Verse 24:16 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

12 لَّوۡلَاۤ إِذۡ سَمِعۡتُمُوهُ ظَنَّ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنُونَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡمِنَـٰتُ بِأَنفُسِهِمۡ خَیۡرࣰا وَقَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَاۤ إِفۡكࣱ مُّبِینࣱ ۝١٢ lawlā idh samiʿ'tumūhu ẓanna l-mu'minūna wal-mu'minātu bi-anfusihim khayran waqālū hādhā if'kun mubīnu When you heard the lie, why did believing men and women not think well of their own people and declare, ‘This is obviously a lie’ 13 لَّوۡلَا جَاۤءُو عَلَیۡهِ بِأَرۡبَعَةِ شُهَدَاۤءَۚ فَإِذۡ لَمۡ یَأۡتُوا۟ بِٱلشُّهَدَاۤءِ فَأُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُمُ ٱلۡكَـٰذِبُونَ ۝١٣ lawlā jāū ʿalayhi bi-arbaʿati shuhadāa fa-idh lam yatū bil-shuhadāi fa-ulāika ʿinda l-lahi humu l-kādhibūn And why did the accusers not bring four witnesses to it? If they cannot produce such witnesses, they are the liars in God’s eyes 14 وَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَیۡكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَتُهُۥ فِی ٱلدُّنۡیَا وَٱلۡءَاخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُمۡ فِی مَاۤ أَفَضۡتُمۡ فِیهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِیمٌ ۝١٤ walawlā faḍlu l-lahi ʿalaykum waraḥmatuhu fī l-dun'yā wal-ākhirati lamassakum fī mā afaḍtum fīhi ʿadhābun ʿaẓīmu If it were not for God’s bounty and mercy towards you in this world and the next, you would already have been afflicted by terrible suffering for indulging in such talk 15 إِذۡ تَلَقَّوۡنَهُۥ بِأَلۡسِنَتِكُمۡ وَتَقُولُونَ بِأَفۡوَاهِكُم مَّا لَیۡسَ لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلۡمࣱ وَتَحۡسَبُونَهُۥ هَیِّنࣰا وَهُوَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ عَظِیمࣱ ۝١٥ idh talaqqawnahu bi-alsinatikum wataqūlūna bi-afwāhikum mā laysa lakum bihi ʿil'mun wataḥsabūnahu hayyinan wahuwa ʿinda l-lahi ʿaẓīmu When you took it up with your tongues, and spoke with your mouths things you did not know [to be true], you thought it was trivial but to God it was very serious

16 وَلَوۡلَاۤ إِذۡ سَمِعۡتُمُوهُ قُلۡتُم مَّا یَكُونُ لَنَاۤ أَن نَّتَكَلَّمَ بِهَـٰذَا سُبۡحَـٰنَكَ هَـٰذَا بُهۡتَـٰنٌ عَظِیمࣱ ۝١٦ walawlā idh samiʿ'tumūhu qul'tum mā yakūnu lanā an natakallama bihādhā sub'ḥānaka hādhā buh'tānun ʿaẓīmu When you heard the lie, why did you not say, ‘We should not repeat this- God forbid!- It is a monstrous slander’

17 یَعِظُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَن تَعُودُوا۟ لِمِثۡلِهِۦۤ أَبَدًا إِن كُنتُم مُّؤۡمِنِینَ ۝١٧ yaʿiẓukumu l-lahu an taʿūdū limith'lihi abadan in kuntum mu'minīn God warns you never to do anything like this again, if you are true believers 18 وَیُبَیِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلۡءَایَـٰتِۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِیمٌ حَكِیمٌ ۝١٨ wayubayyinu l-lahu lakumu l-āyāti wal-lahu ʿalīmun ḥakīmu God makes His messages clear to you: God is all knowing, all wise 19 إِنَّ ٱلَّذِینَ یُحِبُّونَ أَن تَشِیعَ ٱلۡفَـٰحِشَةُ فِی ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَهُمۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِیمࣱ فِی ٱلدُّنۡیَا وَٱلۡءَاخِرَةِۚ وَٱللَّهُ یَعۡلَمُ وَأَنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ ۝١٩ inna alladhīna yuḥibbūna an tashīʿa l-fāḥishatu fī alladhīna āmanū lahum ʿadhābun alīmun fī l-dun'yā wal-ākhirati wal-lahu yaʿlamu wa-antum lā taʿlamūn A painful punishment waits in this world and the next for those who like indecency to spread among the believers: God knows and you do not 20 وَلَوۡلَا فَضۡلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَیۡكُمۡ وَرَحۡمَتُهُۥ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَءُوفࣱ رَّحِیمࣱ ۝٢٠ walawlā faḍlu l-lahi ʿalaykum waraḥmatuhu wa-anna l-laha raūfun raḥīmu If it were not for God’s bounty and mercy and the fact that He is compassionate and merciful . . .