Verily! those who brought forth the slander (against 'Aishah radhiallahu'anhu the wife of the Prophet SAW) are a group among you. Consider it not a bad thing for you. Nay, it is good for you. Unto every man among them will be paid that which he had earned of the sin, and as for him among them who had the greater share therein, his will be a great torment. (11) Why then, did not the believers, men and women, when you heard it (the slander) think good of their own people and say: "This (charge) is an obvious lie[]?" (12) Why did they not produce four witnesses? Since they (the slanderers) have not produced witnesses! Then with Allâh they are the liars. (13) Had it not been for the Grace of Allâh and His Mercy unto you in this world and in the Hereafter, a great torment would have touched you for that whereof you had spoken. (14) When you were propagating it with your tongues, and uttering with your mouths that whereof you had no knowledge, you counted it a little thing, while with Allâh it was very great. (15) And why did you not, when you heard it, say "It is not right for us to speak of this. Glory is to You (O Allâh) this is a great lie." (16) Allâh forbids you from it and warns you not to repeat the like of it forever, if you are believers. (17) And Allâh makes the Ayât (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) plain to you, and Allâh is All-Knowing, All-Wise. (18) Verily, those who like that (the crime of) illegal sexual intercourse should be propagated among those who believe, they will have a painful torment in this world and in the Hereafter. And Allâh knows and you know not. (19) And had it not been for the Grace of Allâh and His Mercy on you, (Allâh would have hastened the punishment upon you). And that Allâh is full of kindness, Most Merciful. (20)