The Grace of Allah towards the People of the Slander by giving Them the Opportunity to repent
Allah says,
وَلَوْلاَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ فِى الدُّنْيَا وَالاٌّخِرَةِ
(Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you in this world and in the Hereafter,) This is addressed to those who were indulging in discussing the matter of `A'ishah, informing them that Allah has accepted their repentance in this world, and forgiven them because of their faith in the Hereafter.
لَمَسَّكُمْ فِى مَآ أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ
(would have touched you for that whereof you had spoken.) with regard to the slander.
عَذَابٌ عظِيمٌ
(a great torment) This refers to those who had faith in Allah because of their repentance, such as Mistah, Hassan and Hamnah bint Jahsh the sister of Zaynab bint Jahsh. As for the hypocrites who indulged in the slander, such as `Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul and his like, they are not the ones who are referred to in this Ayah , because they did not have sufficient faith and righteous deeds to balance or cancel out what they had done. By the same token, the threats that were narrated for a specific deed are bound to be carried out, if there is no repentance or sufficient righteous deeds to balance or outweigh it. Then Allah says:
إِذْ تَلَقَّوْنَهُ بِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ
(When you were propagating it with your tongues,) Mujahid and Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "Some of you were relating it to others," where one says, `I heard this from so-and-so, and so-and-so said such and such, and some of them mentioned such and such.' Others recited the Ayah: (إِذْ تَلِقُونَهُ بِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ) ("When you were inventing a lie with your tongues...") In Sahih Al-Bukhari, it is recorded that `A'ishah recited it like that. According to her, the meaning refers to lies which a person persists in telling. The first recitation is preferred and more popular, and the majority recite it that way, but the second is reported from `A'ishah, the Mother of the believers.
وَتَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَهِكُمْ مَّا لَّيْسَ لَكُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ
(and uttering with your mouths that whereof you had no knowledge,) means, you were speaking about something which you knew nothing about. Then Allah says:
وَتَحْسَبُونَهُ هَيِّناً وَهُوَ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَظِيمٌ
(you counted it a little thing, while with Allah it was very great.) means, `you said what you said about the Mother of the believers and you thought that it was a trifling and insignificant matter, but even if she was not the wife of the Prophet , it still would not be an insignificant matter -- so how about when she is the wife of the Unlettered Prophet, the Seal of the Prophets and Leader of the Messengers ' It is a very serious matter with Allah that such a thing should be said about the wife of His Messenger! For Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, feels great fury and anger over such matters, and He would never decree such a thing for the wife of any of His Prophets. If that is the case, then how about the best of the wives of any Prophet, the wife of the best of the sons of Adam in this world and the next Allah says:
وَتَحْسَبُونَهُ هَيِّناً وَهُوَ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَظِيمٌ
(you counted it a little thing, while with Allah it was very great.) In the Two Sahihs it is reported that:
«إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَتَكَلَّمُ بِالْكَلِمَةِ مِنْ سَخَطِ اللهِ، لَا يَدْرِي مَا تَبْلُغُ، يَهْوِي بِهَا فِي النَّارِ أَبْعَدَ مَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ»
(A man may say a word that angers Allah without realizing how far it will go, and because of that he will be thrown into Hell a distance greater than that between heaven and earth.) According to another report:
«لَا يُلْقِي لَهَا بَالًا»
(And he may not pay any attention to it.)
And were it not for God’s bounty to you and His mercy in the life of this world and the Hereafter there would have befallen you for what you O band of accusers engaged in for what you indulged in an awful chastisement in the Hereafter;
ولولا فَضْلُ الله عليكم ورحمته لكم بحيث شملكم إحسانه في دينكم ودنياكم فلم يعجِّل عقوبتكم، وتاب على مَن تاب منكم، لأصابكم بسبب ما خضتم فيه عذاب عظيم.
يقول تعالى " لولا فضل الله عليكم ورحمته في الدنيا والآخرة " أيها الخائضون في شأن عائشة بأن قبل توبتكم وإنابتكم إليه في الدنيا وعفا عنكم لإيمانكم بالنسبة إلى الدار الأخرة " لمسكم فيما أفضتم فيه" من قضية الإفك "عذاب عظيم" وهذا فيمن عنده إيمان يقبل الله بسببه التوبة كمسطح وحسان وحمنة بنت جحش أخت زينب بنت جحش فأما من خاض فيه من المنافقين كعبدالله بن أبي بن سلول وأضرابه فليس أولئك مرادين فى هذه الآية لأنه ليس عندهم من الإيمان والعمل الصالح ما يعادل هذا ولا ما يعارضه وهكذا شأن ما يرد من الوعيد على فعل معين يكون مطلقا مشروطا بعدم التوبة أو ما يقابله من عمل صالح يوازنه أو يرجح عليه. ثم قال تعالى " إذ تلقونه بألسنتكم" قال مجاهد وسعيد بن جبير: أي يرويه بعضكم عن بعض يقول هذا سمعته من فلان وقال فلان كذا وذكر بعضهم كذا.
ثم بين - سبحانه - جانبا من مظاهر فضله ورحمته بالمؤمنين فقال : ( وَلَوْلاَ فَضْلُ الله عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ فِي الدنيا والآخرة لَمَسَّكُمْ فِي مَآ أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ) .و " لولا " هنا لامتناع الشىء لوجود عيره ، و " أفضتم " من الإفاضة بمعنى التوسع فى الشىء . والاندفاع فيه بدون تريث أو تحقق ، وأصله من قوله : " أفاض فلان الإناء ، إذا ملأه حتى فاض " .أى : ولولا فضل الله عليكم ورحمته بكم - أيها المؤمنون - فى الدنيا بإعطائكم فرصة للتوبة . وفى الآخرة بقبول توبتكم ، لولا ذلك " لمسكم " أى : لنزل بكم بسبب ما أفضتم فيه من حديث الإفك عذاب عظيم ، لا يعلم مقدار ألمه وشدته إلا الله - تعالى - .
يقول تعالى ذكره: ( وَلَوْلا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ ) أيها الخائضون في أمر عائشة، المُشِيعُون فيها الكذب والإثم، بتركه تعجيل عقوبتكم ( وَرَحْمَتُهُ ) إياكم لعفوه عنكم ( فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ ) بقبول توبتكم مما كان منكم في ذلك؛( لَمَسَّكُمْ فِيمَا ) خضتم فيه من أمرها عاجلا في الدنيا( عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ).وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل.*ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد في قوله: ( وَلَوْلا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ ) هذا للذين تكلموا فنشروا ذلك الكلام، ( لَمَسَّكُمْ فِي مَا أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ).
( ولولا فضل الله عليكم ورحمته في الدنيا والآخرة لمسكم في ما أفضتم ) خضتم ( فيه ) من الإفك ( عذاب عظيم ) قال ابن عباس أي : عذاب لا انقطاع له ، يعني : في الآخرة ، لأنه ذكر عذاب الدنيا من قبل ، فقال تعالى : " والذي تولى كبره منهم له عذاب عظيم " ، وقد أصابه ، فإنه جلد وحد . وروت عمرة عن عائشة أن النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - لما نزلت هذه الآية حد أربعة نفر : عبد الله بن أبي ، وحسان بن ثابت ، ومسطح بن أثاثة ، وحمنة بنت جحش .
وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآَخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُمْ فِي مَا أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ (14){ لولا } هذه حرف امتناع لوجود . والفضل في الدنيا يتعين أنه إسقاط عقوبة الحد عنهم بعفو عائشة وصفوان عنهم ، وفي الآخرة إسقاط العقاب عنهم بالتوبة . والخطاب للمؤمنين دون رأس المنافقين . وهذه الآية تؤيد ما عليه الأكثر أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يحد حد القذف أحداً من العصبة الذين تكلموا في الإفك . وهو الأصح من الروايات : إما لعفو عائشة وصفوان ، وإما لأن كلامهم في الإفك كان تخافتاً وسراراً ولم يجهروا به ولكنهم أشاعوه في أوساطهم ومجالسهم . وهذا الذي يشعر به حديث عائشة في الإفك في «صحيح البخاري» وكيف سمعت الخبر من أم مسطح وقولها : أَوَ قَد تحدث بهذا وبلغ النبي وأبويّ؟ . وقيل : حد حسان ومسطحاً وحمنة ، قاله ابن إسحاق وجماعة ، وأما عبد الله بن أبيّ فقال فريق : إنه لم يحد حد القذف تأليفاً لقلبه للإيمان . وعن ابن عباس أن أبيّاً جلد حد القذف أيضاً .والإفاضة في القول مستعار من إفاضة الماء في الإناء ، أي كثرته فيه . فالمعنى : ما أكثرتم القول فيه والتحدث به بينكم .
{ وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ } بحيث شملكم إحسانه فيهما، في أمر دينكم ودنياكم، { لَمَسَّكُمْ فِيمَا أَفَضْتُمْ } أي: خضتم { فِيهِ } من شأن الإفك { عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ } لاستحقاقكم ذلك بما قلتم، ولكن من فضل الله عليكم ورحمته، أن شرع لكم التوبة، وجعل العقوبة مطهرة للذنوب.
قوله تعالى : ولولا فضل الله عليكم ورحمته فضل رفع بالابتداء عند سيبويه ، والخبر محذوف لا تظهره العرب . وحذف جواب لولا لأنه قد ذكر مثله بعد ؛ قال الله - عز وجل - ولولا فضل الله عليكم ورحمته لمسكم أي بسبب ما قلتم في عائشة عذاب عظيم في الدنيا والآخرة . وهذا عتاب من الله تعالى بليغ ، ولكنه برحمته ستر عليكم في الدنيا ويرحم في الآخرة من أتاه تائبا . والإفاضة : الأخذ في الحديث ؛ وهو الذي وقع عليه العتاب ؛ يقال : أفاض القوم في الحديث أي أخذوا فيه .
The role of the Prophet Muhammad was that of a preacher of Truth. The position of a preacher, or da‘i, is always extremely delicate. Even a slight mistake on his part can damage his entire mission. Those who lent an ear to baseless slander concerning a Muslim lady, namely ‘A’ishah, and started spreading it all around, were thus acting in a highly irresponsible manner. Had it not been for the timely refutation of the allegations—by direct intervention of God—this would have caused irreparable loss to Islam. Muslims would then have been divided into two groups and would have started fighting against each other. The community, which, according to God’s plan, was to serve as a means of eliminating the prevalence of polytheism from the world, would have destroyed itself in an internecine war.
وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُمْ فِي مَا أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
And had it not been for the grace of Allah upon you, and His mercy in this world and in the Hereafter, a great punishment would have reached you for what you got indulged in - 24:14.
This verse was revealed for those believers who had by mistake got somehow involved in the slander, but then repented and begged Allah's pardon. Some of them were even punished, but all of them were told through this verse that the crime they had committed was a very grave one, and on that crime they could have been subjected to punishment even in this world, like the one sent down on earlier people. In addition, they would have also been punished severely in the Hereafter, but Allah's dealings with those believers were that of grace and mercy, both in this world and in the Hereafter. Hence, the chastisement was withdrawn from them. The manifestation of Allah's grace and mercy in the world is that, first, the Divine help was granted to adopt Islam and its faith, then the company of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ﷺ accorded, which is an impediment for the award of punishment, and then again the Divine help was granted to repent sincerely and beg Allah's forgiveness for the sin which was committed, and ultimately the repentance was accepted and the sin was pardoned. While in the Hereafter, the token of Allah's grace and mercy is that He has promised to forgive and overlook and grant pardon.
Then Allah revealed the following about those who did not slander 'A'ishah but talked about the slander: (Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you in the world and the Hereafter an awful doom had overtaken you) chastisement would have seized you in this worldly life and in the Hereafter (for that whereof you murmured) for the slanderous accusation which you repeated.
The Grace of Allah towards the People of the Slander by giving Them the Opportunity to repent
Allah says,
وَلَوْلاَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ فِى الدُّنْيَا وَالاٌّخِرَةِ
(Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you in this world and in the Hereafter,) This is addressed to those who were indulging in discussing the matter of `A'ishah, informing them that Allah has accepted their repentance in this world, and forgiven them because of their faith in the Hereafter.
لَمَسَّكُمْ فِى مَآ أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ
(would have touched you for that whereof you had spoken.) with regard to the slander.
عَذَابٌ عظِيمٌ
(a great torment) This refers to those who had faith in Allah because of their repentance, such as Mistah, Hassan and Hamnah bint Jahsh the sister of Zaynab bint Jahsh. As for the hypocrites who indulged in the slander, such as `Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Salul and his like, they are not the ones who are referred to in this Ayah , because they did not have sufficient faith and righteous deeds to balance or cancel out what they had done. By the same token, the threats that were narrated for a specific deed are bound to be carried out, if there is no repentance or sufficient righteous deeds to balance or outweigh it. Then Allah says:
إِذْ تَلَقَّوْنَهُ بِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ
(When you were propagating it with your tongues,) Mujahid and Sa`id bin Jubayr said, "Some of you were relating it to others," where one says, `I heard this from so-and-so, and so-and-so said such and such, and some of them mentioned such and such.' Others recited the Ayah: (إِذْ تَلِقُونَهُ بِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ) ("When you were inventing a lie with your tongues...") In Sahih Al-Bukhari, it is recorded that `A'ishah recited it like that. According to her, the meaning refers to lies which a person persists in telling. The first recitation is preferred and more popular, and the majority recite it that way, but the second is reported from `A'ishah, the Mother of the believers.
وَتَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَهِكُمْ مَّا لَّيْسَ لَكُمْ بِهِ عِلْمٌ
(and uttering with your mouths that whereof you had no knowledge,) means, you were speaking about something which you knew nothing about. Then Allah says:
وَتَحْسَبُونَهُ هَيِّناً وَهُوَ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَظِيمٌ
(you counted it a little thing, while with Allah it was very great.) means, `you said what you said about the Mother of the believers and you thought that it was a trifling and insignificant matter, but even if she was not the wife of the Prophet , it still would not be an insignificant matter -- so how about when she is the wife of the Unlettered Prophet, the Seal of the Prophets and Leader of the Messengers ' It is a very serious matter with Allah that such a thing should be said about the wife of His Messenger! For Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, feels great fury and anger over such matters, and He would never decree such a thing for the wife of any of His Prophets. If that is the case, then how about the best of the wives of any Prophet, the wife of the best of the sons of Adam in this world and the next Allah says:
وَتَحْسَبُونَهُ هَيِّناً وَهُوَ عِندَ اللَّهِ عَظِيمٌ
(you counted it a little thing, while with Allah it was very great.) In the Two Sahihs it is reported that:
«إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ لَيَتَكَلَّمُ بِالْكَلِمَةِ مِنْ سَخَطِ اللهِ، لَا يَدْرِي مَا تَبْلُغُ، يَهْوِي بِهَا فِي النَّارِ أَبْعَدَ مَا بَيْنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ»
(A man may say a word that angers Allah without realizing how far it will go, and because of that he will be thrown into Hell a distance greater than that between heaven and earth.) According to another report:
«لَا يُلْقِي لَهَا بَالًا»
(And he may not pay any attention to it.)
And were it not for God’s bounty to you and His mercy in the life of this world and the Hereafter there would have befallen you for what you O band of accusers engaged in for what you indulged in an awful chastisement in the Hereafter;
ولولا فَضْلُ الله عليكم ورحمته لكم بحيث شملكم إحسانه في دينكم ودنياكم فلم يعجِّل عقوبتكم، وتاب على مَن تاب منكم، لأصابكم بسبب ما خضتم فيه عذاب عظيم.
يقول تعالى " لولا فضل الله عليكم ورحمته في الدنيا والآخرة " أيها الخائضون في شأن عائشة بأن قبل توبتكم وإنابتكم إليه في الدنيا وعفا عنكم لإيمانكم بالنسبة إلى الدار الأخرة " لمسكم فيما أفضتم فيه" من قضية الإفك "عذاب عظيم" وهذا فيمن عنده إيمان يقبل الله بسببه التوبة كمسطح وحسان وحمنة بنت جحش أخت زينب بنت جحش فأما من خاض فيه من المنافقين كعبدالله بن أبي بن سلول وأضرابه فليس أولئك مرادين فى هذه الآية لأنه ليس عندهم من الإيمان والعمل الصالح ما يعادل هذا ولا ما يعارضه وهكذا شأن ما يرد من الوعيد على فعل معين يكون مطلقا مشروطا بعدم التوبة أو ما يقابله من عمل صالح يوازنه أو يرجح عليه. ثم قال تعالى " إذ تلقونه بألسنتكم" قال مجاهد وسعيد بن جبير: أي يرويه بعضكم عن بعض يقول هذا سمعته من فلان وقال فلان كذا وذكر بعضهم كذا.
ثم بين - سبحانه - جانبا من مظاهر فضله ورحمته بالمؤمنين فقال : ( وَلَوْلاَ فَضْلُ الله عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ فِي الدنيا والآخرة لَمَسَّكُمْ فِي مَآ أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ) .و " لولا " هنا لامتناع الشىء لوجود عيره ، و " أفضتم " من الإفاضة بمعنى التوسع فى الشىء . والاندفاع فيه بدون تريث أو تحقق ، وأصله من قوله : " أفاض فلان الإناء ، إذا ملأه حتى فاض " .أى : ولولا فضل الله عليكم ورحمته بكم - أيها المؤمنون - فى الدنيا بإعطائكم فرصة للتوبة . وفى الآخرة بقبول توبتكم ، لولا ذلك " لمسكم " أى : لنزل بكم بسبب ما أفضتم فيه من حديث الإفك عذاب عظيم ، لا يعلم مقدار ألمه وشدته إلا الله - تعالى - .
يقول تعالى ذكره: ( وَلَوْلا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ ) أيها الخائضون في أمر عائشة، المُشِيعُون فيها الكذب والإثم، بتركه تعجيل عقوبتكم ( وَرَحْمَتُهُ ) إياكم لعفوه عنكم ( فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالآخِرَةِ ) بقبول توبتكم مما كان منكم في ذلك؛( لَمَسَّكُمْ فِيمَا ) خضتم فيه من أمرها عاجلا في الدنيا( عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ).وبنحو الذي قلنا في ذلك قال أهل التأويل.*ذكر من قال ذلك:حدثني يونس، قال: أخبرنا ابن وهب، قال: قال ابن زيد في قوله: ( وَلَوْلا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ ) هذا للذين تكلموا فنشروا ذلك الكلام، ( لَمَسَّكُمْ فِي مَا أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ).
( ولولا فضل الله عليكم ورحمته في الدنيا والآخرة لمسكم في ما أفضتم ) خضتم ( فيه ) من الإفك ( عذاب عظيم ) قال ابن عباس أي : عذاب لا انقطاع له ، يعني : في الآخرة ، لأنه ذكر عذاب الدنيا من قبل ، فقال تعالى : " والذي تولى كبره منهم له عذاب عظيم " ، وقد أصابه ، فإنه جلد وحد . وروت عمرة عن عائشة أن النبي - صلى الله عليه وسلم - لما نزلت هذه الآية حد أربعة نفر : عبد الله بن أبي ، وحسان بن ثابت ، ومسطح بن أثاثة ، وحمنة بنت جحش .
وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآَخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُمْ فِي مَا أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ (14){ لولا } هذه حرف امتناع لوجود . والفضل في الدنيا يتعين أنه إسقاط عقوبة الحد عنهم بعفو عائشة وصفوان عنهم ، وفي الآخرة إسقاط العقاب عنهم بالتوبة . والخطاب للمؤمنين دون رأس المنافقين . وهذه الآية تؤيد ما عليه الأكثر أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لم يحد حد القذف أحداً من العصبة الذين تكلموا في الإفك . وهو الأصح من الروايات : إما لعفو عائشة وصفوان ، وإما لأن كلامهم في الإفك كان تخافتاً وسراراً ولم يجهروا به ولكنهم أشاعوه في أوساطهم ومجالسهم . وهذا الذي يشعر به حديث عائشة في الإفك في «صحيح البخاري» وكيف سمعت الخبر من أم مسطح وقولها : أَوَ قَد تحدث بهذا وبلغ النبي وأبويّ؟ . وقيل : حد حسان ومسطحاً وحمنة ، قاله ابن إسحاق وجماعة ، وأما عبد الله بن أبيّ فقال فريق : إنه لم يحد حد القذف تأليفاً لقلبه للإيمان . وعن ابن عباس أن أبيّاً جلد حد القذف أيضاً .والإفاضة في القول مستعار من إفاضة الماء في الإناء ، أي كثرته فيه . فالمعنى : ما أكثرتم القول فيه والتحدث به بينكم .
{ وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ } بحيث شملكم إحسانه فيهما، في أمر دينكم ودنياكم، { لَمَسَّكُمْ فِيمَا أَفَضْتُمْ } أي: خضتم { فِيهِ } من شأن الإفك { عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ } لاستحقاقكم ذلك بما قلتم، ولكن من فضل الله عليكم ورحمته، أن شرع لكم التوبة، وجعل العقوبة مطهرة للذنوب.
قوله تعالى : ولولا فضل الله عليكم ورحمته فضل رفع بالابتداء عند سيبويه ، والخبر محذوف لا تظهره العرب . وحذف جواب لولا لأنه قد ذكر مثله بعد ؛ قال الله - عز وجل - ولولا فضل الله عليكم ورحمته لمسكم أي بسبب ما قلتم في عائشة عذاب عظيم في الدنيا والآخرة . وهذا عتاب من الله تعالى بليغ ، ولكنه برحمته ستر عليكم في الدنيا ويرحم في الآخرة من أتاه تائبا . والإفاضة : الأخذ في الحديث ؛ وهو الذي وقع عليه العتاب ؛ يقال : أفاض القوم في الحديث أي أخذوا فيه .
The role of the Prophet Muhammad was that of a preacher of Truth. The position of a preacher, or da‘i, is always extremely delicate. Even a slight mistake on his part can damage his entire mission. Those who lent an ear to baseless slander concerning a Muslim lady, namely ‘A’ishah, and started spreading it all around, were thus acting in a highly irresponsible manner. Had it not been for the timely refutation of the allegations—by direct intervention of God—this would have caused irreparable loss to Islam. Muslims would then have been divided into two groups and would have started fighting against each other. The community, which, according to God’s plan, was to serve as a means of eliminating the prevalence of polytheism from the world, would have destroyed itself in an internecine war.
وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُمْ فِي مَا أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ
And had it not been for the grace of Allah upon you, and His mercy in this world and in the Hereafter, a great punishment would have reached you for what you got indulged in - 24:14.
This verse was revealed for those believers who had by mistake got somehow involved in the slander, but then repented and begged Allah's pardon. Some of them were even punished, but all of them were told through this verse that the crime they had committed was a very grave one, and on that crime they could have been subjected to punishment even in this world, like the one sent down on earlier people. In addition, they would have also been punished severely in the Hereafter, but Allah's dealings with those believers were that of grace and mercy, both in this world and in the Hereafter. Hence, the chastisement was withdrawn from them. The manifestation of Allah's grace and mercy in the world is that, first, the Divine help was granted to adopt Islam and its faith, then the company of the Holy Prophet ﷺ ﷺ accorded, which is an impediment for the award of punishment, and then again the Divine help was granted to repent sincerely and beg Allah's forgiveness for the sin which was committed, and ultimately the repentance was accepted and the sin was pardoned. While in the Hereafter, the token of Allah's grace and mercy is that He has promised to forgive and overlook and grant pardon.
Then Allah revealed the following about those who did not slander 'A'ishah but talked about the slander: (Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you in the world and the Hereafter an awful doom had overtaken you) chastisement would have seized you in this worldly life and in the Hereafter (for that whereof you murmured) for the slanderous accusation which you repeated.