Transliteration:( Wa law laaa iz sami'tu moohu qultum maa yakoonu lanaaa an natakallama bihaazaa Subhaanaka haaza buhtaanun 'azeem )
“And why did you not say, when you heard it, ‘It is not right for us to talk about this. Allah, glorified be You; this is a great lie.’ [32]”
This verse rebukes the believers for not reacting immediately and righteously when they first heard the slander against Sayyidah Ayesha (RA).
The correct attitude should have been:
To refuse engaging in such talk,
To declare that it is not befitting of believers to spread such rumors,
And to say, “Subhanaka — Glorified are You, O Allah!”, expressing shock and reverence toward Allah for being associated with such falsehood.
Calling it a “great lie” was the clear, rightful, and faithful response.
This verse:
Emphasizes the importance of immediate moral clarity,
Teaches believers to distance themselves from baseless talk, especially regarding someone’s honour,
And shows that even listening silently to slander is blameworthy.
It is a lesson in guarding one’s tongue, heart, and community values, especially in matters where no proof exists and dignity is at stake.
16. And why did you not, when you heard it, say: “It is not right for us to speak of this. Glory be to You (O Allah)! This is a great lie.” 17. Allah forbids you from it and warns you not to repeat the like of it forever, if you are believers. 18. And Allah makes the Ayat plain to you, and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.
This is further discipline, in addition to the command to think well of people, i.e., if something unbefitting is mentioned about good people, then one should think well of them, and not feel towards them anything but good. Then if a person has any unsuitable thoughts about them, insinuated into his mind and imagination by Shaytan, he should not speak about that, for the Prophet said:
(Allah will excuse my Ummah for anything that occurs to their minds, so long as they do not speak about it or act upon it.) This was reported in the Two Sahihs. Allah’s saying:
(And why did you not, when you heard it, say: “It is not right for us to speak of this”.) meaning, we should not talk about it or mention it to anyone.
(Glory be to You (O Allah)! This is a great lie.) means, glory be to Allah that such a thing should be said about the wife of His Prophet and close Friend . Then Allah says,
(Allah forbids you from it and warns you not to repeat the like of it forever, ) meaning, Allah is forbidding you and warning you from doing anything like this again in the future. Allah says,
(if you are believers.) meaning, if you believe in Allah and His Laws, and you respect His Messenger . As for those who are described as disbelievers, a different ruling applies in their case. Then Allah says,
(And Allah makes the Ayat plain to you,) meaning, He makes clear to you the rulings of Shari`ah and His divine decrees.
(and Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.) means, He knows what is right for His servants and He is Wise in His Laws and decrees.
(24:16) And why, no sooner than you had heard it, did you not say: “It becomes us not even to utter such a thing? Holy are You (O Allah)! This is a mighty calumny.”
There is no commentary by Abul Maududi available for this verse.
For a faster and smoother experience,
install our mobile app now.
Related Ayat(Verses)/Topics