سُوْرَةُ النُّوْرِ
Surah An-Noor (24) — Ayah 16
وَلَوْلَآ إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ قُلْتُم مَّا يَكُونُ لَنَآ أَن نَّتَكَلَّمَ بِهَـٰذَا سُبْحَـٰنَكَ هَـٰذَا بُهْتَـٰنٌ عَظِيمٌ ﴿16﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And why did you not, when you heard it, say: "It is not right for us to speak of this. Glory be to You (O Allâh)! This is a great lie."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَوْلَآ
walawlā
And why not
إِذْ
idh
when
سَمِعْتُمُوهُ
samiʿ'tumūhu
you heard it
قُلْتُم
qul'tum
you said
مَّا
mā
Not
يَكُونُ
yakūnu
it is
لَنَآ
lanā
for us
أَن
an
that
نَّتَكَلَّمَ
natakallama
we speak
بِهَـٰذَا
bihādhā
of this
سُبْحَـٰنَكَ
sub'ḥānaka
Glory be to You
هَـٰذَا
hādhā
This
بُهْتَـٰنٌ
buh'tānun
(is) a slander
عَظِيمٌۭ
ʿaẓīmun
great
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 16){ وَ لَوْ لَاۤ اِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوْهُ قُلْتُمْ …:} In Ayah (13) earlier, the etiquette was taught that when something inappropriate is heard about good people, it is necessary to have a good opinion about them. Now, the second etiquette regarding this is stated: if, despite efforts, any whisper or thought comes to the heart, it should never be uttered, because the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ تَجَاوَزَ لِأُمَّتِيْ عَمَّا وَسْوَسَتْ أَوْ حَدَّثَتْ بِهِ أَنْفُسَهَا مَا لَمْ تَعْمَلْ بِهِ أَوْ تَكَلَّمْ ] [ بخاري، الأیمان والنذور، باب إذا حنث ناسیا … : ۶۶۶۴، عن أبي ھریرۃ رضی اللہ عنہ ] "Allah the Exalted has pardoned my ummah for what they do within themselves, as long as they do not speak of it or act upon it." That is, when you heard this, instead of remaining silent about it, believing it, or spreading it further, why did you not say immediately that it is not our right to utter such a thing, rather, to express your intense aversion to such a thing, you should have also said: « سُبْحٰنَكَ هٰذَا بُهْتَانٌ عَظِيْمٌ » You are pure; it is impossible that the wife of Your Prophet be tainted with the commission of indecency—this is a very great slander. Because it is simply not possible for a Prophet's wife to be immoral; she could be a disbeliever, but not immoral, because Prophets are sent to disbelievers, so it is necessary that whatever is considered detestable by disbelievers, they (the Prophets) are free from it, and it is obvious that a woman's immorality is considered detestable even by them.
