إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ جَآءُو بِٱلْإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌۭ مِّنكُمْ ۚ لَا تَحْسَبُوهُ شَرًّۭا لَّكُم ۖ بَلْ هُوَ خَيْرٌۭ لَّكُمْ ۚ لِكُلِّ ٱمْرِئٍۢ مِّنْهُم مَّا ٱكْتَسَبَ مِنَ ٱلْإِثْمِ ۚ وَٱلَّذِى تَوَلَّىٰ كِبْرَهُۥ مِنْهُمْ لَهُۥ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌۭ ١١
24:11 | Indeed, those who came with falsehood ¹ 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 ² - for him is a great punishment [i.e., Hellfire].
Footnote 24:11 (1):🅧
Referring to the incident when the Prophet's wife ʿĀ’ishah was falsely accused by the hypocrites.
Footnote 24:11 (2):🅧
i.e., ʿAbdullāh bin ʿUbayy, leader of the hypocrites.
لَّوْلَآ إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ ظَنَّ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتُ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ خَيْرًۭا وَقَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَآ إِفْكٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ ١٢
24:12 | 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"?
لَّوْلَا جَآءُو عَلَيْهِ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَآءَ ۚ فَإِذْ لَمْ يَأْتُوا۟ بِٱلشُّهَدَآءِ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُمُ ٱلْكَـٰذِبُونَ ١٣
24:13 | 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 Allāh, who are the liars.
وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُۥ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ لَمَسَّكُمْ فِى مَآ أَفَضْتُمْ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ عَظِيمٌ ١٤
24:14 | And if it had not been for the favor of Allāh 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
إِذْ تَلَقَّوْنَهُۥ بِأَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَتَقُولُونَ بِأَفْوَاهِكُم مَّا لَيْسَ لَكُم بِهِۦ عِلْمٌۭ وَتَحْسَبُونَهُۥ هَيِّنًۭا وَهُوَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ عَظِيمٌۭ ١٥
24:15 | When you received it with your tongues ¹ and said with your mouths that of which you had no knowledge and thought it was insignificant while it was, in the sight of Allāh, tremendous.
Footnote 24:15 (1):🅧
Rather than your ears, i.e., not thinking about what you had heard but hastening to repeat it carelessly.
وَلَوْلَآ إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ قُلْتُم مَّا يَكُونُ لَنَآ أَن نَّتَكَلَّمَ بِهَـٰذَا سُبْحَـٰنَكَ هَـٰذَا بُهْتَـٰنٌ عَظِيمٌۭ ١٦
24:16 | And why, when you heard it, did you not say, "It is not for us to speak of this. Exalted are You, [O Allāh]; this is a great slander"?
يَعِظُكُمُ ٱللَّهُ أَن تَعُودُوا۟ لِمِثْلِهِۦٓ أَبَدًا إِن كُنتُم مُّؤْمِنِينَ ١٧
24:17 | Allāh warns you against returning to the likes of this [conduct], ever, if you should be believers.
وَيُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمُ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ ١٨
24:18 | And Allāh makes clear to you the verses [i.e., His rulings], and Allāh is Knowing and Wise.
إِنَّ ٱلَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَن تَشِيعَ ٱلْفَـٰحِشَةُ فِى ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ١٩
24:19 | Indeed, those who like that immorality ¹ should be spread [or publicized] among those who have believed will have a painful punishment in this world and the Hereafter. And Allāh knows ² and you do not know.
Footnote 24:19 (1):🅧
Specifically, unlawful sexual relations.
Footnote 24:19 (2):🅧
The hidden aspects of all things: what is beneficial and what is harmful.
وَلَوْلَا فَضْلُ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُۥ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ رَءُوفٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ ٢٠
24:20 | And if it had not been for the favor of Allāh upon you and His mercy... ¹ and because Allāh is Kind and Merciful.
Footnote 24:20 (1):🅧
The phrase omitted is estimated to be "...you would have surely been punished, destroyed or scandalized," or "...you would have suffered many difficult situations."