the hereafter because of the slander that you plunged into.
إِذْ تَلَقَّوْنَهُ بِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَ تَقُولُونَ بِأَفْواهِكُمْ ما لَيْسَ لَكُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَ تَحْسَبُونَهُ هَيِّناً وَ هُوَ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ عَظِيمٌ ١٥
(24:15) When you received it (talaqqawnahu, from talaqqī) with your tongues and spoke with your mouths what you had no knowledge of, and you deemed it an easy matter while with Allah it was grievous.
“When” refers to the time of the event mentioned in the last verse: you entered into… (). Talaqqī of speech means “receiving it from someone else.”
… with your tongues…: This qualification shows that it was a mere transmission of the news from one tongue to another, without investigation or contemplation. Therefore, the next sentence—“and spoke with your mouths what you had no knowledge of”—is added as an interpretation and elaboration of this idea.
… with your mouths…: This qualification again refers to the fact that their speech was without the heart’s investigation and assurance. It had no place except in the mouths, without going any deeper.
The meaning is: You plunged and immersed into this [slander] when you received it, and passed the news from one tongue to another, speaking of what you had no knowledge of.
… and you deemed it an easy matter while with Allah it was grievous: You thought that receiving this news by your tongues and speaking about it with your mouths knowing about it is a simple matter. However, this is a grievous thing to God because it is a false allegation and slander. Moreover, since this slander is related to the Prophet, spreading it among the people would discredit him in their eyes and impair his religious call.
وَ لَوْ لا إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ قُلْتُمْ ما يَكُونُ لَنا أَنْ نَتَكَلَّمَ بِهذا سُبْحانَكَ هذا بُهْتانٌ عَظِيمٌ١٦
(24:16) And why did you not, when you heard it, say: It is not for us to say such a thing; glory be to Thee! This is a great calumny (buhtān)?
The conjunction “and” links this verse to “Why…when you heard it…” (), which is a second conjunction [in addition to verse ], implying yet another rebuke for the believers.
… glory be to Thee…: This is a glorification of God as an aside. It is the Qur’an’s custom that whenever anyone is declared to be innocent and clear of charge, it also glorifies God [meaning His clearness from flaws and defects]. Buhtān means iftirāʾ (false accusation, slander). It is called buhtān (lit. “perplexity, confusion, astonishment”) because it stuns and confounds (yabhatu) the person who is accused. The accusation was a “great” perplexity because: (1) it was a matter of dignity and reputation, especially pertaining to the Prophet; and (2) it was a statement made without any knowledge or evidence, as He says: But as they have not brought witnesses they are liars before Allah (). The rest of the meaning is clear.
يَعِظُكُمُ اللَّهُ أَنْ تَعُودُوا لِمِثْلِهِ أَبَداً إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ ١٧ وَ يُبَيِّنُ اللَّهُ لَكُمُ الْآياتِ وَ اللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ ١٨
(24:17-18) Allah admonishes you that you should not return to the like of it ever again if you are believers. And Allah makes clear to you the communications; and Allah is Knowing, Wise.
Here God admonishes the believers by forbidding them from committing the same sin again. The meaning of the two verses is clear.
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَنْ تَشِيعَ الْفاحِشَةُ فِي الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَهُمْ عَذابٌ أَلِيمٌ فِي الدُّنْيا وَ الْآخِرَةِ وَ اللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَ أَنْتُمْ لا تَعْلَمُونَ ١٩
(24:19) Surely (as for) those who love that indecency (al-fāḥishah) should circulate respecting those who believe, they shall have a grievous chastisement in this world and the hereafter; and Allah knows, while you do not know.
Apparently this verse was revealed with the previous verses and relates to the story of slander and accusing others of adultery without evidence. Therefore, the significance of the word fāḥishah (lit. “indecency”) is justification. It means that those who accuse others of adultery are threatened by punishment because adultery is indecency. Since adultery is indecency, the love to have its news disseminate among the believers is love for the circulation of indecency. The verse would then be a threat and warning against the accusers who plunged into the slander.
Al-fāḥishah here is any indecency in its absolute sense [indicated by the article al-], including adultery (zinā), slanderous accusation of adultery (qaḍf), and so on. Then, loving the circulation of al-fāḥishah would include loving the circulation slanderous reports among the believers, and this necessitates grievous punishment in this world and the hereafter.
Based on the above, there is no reason for interpreting “chastisement in this world” as the legal penalty (ḥadd) [of eighty lashes for accusation without four witnesses], because loving the spread of indecency [in its general sense] does not necessitate such penalty. Interpreting “chastisement in this world” as the legal penalty is based on restricting the unconditional wording of the verse in two ways, by saying:
(1) The article al- in al-fāḥishah is a definite article, where al-fāḥishah specifically means slanderous accusation.
(2) “Loving the circulation of indecency” refers specifically to the story of dissemination and the act of receiving and passing the slander by the tongue.
However, these interpretations and qualifications are against the tone and context of the verse. Moreover, an accusation would qualify the accuser for the legal penalty as soon as it occurs, without being conditional on its circulation and dissemination. Hence, if “chastisement in this world” meant the legal penalty, then there would be no reason for adding this qualification [of circulation and dissemination] in the verse.
… and Allah knows, while you do not know: This is a further emphasis and exaggeration of God’s wrath and dissatisfaction that is involved in this act, although the people are unaware of it.
وَ لَوْ لا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ رَحْمَتُهُ وَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ رَؤُفٌ رَحِيمٌ ٢٠
(24:20) And were it not for Allah’s grace on you and His mercy, and that Allah is Gentle, Compassionate.
This is a repetition of God’s favor [upon the believers].The meaning is clear.
يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لا تَتَّبِعُوا خُطُواتِ الشَّيْطانِ وَ مَنْ يَتَّبِعْ خُطُواتِ الشَّيْطانِ فَإِنَّهُ يَأْمُرُ بِالْفَحْشاءِ وَ الْمُنْكَرِ وَ لَوْ لا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَ رَحْمَتُهُ ما زَكى مِنْكُمْ مِنْ أَحَدٍ أَبَداً وَ لكِنَّ اللَّهَ يُزَكِّي مَنْ يَشاءُ وَ اللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ٢١
(24:21) O you who believe! Do not follow the footsteps of the Satan, and whoever follows the footsteps of the Satan, then surely he bids the doing of indecency and evil; and were it not for Allah’s grace upon you and His mercy, not one of you would have ever been pure, but Allah purifies whom He will; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing.
The first part of this verse [up to “he bids the doing of indecency and evil”] was discussed under verse .
… and were it not for Allah’s grace upon you and His mercy, not one of you would have ever been pure, but Allah purifies whom He will; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing: This is yet a third reference to God’s grace and mercy as a favor [upon the believers]. It confirms that the slander was related to the Prophet, because such emphasis and repetition can only be explained due to his honor and significance before God.
The phrase “were it not” indicates a conditional sentence, just like its previous usages in the chapter. However, in this third instance of its usage, the Qur’an explicitly states the complement and apodosis: not one of you would have ever been pure. This is a rule of reason, because the only source of good and success is God. It is also part of the Qur’an’s teachings, as God says: In Thine hand is the good (), and: Whatever good comes to you (O man!), it is from Allah ().
… but Allah purifies whom He will; and Allah is Hearing, Knowing: This is an affirmative sentence that complements the negation in the previous sentence and builds on it. God is the One Who purifies anyone whom He wills. This matter is up to His will, and He wills purification only for those who prepare for it. Their preparation for purification is tantamount to requesting it from God through language capacity and disposition (lisān al-istiʿdād). That is why the verse says, “and Allah is Hearing, Knowing,” meaning that He hears the call of whoever asks Him for purification, and knows the state of whoever is prepared for it.
وَ لا يَأْتَلِ أُولُوا الْفَضْلِ مِنْكُمْ وَ السَّعَةِ أَنْ يُؤْتُوا أُولِي الْقُرْبى وَ الْمَساكِينَ وَ الْمُهاجِرِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَ لْيَعْفُوا وَ لْيَصْفَحُوا أَ لا تُحِبُّونَ أَنْ يَغْفِرَ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ وَ اللَّهُ غَفُورٌ رَحِيمٌ ٢٢
(24:22) And let not those of you who possess grace and abundance swear (yaʾtali, from ītilāʾ) against giving to the near of kin and the poor and those who have fled in Allah’s way, and they should pardon and overlook. Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
There are three meanings for the word ītilāʾ: (1) taqṣīr (to shorten, to fail, to default); (2) tark (to abandon, to stop); (3) ḥalf (to swear, to pledge, to vow). All of these meanings can suit the verse.
The three corresponding meanings would be: (1) Those of you who possess grace and abundance—that is, the rich—should not fail to give of their money to the near of kin, the poor and those who have migrated in God’s way. (2) They should not stop giving them. (3) They should not swear to not give them [any more].
Then the verse continues: they should pardon and overlook. That is, the rich should rather pardon the poor and their relatives, and should overlook their faults. Then they are urged and encouraged to do so, by God saying: Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
Assuming that this verse was revealed with the previous set of verses and is connected to them, it suggests that some believers had decided to stop their charity to some of the individuals involved in the scandal. God forbids them from doing so and encourages them to continue giving, as we shall see below [in the narrations].
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَرْمُونَ الْمُحْصَناتِ الْغافِلاتِ الْمُؤْمِناتِ لُعِنُوا فِي الدُّنْيا وَ الْآخِرَةِ وَ لَهُمْ عَذابٌ عَظِيمٌ ٢٣
(24:23) Surely those who accuse chaste (al-muḥṣanāt, from iḥṣān) believing women, unaware (of the evil), are cursed in this world and the hereafter, and they shall have a grievous chastisement. (24:23)
Iḥṣān here refers to ʿiffah (chastity, temperance, self-restraint). The three qualities mentioned here—chastity, belief and unawareness—all serve to show the immensity of the sin. Each of these three qualities is sufficient to make such an accusation wrong, the accuser a wrongdoer, and the accused person wronged. Now, if the three qualities are combined in the person, the wrong will be greater and greater, deserving a curse and grievous punishment in this world and the hereafter. The verse has a general meaning, although its context of revelation was the story of slander in particular.
يَوْمَ تَشْهَدُ عَلَيْهِمْ أَلْسِنَتُهُمْ وَ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَ أَرْجُلُهُمْ بِما كانُوا يَعْمَلُونَ ٢٤
(24:24) On the day when their tongues and their hands and their feet shall bear witness against them as to what they did.
“The day” in this verse describes the time of the event mentioned in the last verse: they shall have a grievous chastisement ().
… as to what they did: The unconditional form of this expression suggests that it pertains to all evil deeds, as the exegetes have said, not just the act of accusation discussed previously. Their tongues, hands and feet will testify to their evil deeds and accusations. The witness of each organ will be to the sin and evil that relates to that organ. For example, the tongue will testify to acts like slander, lying and backbiting, while the other limbs and organs will testify to acts like theft or walking between individuals to transmit the gossip and slander. Besides verbal sins by the tongue, the verse specifically names the hands and the feet because most physical sins are done by these limbs.
The notion that the witness to every act will be the organ that committed can be found in these verses: Their ears and their eyes and their skins shall bear witness against them as to what they did (); Surely the hearing and the sight and the heart, all of these, shall be questioned about that (); On that day We will set a seal upon their mouths, and their hands shall speak to Us, and their feet shall bear witness of what they earned (). We shall have a separate discussion—by the will of God—about the testimony of the organs on the Day of Resurrection in our exposition of Chapter 41 [under verses ].
يَوْمَئِذٍ يُوَفِّيهِمُ اللَّهُ دِينَهُمُ الْحَقَّ وَ يَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ هُوَ الْحَقُّ الْمُبِينُ ٢٥
(24:25) On that day Allah will pay back to them in full (yuwaffīhim, from tawfiyah) their just reward (dīnahum al-ḥaqq), and they shall know that Allah is the evident Truth.
Dīn here means jazāʾ (retribution, reward, recompense), as in the verse: Master of the Day of Retribution (). Tawfiyah is “to give or pay something in full.” The meaning is: On the Day of Resurrection God will give them their just and due reward in full, and they will know that God is the evident Truth.
The above interpretation is based on this verse’s connection to the previous verses, taking the theme and context of the verses into account. However, if we look at the verse independently, then dīn can be interpreted as synonymous with one’s “path, approach and way of life” [that is, “religion” in its general sense]. This would produce a sublime meaning, referring to the appearance of realities on the Day of Resurrection for humans. This meaning is more consonant with the subsequent part of the verse: and they shall know that Allah is the evident Truth ().
This is one of the most brilliant and cardinal verses of the Qur’an that explains what it means to know God (maʿrifat Allāh). The expression “they shall know that Allah is the evident Truth” tells us that God is the Truth—without any cover in any way whatsoever. He is the most evident of all evident realities, and thus He cannot be subject to ignorance (jahl). However, He may become subject to heedlessness (ghaflah) by His creation despite His ultimate brightness as the ultimate Truth. Hence, what is meant by “knowing God” is in fact “not being heedless of Him.” This lifting of heedlessness is sometimes equated with knowledge. This is what shall become clear to the people on the Day of Resurrection: they shall know that Allah is the evident Truth.
A similar idea is found in the verse: Certainly you were heedless of it, but now We have removed from you your veil, so your sight today is sharp ().
الْخَبِيثاتُ لِلْخَبِيثِينَ وَ الْخَبِيثُونَ لِلْخَبِيثاتِ وَ الطَّيِّباتُ لِلطَّيِّبِينَ وَ الطَّيِّبُونَ لِلطَّيِّباتِ أُولئِكَ مُبَرَّؤُنَ مِمَّا يَقُولُونَ لَهُمْ مَغْفِرَةٌ وَ رِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ ٢٦
(24:26) Vile women (al-khabīthāt) are for vile men (lil-khabīthīn) and vile men are for vile women. Good women (al-ṭayyibāt) are for good men (lil-ṭayyibīn) and good men are for good women—they are clear of what they (the people) say (about them). For them is forgiveness and a noble provision.
The subsequent part of the verse—“they are clear of what they (the people) say (about them)…”—shows that the words al-khabīthāt, al-khabīthīn, al-ṭayyibāt and al-ṭayyibīn refer to women and men who are characterized by vileness or goodness. This verse concludes the story of slander and shares the same context. At the same time, the content of the verse itself is certainly universal [that is, it is not limited to this particular context and story].
Based on the previous verses, what determines “goodness” in this verse is belief and chastity. Chaste believers, both men and women, are good human beings who belong to one another, and because of their belief and chastity, they are legally exempt of accusation without evidence. Their belief also makes them qualified for forgiveness, as He says: And believe in Him, He will forgive you of your faults (). Similarly, they have a noble provision, which is a good life in this world and good reward in the hereafter, as He says: Whoever does good whether male or female and is a believer, We will most certainly make them live a happy life, and We will most certainly give them their reward for the best of what they did ().
“Vile men” and “vile women” in the verse refer to unbelievers. Their vileness (khubth) is their state of inner impurity that has caused them to lack of faith. The vile men and women are assigned to one another because of their similarity. Such are not free of indecency—although the verse does not affirm their indecency.
Based on the above discussion we can conclude:
This verse [] is universal in terms of its content. It describes all believing men and women by goodness, even though the verse was revealed in specific circumstance as one of its applications.
The verse shows that all believers are legally considered clear of accusations against them as long as there is no evidence for it.
They are qualified for forgiveness and noble provision.
These blessings are all according to their outward and apparent status; they are honored by God because of their faith, while the disbelievers are the opposite.
Examining Narrations
- ʿĀʾishah said: Whenever the Messenger of God wanted to leave on a journey he would make a draw among his wives, and whoever’s name came out, the Messenger of God would take her with himself. During one of his battles he made a draw among us and my name came out. Therefore, I went with the Messenger of God, and this was after the revelation of hijab. I remained in my howdah (camel-litter) whether we were traveling or resting. Thus we went until the Messenger of God finished his battle and started returning.
We came back until we were close to Medina. One night when the call of departure was made, I went outside the army to relieve myself. When I was done and was heading back to my camel, I suddenly realized that my Yemeni [Sardonyx] necklace was broken. I started groping for it, and in the meanwhile, the group that I was traveling with took up my howdah, placed it on my camel and departed, assuming that I was in it. Women at that time were skinny and did not have much meat because they used to eat only bare necessity. That is why they did not notice the lightness of my howdah when they lifted it. Not to mention that I was a young girl at that time. Thus, they made the camel stand up, and departed. I found my necklace after the army had left. When I went back to where they were, I found no one to call or be called. I tarried in the spot that I had been for a while, thinking that they will soon realize my absence and come back after me. As I was sitting there, my eyes became heavy and I fell asleep.
Ṣafwān b. al-Muʿaṭṭal al-Sulamī, alias al-Dhakwānī, was following the army from behind and traveling during the night. He got to where I was in the morning, and noticed the shadow of someone sleeping there. He came to me and recognized me—because he had seen me before the revelation of hijab. I woke up as he uttered the formula of istirjāʿ [that is, “Surely we are Allah’s and to Him we shall surely return” ()] upon recognizing me. I immediately covered my face with my veil, and by God I did not speak a word to him nor heard anything from him except that formula of istirjāʿ. He made his camel sit down on its hands so that I could mount on it. He then led the camel until we reached the army in their next stop when it was hot in midday. That is what caused those who perished to perish.
The person who led the slander was ʿAbd-Allāh b. Ubayy b. Salūl. When we arrived in Medina I fell ill for a month. The people were plunging in the rumors of the slanderers while I was completely unaware of it. The Messenger of God used to take care of me during my illnesses, but this time I did not receive the same compassion that I used to receive from him before. He would only come, say salaam, ask “How are you doing?” and then leave. That was the only thing that made me suspect something was wrong, but I had no idea of the evil that had occurred. This continued until I started recovering. One night I went out with Umm Misṭaḥ to al-Manāṣiʿ. That was our toilet area, and we [women] used to go there only at nights. That was before the building of toilets near our houses, when we still had the custom of early Arabs with regards to relieving ourselves in remote pits; we were reluctant to build toilets near our homes.
So I and Umm Misṭaḥ went out, and then we headed back toward my home [after finishing our need]. As we had lifted up our clothes, Umm Misṭaḥ tripped over her clothes, but then she cried, “Damn Misṭaḥ!” I told her, “Do you curse a man who fought in [the Battle of] Badr?” She replied, “Yes, my lady! Have you not heard what he has said?” “What?” I inquired. Then she told me about the rumors of the slanderers, which only added to my illness.
Back home, the next time that the Messenger of God came, said salaam, and asked me “How are you doing?” I said, “Would you give me permission to visit my parents?” I wanted to ask them to make sure about the news. The Messenger of God gave me permission. So I went to my parents and asked my mother, “Mom! What is it that the people are saying?” She said, “Take it easy, my dear daughter. By God when a woman is beautiful, is loved by her husband who has fellow wives, it rarely ever happens that they do not concoct stories about her.” I said, “Glory be to God! Have the people really said this?”
I cried that night until the morning. My tears did not stop running, and the kohl of sleep did not enter my eyes until it was the morning and I was still weeping.
Then as revelation was withheld from the Messenger of God, he called ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib and Usāmah b. Zayd to give him advice about separating from his wife. Since Usāmah knew the innocence of the Prophet’s household and found their love in his heart, he advised the Messenger of God as follows: “O Messenger of God, keep your wife! We do not know of her except good.” However, ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib said, “O Messenger of God, God has not restricted you [with regards to marriage], and there are many women other than her. If you ask her slave girl, she will give you confirmation.” So the Messenger of God summoned Burayrah and asked her, “O Burayrah, have you seen anything suspicious?” Burayrah said, “No, by the One Who has sent you with truth. I have not seen anything that would discredit her except that she is a young girl who sometimes falls asleep when kneading dough for her family, such that domestic animals come and eat it.”
Then the Messenger of God climbed the pulpit and asked people to excuse him concerning ʿAbd-Allāh b. Ubayy b. Salūl. He said, “O community of Muslims! Who would excuse me concerning a man who has bothered me through my household? By God I do not know about my household except good. And the man that they have identified [as the perpetrator of indecency; that is, Ṣafwān] is one about whom I do not know anything but good. He has never entered my house except with me.”
Saʿd b. Muʿādh [of Aws tribe] stood up and said, “O Messenger of God, you have every excuse with me! If this man is from Aws, I will behead him. And if he is one of our Khazrajī brothers, we will do whatever you command us.” Then Saʿd b. ʿUbādah [of Khazraj tribe] stood up. He was a righteous man, but he was overtaken by bigotry, so he said to Saʿd [ibn Muʿādh], “You are lying! By God you will not kill him and cannot kill him!” Then Usayd b. Ḥuḍayr—who was a cousin of Saʿd [ibn Muʿādh]—stood up and said to Saʿd b. ʿUbādah, “You are lying, for indeed we shall kill him, but you are a hypocrite and defend the hypocrites.” Thus the two tribes of Aws and Khazraj were aroused and excited, to the point that they were about to start killing each other. All this and the Messenger of God was standing on the pulpit. The Messenger of God continually calmed them down until they stopped speaking and he also remained silent.
That day I kept crying. My tears did not stop running, and the kohl of sleep did not enter my eyes. I wept for two nights and one day with my parents, without the kohl of sleep entering my eyes, nor my tears stopping. My parents started thinking that my liver will tear apart because of my tears.
While the two of them were sitting next to me and I was weeping, a woman from Anṣār (Medinite Supporters) asked me for permission to enter. I gave her permission. She came and sat down [next to me], and started to cry with me. As we were in that condition, the Messenger of God entered and sat down. He had not sat with me ever since they had said the rumors about me. It had been a month that nothing had been revealed to him about my case. He uttered the testimony of faith (shahādah) when he sat. Then he said, “O ʿĀʾishah. They have told me such-and-such about you. If you have been innocent, then God will exonerate you. And if you have committed a sin, then you must ask forgiveness from God and repent to Him, for indeed when a servant acknowledges a sin and returns to God [with penance], God returns to him [with mercy and forgiveness].”
When the Messenger of God finished his speech, my tears stopped, such that I did not feel even a single drop. I told my father, “Answer the Messenger of God on my behalf.” He replied, “By God I do not know what to tell the Messenger of God.” I told my mother, “Answer the Messenger of God on my behalf.” She answered, “By God I do not know what to tell the Messenger of God.”
I was a young girl who did not know much Qur’an. So I said, “By God I know that you have heard this story to the point that it has settled in your souls and you have confirmed it [within yourselves]. So if I tell you that I am innocent—and God knows that I am innocent—then you will not believe me. But if I acknowledge to something before you then you will accept it—while God knows that I am innocent of it. By God I find no description for this case of mine and yours except what Joseph’s father said: But patience is graceful, and Allah it is Whose help is sought for against what you describe ().”
Then I turned aside [from the Messenger of God] and lied on my side in my bed. I was certain of my innocence at that point and knew that God would exonerate me, but by God I did not think that God would reveal verses of the Qur’an about me. I found myself to be less significant than God speaking anything about me to be recited [as revelation]. However, I was hoping that the Messenger of God would have a dream where God would clear my charge.
She continued: By God, the Messenger of God did not rise from his position, nor did anyone there leave, before it was revealed to him. He was overtaken by the intensity of revelation that used to take him, such that drops of sweat flew from him like pearls because of what was being revealed to him—even though that was a cold winter day. When that state was over, the Messenger of God recovered from it while he was smiling. The first thing that he said was: “Rejoice, O ʿĀʾishah, for indeed God has vindicated you.” My mother said, “Stand up before him!” I replied, “By God I shall not stand up before him, nor shall I praise anyone except God Who has revealed my vindication.” God had revealed: “Surely they who concocted the slander are a band from among you” (), up to ten verses.
At the time Abū Bakr used to help out Misṭaḥ b. Athāthah because he was his relative and was in need. When God revealed this to clear my charge, Abū Bakr said, “By God, I will not give anything to Misṭaḥ forever because of what he has said about ʿĀʾishah.” Thus God revealed: And let not those of you who possess grace and abundance swear against giving to the near of kin and the poor… (). Then Abū Bakr said, “By God, I love God to forgive me.” Thus he resumed his previous payments to Misṭaḥ and said, “I will not withdraw it from him forever.”
ʿĀʾishah continued: The Messenger of God had asked Zaynab b. Jaḥsh about me: “O Zaynab! What do you know? What have you seen?” She said, “O Messenger of God! I preserve my ear and eye [from speaking without knowledge]. I do not know of her except good.” In fact she was the one among the Prophet’s wives who used to be fair with me, so God protected her by piety [or used to be arrogant with me, but God protected her by piety]. Her sister Ḥamnah, on the other hand, began attacking me for her [that is, she started slandering me to raise the status of her sister], so she perished amongst the slanderers.
Author’s comment: This account has been narrated through other chains from ʿĀʾishah, ʿUmar, Ibn ʿAbbās, Abū Hurayrah, Abū al-Yusr al-Anṣārī, Umm Rūmān, Umm ʿĀʾishah and others, with some differences. They identify the following individuals as “those who concocted the slander”: (1) ʿAbd-Allāh b. Ubayy b. Salūl. (2) Misṭaḥ b. Athāthah, who fought in Badr and was one of “the first to lead the way, of the Muhājirīn and the Anṣār” []. (3) Ḥassān b. Thābit. (4) Hamnah, who was a sister of Zaynab, the wife of the Prophet.
In their narrations they also say that once the verses of slander [ff] were revealed, the Prophet summoned these named individuals and applied the legal penalty [of eighty lashes] to them, except for ʿAbd-Allāh b. Ubayy who was given the penalty twice. He was scourged twice because the penalty of anyone who accuses a wife of the Prophet is double.
Even though these narrations are similar in their overall trend, there are certain problems with them:
First, these accounts clearly convey that the Prophet was suspicious about ʿĀʾishah due to the slander. This is seen in his change of compassionate behavior with her during her illness until the verses were revealed. It is also seen in what she said after the revelation of the verses: “I do not thank you, but I thank God.” According to some of these narrations, the Prophet sent her father to give her the good news of the revelation of her innocence, whereby she told him, “I thank God, not your friend who has sent you,” referring to the Prophet. In one narration, when the Prophet advised her to repent to God if she had done anything wrong, ʿĀʾishah told him, while referring to a woman sitting at the door, “Are you not ashamed of this woman to say this?” Obviously she would not speak in this manner—which involves disdain and disrespect—if she had not felt that the Prophet was suspicious about her. Not to mention that ʿUmar’s account explicitly says: “There was something in the heart of the Prophet of what they had said.”
In short, it is more than clear that these narrations in general suggest that the Prophet was in doubt and suspicion about her case, until her innocence was revealed. However, his status is far above this. How could this be when God says: Why did not the believing men and the believing women, when you heard it, think well of their own people, and say: This is an evident falsehood? (). Here, God rebukes the believing men and women for having evil conjecture and not declining the slander that they had heard. This shows that having good opinion of believers is an implication of īmān (belief, faith). Given his status of prophethood and divine protection [that is, infallibility], the Prophet would be the first one to be characterized by this quality [of good opinion]. He would be the last one to entertain evil thoughts—which are forms of sin [].
Moreover, God explicitly highlights this quality of the Prophet where He says: And there are some of them who molest the Prophet and say: He is one who believes everything that he hears; say: A hearer of good for you (who) believes in Allah and believes the faithful and is a mercy for those of you who believe; and (as for) those who molest the Messenger of Allah, they shall have a painful punishment ().
The argument is that an act of indecency by a prophet’s household would deter the people’s hearts from him. That is why God should keep the wives of the prophets clear from the defilement of adultery and indecency; otherwise the whole religious call will be vain. Based on this rational argument, the wives of the prophets were chaste in reality, not just apparently. If we understand this argument, then the Prophet would have surely known it better. So how could he doubt and suspect his household based on an accusation or slander that had spread around?
Second, these narrations say that the slander was passing among the people for over a month from its beginning until it ended by the flogging of the slanderers. However, the rule for the legal penalty in case of accusing someone of indecency without evidence was already known: that the accuser should be flogged and the accused should be legally exonerated [right away]. So why should the Prophet postpone the legal penalty of the slanderers for such a long time and wait for revelation about it, such that it disseminates thoroughly among the people, passes from tongue to tongue, is carried by travelers to other places, and “the tear is widely opened up against the stitch”? This is while the revelation that came after did not add any new information to the previous ruling about accusation of adultery []—which said that the accused person is considered innocent in terms of the shariah, which follows outwardly established evidence.
One may rebut: The revelation asserted the innocence and chastity of ʿĀʾishah in the fact of the matter [not just in terms of apparent legal ruling], which is a point that goes beyond the verse about accusation of adultery []. Perhaps the Prophet’s long wait was to have this point cleared.
The answer is: Throughout these sixteen verses, there is no mention of true innocence and factual chastity. These verses show no evidence to prove that. Instead, her real chastity is proven by the rational argument that we just mentioned above, that the households of the prophets must necessarily be clear from the defilement of adultery.
In the first ten verses [], the only verse that suggests a specific declaration of ʿĀʾishah’s real innocence is the following: Why did they not bring four witnesses of it? But as they have not brought witnesses they are liars before Allah (). The verse argues that since the accusers have not brought witnesses, they are liars. However, it is obvious that not bringing witnesses only proves apparent innocence at a legal level, sufficient to vindicate the person at the court, as opposed to innocence in the fact of the matter. If one does not offer evidence and witness for an accusation, it does not necessarily follow that the accused is really innocent.
As with the last six verses [], the relevant verse would be: Good women are for good men… (). However, the wording of the verse conveys a universal message that asserts a general innocence which is common among all believers who are accused without evidence. Clearly such universal innocence would be only at an apparent and legal level.
The truth is that there is no escape from the above objection [that why the Prophet did not execute the penalty for accusation right away] except for the possibility that the verse about accusation of adultery [] was not revealed prior to the story of slander, but it was revealed only afterwards. Thus, the reason why the Prophet postponed taking any action was due to missing God’s rule for a case like that. He was waiting for the divine rule about the matter of slander.
This possibility is confirmed clearly in the above narration, where the Prophet asks the people to excuse him concerning the slanderer, followed by Saʿd b. Muʿādh’s speech, his quarrel with Saʿd b. ʿUbādah, and the disagreement between Aws and Khazraj in front of the Prophet. Similarly, according to the account narrated by ʿUmar, after the quarrel between Ibn Muʿādh and Ibn ʿUbādah, Ibn Muʿādh called his people: “Rise, O Aws!” and Ibn ʿUbādah called his: “Rise, O Khazraj!” Thus the two tribes started throwing shoes and stones at each other… If the verse about accusation of adultery had already been revealed and its legal penalty were known, then Saʿd b. Muʿādh would not have offered the Prophet to behead the accuser. Instead, he and the rest of the people would have said, “The rule for accusation is known and you have full authority [to implement it].”
Third, the narrations explicitly name the following individuals as the slanderers: ʿAbd-Allāh b. Ubayy, Misṭaḥ, Ḥassān, and Hamnah. Then they say that the Prophet doubled the legal penalty for ʿAbd-Allāh b. Ubayy, but not for the rest of them—Misṭaḥ, Ḥassān, and Hamnah. The justification given for the double penalty of ʿAbd-Allāh b. Ubayy was that whoever accuses the Prophet’s wives of adultery should receive twice the penalty. This is a clear contradiction, because they were all guilty of the same accusation.
It is true that according to the narrations, ʿAbd-Allāh b. Ubayy was the one “who took upon himself the main part thereof” (), but no Muslim [scholar or jurist] has claimed that this description means that the person should be meted out twice the penalty. Similarly, no one has deduced that “grievous chastisement” in the subsequent part of the verse— “and (as for) him who took upon himself the main part thereof, he shall have a grievous chastisement” ()—means double penalty.
- Concerning verse (Surely they who concocted the slander are a band from among you…) Tafsīr al-Qummī says: According to Sunni narrations, this was revealed about ʿĀʾishah, who was accused [of indecency] by the Khuzāʿah tribe in the Battle of Banī al-Muṣṭalaq. According to Shia narrations, this was revealed about Māriyah al-Qibṭiyyah, who was accused [of indecency] by ʿĀʾishah. Then it narrates from Zurārah:
I heard Imam al-Bāqir say: The Messenger of God was extremely bereaved upon the death of his son Ibrāhim [from Māriyah]. ʿĀʾishah told him, “Why are you so upset for him? He was the son of Jarīḥ.” Thus the Messenger of God charged ʿAlī to go after him [Jarīḥ] and kill him.
ʿAlī took his sword and went after him. At the time, Jarīḥ al-Qibṭī (the Coptic) was in a garden. ʿAlī knocked on the garden’s door. Jarīḥ went to open the door, but when he saw ʿAlī [from behind the door] he recognized anger in his face. Thus he went back and did not open the door. ʿAlī jumped over the wall into the garden and followed him. Jarīḥ started running for his life, and when he felt that ʿAlī is about to catch him, he climbed up a palm tree. ʿAlī climbed behind him, and when he got very close to him, Jarīḥ threw himself down from the tree. As he fell down his private part was revealed, and ʿAlī saw that he has neither the male nor the female organ.
ʿAlī returned to the Prophet and told him, “O Messenger of God! When you charge me with a task, should I be like a hot iron spike rubbed against fur, or should I verify the matter?” He replied, “Rather, you should verify.” He said, “By the One Who has sent you with truth, he is devoid of what men have, and he is devoid of what women have.” Thus the Prophet said, “Praise be to God Who diverted evil from us Ahl al-Bayt.”
- ʿAbd-Allāh b. Bukayr said: I asked Imam al-Ṣādiq, “May I be your ransom! When the Messenger of God ordered the killing of the Coptic man, did he know that he had been lied to or not? Because it was only through ʿAlī’s verification that God spared the Coptic man.” He answered, “Nay! By God he knew [that he had been lied to]. If that was the real intention of the Messenger of God [that the Coptic man should be killed], then ʿAlī would not have returned before killing the man. However, the Messenger of God only said this apparently so that she [ʿĀʾishah] may drop her sin [of false allegation], but she did not drop it and did not mind the killing of a Muslim man [innocently].”
Author’s comment: There are other narrations that indicate the participation of others with ʿĀʾishah in this accusation. As with Jarīḥ, he was a eunuch servant of Māriyah, both of whom were sent as a gift by the Egyptian ruler Muqawqis for the Messenger of God (s.w.a.). Muqawqis sent Jarīḥ with Māriyah to serve her.
There are also certain problems with these narrations:
First, the story suggested by these narrations does not match the verses, especially verses like: Surely they who concocted the slander… (), Why did not the believing men and the believing women, when you heard it, think well of their own people… (), and: When you received it with your tongues and spoke with your mouths what you had no knowledge of… (). These verses indicate that:
(a) This was a collaborative plot by a connected network of individuals, who spread the story in order to disrepute the Prophet.
(b) That the people were passing the news by their tongues, to the point that it widely diffused among them, and this continued for some time.
(c) That they did not respect the Prophet’s divine honor and sanctity in doing so.
The story depicted by these narrations is far from these points. The only possible explanation is to say that these narrations have been abridged in their portrayal of the story.
Second, the story would necessitate that the legal penalty [of eighty lashes] should be applied to the accuser, but that did not happen. The only possible response to this objection is to say that the verse outlining the penalty for accusation of adultery [] was revealed quite a while after this story.
Not applying the legal penalty for accusation right away poses a problem to both accounts. To dodge this problem, we should conclude that the verses about the story of slander (ifk) were revealed before the verse about accusation of adultery (qaḍf). This means that the only laws that were revealed in the story of slander were the following: (a) the accused person is innocent as long no evidence is shown for the accusation; and (b) accusation of adultery [without evidence] is forbidden [but no legal penalty was decreed for it].
Had the legal penalty for unwarranted accusation been legislated before the story of slander, there would have been no room [for the Prophet] to delay the penalty for such a considerable time or to wait for revelation about it. Also, no accuser would have been spared of the penalty in that case. Similarly, if all of the above verses [including both the legal penalty and the story of slander] were revealed together, then there would have been some reference made to their penalty in the verses about the story, at least by having the story come right after the verse about accusation []. Those who know about the theme and flow of speech would not doubt that verses ff—“Surely they who concocted the slander…”—are disconnected from their previous verses.
In addition, if the legal penalty of those who accuse the Prophet’s wives with adultery were twice, then it would have been mentioned in the verses about the slander. That would have perfectly fit in the verses given their harsh treatment of the accusers with curse and threat of punishment.
One may answer the above by saying that perhaps the verses of slander [ff] and accusation [] were revealed together. However, this will only add a further problem to the last one, because it entails that there was need for two laws but only one was revealed.
- Imam al-Ṣādiq said: One who says about a believer that which he has seen with his two eyes and heard with his two ears, then he is one of those whom God has described as: Surely [as for] those who love that indecency should circulate respecting those who believe, they shall have a grievous chastisement in this world and the hereafter ().
Author’s comment: Al-Qummī has also narrated this in his Tafsīr, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn Abī ʿUmayr, on the authority of Hishām, from the Imam. Al-Ṣadūq has also narrated it in al-Amālī, via his chain of narration, on the authority of Ibn Abī ʿUmayr, on the authority of Muḥammad b. Ḥumrān, from the Imam. Mufīd has also narrated it from the Imam in al-Ikhtiṣāṣ, via an incomplete chain of transmission (mursal).
- Imam al-Ṣādiq narrated from the Messenger of God: One who discloses an indecency is like its perpetrator.
- Concerning verse (And let not those of you who possess grace and abundance swear…) it is narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās, ʿĀʾishah and Ibn Zayd,: It was revealed about Abū Bakr and Misṭaḥ b. Athāthah, who was Abū Bakr’s cousin and one of the Muhājirīn (Meccan immigrants), as well as a Badr veteran. He was poor and Abū Bakr used to help him out and cover his expenses. When he plunged in the slander, Abu Bakr cut his payments and swore that he would never help him out. But when this verse was revealed, Abū Bakr resumed his previous custom and said, “By God, I love God to forgive me! By God I shall never withdraw my help from him.”
- It is narrated from Ibn ʿAbbās and others: This verse [] was revealed about a group of Companions [of the Prophet] who pledged not to provide any financial help and donation to anyone who had spoken anything of the slander.
Author’s comment: Al-Durr al-manthūr has also narrated this, on the authority of Ibn Jarīr and Ibn Mardawayh, from Ibn ʿAbbās.
- Imam al-Bāqir explained the verse [] as follows: “And let not those of you who possess grace and abundance swear against giving to the near of kin”: these are the kindred of God’s Messenger; “and the poor and those who have fled in Allah’s way, and they should pardon and overlook”: that is, you should pardon each other and should overlook one another. God says: “Do you not love that Allah should forgive you? And Allah is Forgiving, Merciful” ().
- Imam al-Bāqir said (as part of a longer hadith): The following verses were revealed in Medina: And those who accuse chaste women and then do not bring four witnesses, flog them, (giving) eighty stripes, and do not admit any testimony from them ever; and those are the transgressors. Except those who repent after that and make amends, for surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful (). According to these verses, God has refrained from describing such individuals by īmān (belief, faith) as long as they cling to their accusation, because He says: Is he then who is a believer like him who is a transgressor? They are not equal (). Instead, He has described them as the friends of Iblīs (Satan), as He says: He [Iblīs] was of the jinn, so he transgressed the commandment of his Lord (). Such people are cursed by God, as He says: Surely those who accuse chaste believing women, unaware (of the evil), are cursed in this world and the hereafter, and they shall have a grievous chastisement. On the day when their tongues and their hands and their feet shall bear witness against them as to what they did (). The witnessing of organs does not pertain to believers, but it pertains to those who are destined for punishment [because of their disbelief and misdeeds]. As with the believers, they will be given their book in the right hand, as God says: Then whoever is given his book in his right hand, these shall read their book; and they shall not be dealt with a whit unjustly ().
- Concerning verse (Vile women are for vile men and vile men are for vile women. Good women are for good men and good men are for good women…) Majmaʿ al-bayān says: There are a few interpretations proposed for this verse… The third meaning is: “The vile among women belong to the vile among men, and the vile among men belong to the vile among women.” This is narrated from Abū Muslim and al-Jubbāʾī. It is also narrated from Imams al-Bāqir and al-Ṣādiq, where they said: It is similar to the verse: The adulterer shall not marry any but an adulteress or idolatress (). Some people [among the Prophet’s Companions] decided to marry some of these women [that is, adulteresses] and thus God forbid them from doing so and did not like it for them.
- The Messenger of God said: When the heart of a person is good and pure, then his body is also good and pure. When the heart of a person is vile and defiled, then his body is also vile and defiled.
- Part of Imam al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī’s argument against Muʿāwiyah and his companions when they had insulted ʿAlī was: “Vile women are for vile men and vile men are for vile women: By God, these are you and your companions, O Muʿāwiyah. Good women are for good men and good men are for good women: These are ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib, his companions and his followers (shīʿah).”
This is a title given to the Prophet’s wives in verse . The author’s explanations imply that this title does not apply to the Prophet’s bondwomen like Māriyah. (Trans.) ↩︎
The first pronoun is: “from among you” (). The next three are: “Do not regard it an evil to you; nay, it is good for you” () and “when you heard it” (). (Trans.) ↩︎
Perhaps the exegetes have suggested this based on the next part of the verse, which implies a consolation: Do not regard it an evil to you; nay, it is good for you. However, this does not comply with the overall reproving tone of these verses. Moreover, the context does not suggest that the perpetrators should be attributed to the Prophet and grouped with the believers. (Trans.) ↩︎
See volume 3, p. 134 of the English translation. (Trans.) ↩︎
This is in fact the fourth usage of this clause in the chapter. In two of the previous usages (verses and ) the apodosis was omitted, but in one of them (verse ) the apodosis was mentioned. Apparently the author is referring only to verses and which involve an omission. (Trans.) ↩︎
When it is said that “believers are clear of indecency,” its implied meaning (mafhūm) is that “unbelievers are not clear of indecency.” This means that indecency is compatible with their inner impurity, but it does not mean that every unbeliever is characterized by indecency. It is an overall affirmation of indecency for unbelievers as a whole, or for every individual unbeliever potentially, not an affirmation of indecency for every single member of the whole in actuality. (Trans.) ↩︎
This apparently refers to the Verse of Veil, . It could also mean the rule of having hijab and covering. (Trans.) ↩︎
This is an elegant metaphorical expression for lack of sleep, where sleep is compared to antimony powder which is applied to the eye for beauty or to sharpen the sight. (Trans.) ↩︎
“Cousin” (ibn ʿamm) in these contexts means that they were from the same tribe. (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Durr al-manthūr, on the authority of ʿAbd al-Razzāq, Aḥmad, al-Bukhārī, ʿAbd b. Ḥamīd, Muslim, Ibn Jarīr, Ibn al-Mundhir, Ibn Abī Ḥātim, Ibn Mardawayh and al-Bahyaqī’s al-Shuʿab. ↩︎
This is an expression in Arabic for when a problem goes out of control. (Trans.) ↩︎
This is a metaphorical expression for following an order blindly and without any consideration. A hot iron spike would tear away the hairs of fur abruptly. (Trans.) ↩︎
Tafsīr al-Qummī, on the authority of Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar, on the authority of Muḥammad b. ʿĪsā, on the authority of al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī b. Faḍḍāl, on the authority of ʿAbd-Allāh b. Bukayr ↩︎
This means that the Prophet pretended to be serious in his command, but between himself and ʿAlī they knew that he does not really mean it. (Trans.) ↩︎
Tafsīr al-Qummī, on the authority of ʿUbayd-Allāh b. Mūsā, on the authority of Aḥmad b. Rāshid, on the authority of Marwān b. Muslim. ↩︎
That is, the tone of the verses shows a shift of subject, especially given how verse starts without any conjunction or transition. (Trans.) ↩︎
In other words, assuming that the accusers of the Prophet’s wives should be meted out twice the penalty, then God should have revealed two laws: one for accusation of ordinary people, and one for accusation of the Prophet’s wives. (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Kāfi, on the authority of ʿAlī b. Ibrāhīm, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn Abī ʿUmayr, on the authority of some of his companions. ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Isḥāq b. ʿAmmār. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
Majmaʿ al-bayān. ↩︎
Tafsīr al-Qummī, on the authority of Abū al-Jārūd. ↩︎
Al-Kāfī, via its chain of narration, on the authority of Muḥammad b. Sālim. ↩︎
Thus verse was revealed to reinforce and emphasize verse . (Trans.) ↩︎
Al-Khiṣāl, on the authority of ʿAbd-Allāh b. ʿUmar and Abu Hurayrah. ↩︎
Al-Iḥtijāj. ↩︎