Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: "Why, when you heard it" [Surah An-Nur: 12], meaning did you not hear it? "Did you say: It is not for us to speak of this; Glory be to You! This is a tremendous slander" [Surah An-Nur: 16]; "slander" means a tremendous false accusation, as Allah said about Sayyidah Maryam: "And for their saying against Maryam a tremendous slander" [Surah An-Nisa: 156].
Hadith Referenceالمعجم الكبير للطبراني / مسند النساء / 19507