seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 24:11. Those who perpetrated the slander are a band of you. Do not consider it bad for you, but it is good for you. Each person among them bears his share in the sin. As for him who played the major role—for him is a terrible punishment.
12. Why, when you heard about it, the believing men and women did not think well of one another, and say, “This is an obvious lie”?
13. Why did they not bring four witnesses to testify to it? If they fail to bring the witnesses, then in God’s sight, they are liars.
14. Were it not for God’s favor upon you, and His mercy, in this world and the Hereafter, you would have suffered a great punishment for what you have ventured into.
15. When you rumored it with your tongues, and spoke with your mouths what you had no knowledge of, and you considered it trivial; but according to God, it is serious.
16. When you heard it, you should have said, “It is not for us to repeat this. By Your glory, this is a serious slander.”
17. God cautions you never to return to the like of it, if you are believers.
18. God explains the Verses to you. God is Knowing and Wise.
19. Those who love to see immorality spread among the believers—for them is a painful punishment, in this life and in the Hereafter. God knows, and you do not know.
20. Were it not for God’s grace upon you, and His mercy, and that God is Clement and Merciful.
Here's the commentary.The incident referred to in this section took place when the Prophet, accompanied by his wife ‘Å’ishah, was returning from the expedition against the Banß Mu©∆aliq in the fifth year of the Hijrah. ‘Å’ishah had gone out on a private occasion, but, when she returned, she perceived that she had lost her necklace, and went back to search for it. In her absence the attendants, supposing her to be in her howdah, started while it was yet dark. When she returned, finding the camel and the men gone, she sat down there and was brought to Madßnah by ˝afwån, who was coming in the rear. Some mischievous persons from among the hypocrites spread false reports, slandering her, and some of the Muslims also associated themselves with the slander. ‘Å’ishah’s innocence was at length established by this revelation. Those who had taken part in the accusation were punished, according to one √adßth. This is the grievous punishment referred to in the concluding words of the verse.
It may be added here that the tongue of gossip has never spared even the most virtuous women. Another case of a virtuous woman being thus defamed is that of Mary, the mother of Jesus, about whom the Jews talked similar slander. The addition of the words — deem it not an evil to you: nay, it is good for you — aims at bringing solace to such aggrieved people, seeing that even the most virtuous of women could not escape the tongue of slander.
He who took the main part thereof upon himself is said to be ‘Abd Allåh ibn Ubayy, the chief of the hypocrites, because he concocted the lie and circulated the false report.
There was not a single witness, nor any circumstance that could lend colour to the false story.
Severe as the punishment for adultery is in Islåm, the evidence of four witnesses is required to establish the guilt; see v. 4. The allegation of a Christian annotator that this requirement of the law was simply to shield ‘Å’ishah is a baseless conjecture in view of the fact that in her case there was not a single witness. Why should the Prophet then have required four witnesses? The fact is that while the Qur’ån takes a very serious view of the crimes against chastity, it also makes criminal the circulation of false reports affecting a woman’s chastity. Thus even a lighter accusation in connection with the misconduct of women required the evidence of four witnesses.
The same words in the next verse are followed by the statement, not one of you would ever have been pure.
Do you know what a Howdah is? I didn't. I had to look it up. It seems to be that thing they carried people in. That thing they put on the top of an elephant or a camel to get around in. Apparently rich men used them too. I would say... it was an ancient taxi.So anyway... the prophet's wife was supposed to be waiting in the howdah but she had some personal business.... like she had to go pee or go see a friend real quick. She jumped out of the howdah to do whatever it was.... and the rest of the group, thinking she was still in the howdah up there on the animal.... took off without her. When she got back... they were gone.... so she just plopped right down there and waited for them to realize she was missing and come back for her.
Well of course.... some gossip got hold of the news the prophet's wife was missing.... and they started their tales of what could have happened to her....none of them were anything near the truth... that she just stepped aside for a minute. There was not one witness to anything the gossips were saying because it just wasn't true.
HOWEVER.... this was really serious. She could have been beaten in the public square! Just for getting out of the howdah to do whatever it was she had to take care of. So the gossips were held accountable instead. They were punished because of what they did.... spreading lies.
Mary was called a goddess..... that's pretty serious too. She never claimed to be a goddess.... but people tagged her and that threw everything askew. She was a pregnant little virgin girl. Yeah, I know... pregnant and virgin don't cooperate well together. I'm sure they tagged her a liar too. It's a good thing Joseph believed the angel who told him the truth.
So today was about the Prophet's Wife who jumped down from her howdah..... and the consequences.
It's about liars and gossips.
