اِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ جَاۤءُوْ بِالْاِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌ مِّنْكُمْۗ لَا تَحْسَبُوْهُ شَرًّا لَّكُمْۗ بَلْ هُوَ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْۗ لِكُلِّ امْرِئٍ مِّنْهُمْ مَّا اكْتَسَبَ مِنَ الْاِثْمِۚ وَالَّذِيْ تَوَلّٰى كِبْرَهٗ مِنْهُمْ لَهٗ عَذَابٌ عَظِيْمٌ ( النور: ١١ )
Indeed, those who came with falsehood 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 thereof – for him is a great punishment [i.e., Hellfire].
لَوْلَآ اِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوْهُ ظَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنُوْنَ وَالْمُؤْمِنٰتُ بِاَنْفُسِهِمْ خَيْرًاۙ وَّقَالُوْا هٰذَآ اِفْكٌ مُّبِيْنٌ ( النور: 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"?
لَوْلَا جَاۤءُوْ عَلَيْهِ بِاَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَاۤءَۚ فَاِذْ لَمْ يَأْتُوْا بِالشُّهَدَاۤءِ فَاُولٰۤىِٕكَ عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ هُمُ الْكٰذِبُوْنَ ( النور: 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 Allah, who are the liars.
وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهٗ فِى الدُّنْيَا وَالْاٰخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُمْ فِيْ مَآ اَفَضْتُمْ فِيْهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيْمٌ ( النور: ١٤ )
And if it had not been for the favor of Allah 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
اِذْ تَلَقَّوْنَهٗ بِاَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَتَقُوْلُوْنَ بِاَفْوَاهِكُمْ مَّا لَيْسَ لَكُمْ بِهٖ عِلْمٌ وَّتَحْسَبُوْنَهٗ هَيِّنًاۙ وَّهُوَ عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ عَظِيْمٌ ۚ ( النور: ١٥ )
When you received it with your tongues and said with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge and thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of Allah, tremendous.
وَلَوْلَآ اِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوْهُ قُلْتُمْ مَّا يَكُوْنُ لَنَآ اَنْ نَّتَكَلَّمَ بِهٰذَاۖ سُبْحٰنَكَ هٰذَا بُهْتَانٌ عَظِيْمٌ ( النور: ١٦ )
And why, when you heard it, did you not say, "It is not for us to speak of this. Exalted are You, [O Allah]; this is a great slander"?
يَعِظُكُمُ اللّٰهُ اَنْ تَعُوْدُوْا لِمِثْلِهٖٓ اَبَدًا اِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِيْنَ ۚ ( النور: ١٧ )
Allah warns you against returning to the likes of this [conduct], ever, if you should be believers.
وَيُبَيِّنُ اللّٰهُ لَكُمُ الْاٰيٰتِۗ وَاللّٰهُ عَلِيْمٌ حَكِيْمٌ ( النور: ١٨ )
And Allah makes clear to you the verses [i.e., His rulings], and Allah is Knowing and Wise.
اِنَّ الَّذِيْنَ يُحِبُّوْنَ اَنْ تَشِيْعَ الْفَاحِشَةُ فِى الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ اَلِيْمٌۙ فِى الدُّنْيَا وَالْاٰخِرَةِۗ وَاللّٰهُ يَعْلَمُ وَاَنْتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُوْنَ ( النور: ١٩ )
Indeed, those who like that immorality should be spread [or publicized] among those who have believed will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And Allah knows and you do not know.
وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهٗ وَاَنَّ اللّٰهَ رَءُوْفٌ رَّحِيْمٌ ࣖ ( النور: ٢٠ )
And if it had not been for the favor of Allah upon you and His mercy... and because Allah is Kind and Merciful.