Surah An-Nur 24:12

Disciplining the Believers for spreading the Slander

Here Allah disciplines the believers with regard to the matter of `A'ishah, because some of them spread this evil talk and the slander that had been mentioned. So Allah says:

لَّوْلا إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ

(Why then, when you heard it,) meaning, the talk which accused the Mother of the believers, may Allah be pleased with her,

ظَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَـتُ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ خَيْراً

(the believers, men and women, think good of their own people) means, why did they not compare what was said to themselves -- if it was not befitting for them then it was even less appropriate for the Mother of the believers, and she was more likely to be innocent. Or it was said that this was revealed about Abu Ayyub Khalid bin Zayd Al-Ansari and his wife, may Allah be pleased with them. Imam Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar narrated, "The wife of Abu Ayyub Khalid bin Zayd Al-Ansari, Umm Ayyub, said to him, `O Abu Ayyub, have you heard what the people are saying about `A'ishah' He said, `Yes, and it is all lies. Would you do that, O Umm Ayyub' She said, `No, by Allah, I would not do that.' He said, `And by Allah, `A'ishah is better than you.' When the Qur'an was revealed, Allah mentioned those who spoke about the evil deed among the people of the slander,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ جَآءُوا بِالإِفْكِ عُصْبَةٌ مِّنْكُمْ

(Verily, those who brought forth the slander are a group among you.) 24:1 This refers to Hassan and his companions who said what they said. Then Allah said,

لَّوْلا إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ ظَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

(Why then, did not the believers, men, when you heard it, think...) means, as Abu Ayyub and his wife did." Allah's saying:

ظَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ

(the believers, men think...) meaning, `why did they not think good, because the Mother of the believers is his wife and is closer to him.' This is concerned with innermost feelings;

وَقَالُواْ

(and say:) means, with their tongues, verbally,

هَـذَآ إِفْكٌ مُّبِينٌ

("This (charge) is an obvious lie") means, a clear untruth told about the Mother of the believers, may Allah be pleased with her. What happened should not have been the cause of suspicion. The fact that the Mother of the believers came openly, riding on the camel of Safwan bin Al-Mu`attal at midday, with the entire army watching and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ among them, should have made it clear that there was no cause for suspicion. If there had been anything suspicious about the matter, they would not have come openly in this manner in front of so many witnesses; they would have come secretly. On this basis, what the people of the slander said accusing the Mother of the believers was an utter lie, false speech and evil foolish talk, by which people who indulged in it lost out. Allah said:

لَّوْلاَ جَآءُو عَلَيْهِ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَآءَ

(Why did they not produce four witnesses against him) meaning, to prove that what they were saying was true.

فَإِذْ لَمْ يَأْتُواْ بِالشُّهَدَآءِ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ عِندَ اللَّهِ هُمُ الْكَـذِبُونَ

(Since they have not produced witnesses! Then with Allah they are the liars.)Allah has ruled that they are indeed wicked liars.

Ayat ini menerangkan bahwa Allah mencela tindakan orang-orang mukmin yang mendengar berita bohong itu yang seakan-akan mempercayainya. Mengapa mereka tidak menolak fitnahan itu secara spontan? Mengapa mereka tidak mendahulukan baik sangkanya? Iman mereka, semestinya membawa mereka untuk berbaik sangka, dan mencegah mereka berburuk sangka kepada sesama orang mukmin, karena baik atau buruk sesama mukmin, pada hakikatnya adalah juga baik atau buruk juga bagi dia sendiri, sebagaimana firman Allah:

Wahai orang-orang yang beriman! Jauhilah banyak dari prasangka, sesungguhnya sebagian prasangka itu dosa dan janganlah kamu mencari-cari kesalahan orang lain dan janganlah ada di antara kamu yang menggunjing sebagian yang lain. Apakah ada di antara kamu yang suka memakan daging saudaranya yang sudah mati? Tentu kamu merasa jijik. Dan bertakwalah kepada Allah, sesungguhnya Allah Maha Penerima tobat, Maha Penyayang. (al-hujurat/49: 12)

Maksudnya, janganlah orang mukmin mencela sesama orang mukmin, karena orang mukmin itu seperti satu badan.

Rasulullah sendiri mencegah para sahabat melakukan sangkaan yang tidak baik itu ketika beliau menjemput kedatangan Aisyah dengan mempergunakan unta shafw±n bin Muaththal di tengah hari bolong dan disaksikan oleh orang banyak, agar mencegah adanya sangkaan-sangkaan yang tidak sehat. Kalau ada desas-desus yang sifatnya negatif, sebenarnya hal itu adalah luapan prasangka mereka yang disembunyikan dan kebencian yang ditutupi selama ini.