وَلَوْلَا إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ قُلْتُم مَّا يَكُونُ لَنَا أَن نَّتَكَلَّمَ بِهَذَا سُبْحَانَكَ هَذَا بُهْتَانٌ عَظِيمٌ

And why did you not, when you heard it, say: ‘It is not for us to speak of such a thing. [O Allah!] You are immaculate! This is a monstrous calumny!’

EXEGESIS

Buhtān (calumny) comes from bahata, meaning to become confounded, like in the verse, Thereat the faithless one was dumbfounded (buhita) (2:258). A buhtān is a lie, because it is contrary to the truth and causes one to become confounded.[1] In other words it is a slanderous lie that causes the target of the lie to become shocked and dismayed, wondering when had he ever said or done such a thing.[2]

EXPOSITION

This verse is the final usage of law lā (why … not) in the meaning of a deploration in this section of the surah. Here God even further deplores and lambasts the believers that they did not react to the slander in the manner they should have. The repeated criticisms highlight the severity of the sin.

And why did you not, when you heard it: an important reminder that even listening to slander and backbiting is a sin, which should be shunned and condemned. Unfortunately, the Muslims not only listened to it, but passed it along.

It is not for us to speak of such a thing: of course, any sort of slander and backbiting is forbidden, let alone such that is directed at the household of the Prophet.

You are immaculate: this is either said in the sense of wonder and amazement at those who would claim such a thing,[3] or to indicate that the ones who heard it should have had greater respect for God rather than enter into such a calumny,[4] or to deny that God would allow His Messenger to be humiliated by having a wife who commits such deeds.[5]

This is a monstrous calumny: all calumnies are evil, however the severity can also increase depending on the nature of the lie.[6]

We could ask: on what basis are the believers instructed to dismiss the accusation as a lie, when they at that moment had no way of knowing whether it was true or not? The best answer to this is what was given earlier in the surah: So if they did not bring the witnesses, they are liars in Allah’s sight (verse 13). If accusation of adultery is not accompanied by four witnesses it is to be treated as a lie, no matter what the truth may be, especially so when directed at a wife of the Prophet.[7] Furthermore, the believers should have ḥusn al-ẓann (good assumptions) about each other, as was discussed in verse 12.

Finally, it could be noted that this is the third verse in a row that ends with the word aẓīm (translated as great, grave, and monstrous, in that order). It is a testament to the unique style of the Quran that mixes prose and poetry that usage of the same word for three subsequent rhymes is not monotonous and only noticeable if one is specifically looking out for it.

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Shaʿrāwī says that It is not for us to speak of such a thing means it should not be spoken of at all, not even in the negative in order to deny it. He argues that even when you deny something that is obviously not attributable to someone, it creates doubt in the mind of the listeners. He says that, for example, saying ‘the shaykh does not drink wine’ is one such statement, which should not even be expressed since it is obvious the shaykh does not drink, but saying so only creates doubt in the mind. Therefore, the believers should simply say It is not for us to speak of such a thing rather than even denying the slander about the Prophet’s wife.[8] Whatever we may feel about the validity of that argument, it certainly does not apply to this verse. If an accusation has already been made, there is no reason not to negate it, and sometimes in fact that must be done. For example, God replies to those who claim that He rested on the seventh day after creation, Certainly We created the heavens and the earth, and whatever is between them, in six days, and any fatigue did not touch Us (50:38). While there is no doubt that weariness is not attributable to God, He still negates it, because such an accusation has been made; let alone the myriad of verses in the Quran that deny other such false claims like Him having offspring or partners. Yes, going around and denying something that people have not heard of already is a case for Shaʿrāwī’s argument. As the saying goes, ‘falsehood dies by not mentioning it’.

When Rāzī presents the question that on what basis are the believers instructed to dismiss the accusation as a lie when they at that moment had no way of knowing it was true or not, he asserts that they could say it is a lie with certainty due to the principle that the wives of prophets do not commit adultery.[9] This is not very satisfying though, as we cannot assert that this principle was something known to all in the general Muslim population, either at that time or even today.

Ālūsī criticises Rāzī’s position and the principle as a whole, arguing that if the principle was true then the Prophet and Abū Bakr would not have doubted ʿĀʾishah. He does attempt to salvage the principle by arguing that it is probably not of the rational necessities of prophethood like trustworthiness (amānah) and honesty (ṣidq), but rather a legal and conventional necessity.[10] However, instead of such theological gymnastics, it is better to simply reject the reports – at least in their details – as they have many other problematic contradictions, which we discussed in verse 11.

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

1. Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips![11]

[1] Tahqiq, 1/373, b-h-t.
[2] Mizan, 15/92.
[3] Tantawi, 10/97.
[4] Tabrisi, 7/208.
[5] Zamakhshari, 3/220; Munyah, 19/89.
[6] Munyah, 19/89.
[7] See Mizan, 15/92.
[8] Sharawi, p. 10219.
[9] Razi, 23/344.
[10] Alusi, 9/316-317. For the details of his reasoning, one may refer to his work.
[11] Psalms 141:3.