إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُحِبُّونَ أَن تَشِيعَ الْفَاحِشَةُ فِي الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَهُمْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ وَأَنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

Indeed those who want indecency to spread among the faithful – there is a painful punishment for them in the world and the hereafter, and Allah knows and you do not know.

EXEGESIS

Yuḥibbūna (they want) is from ḥubb, which means literally to love something.

EXPOSITION

This is the final verse that is specifically about the event of ifk, as verses 20-26 are more general in their purport, although still relevant to the event. The shift from specific to general is already initiated in this verse, with the general declaration of Indeed those who. While this is specifically related to the event of ifk, it is also a general exhortation.[1]

In this verse, God closes with an important reminder about those who fell into sin because of the event of ifk. Verse 11 told us about the one who came up with the idea and the group that helped him initially spread it. Verse 15 told us of those who passed it along. Verse 16 told us of those who heard it and failed to condemn it in response. This verse now speaks of those who failed to condemn it in their hearts; those who secretly enjoyed – because of jealousy, pettiness, resentment, or some other vice – that a scandalous rumour should spread about another believer in the community, whether it be those who initiated it, spread it, or heard it. Those who are pleased with a sin are participants in it and also guilty of it. The general scope of the verse therefore includes all aforementioned groups.

Indeed those who want indecency to spread among the faithful: it has been said that this means they desire that sins should be spread and made known to others.[2] This includes the act of slander, as well as other types of backbiting and slander.[3] Hence it means those who love to see sins being attributed to the believers so that it should seem that the believers are in fact sinners because of slanderous rumours, or anything else which defames and denigrates the believers.

This is one of the types of diseases of the heart, whereby often those who are sinful want to either entice others to sin, or become overjoyed when someone from the community of believers commits a sin or makes a mistake, so that they may then point them out and say ‘see, they are no better than us’. Failing that, they might make up slanders or spread baseless rumours to achieve the same end.

There is a painful punishment for them in the world and the hereafter: the worldly punishment can be for example the ḥadd punishment,[4] although there is no reason to limit it to that, since simply loving or wanting indecency to spread is not something that is punishable by ḥadd, which would be reserved only for those who actually slander others.[5] Hence, the painful punishment should include the tribulations sent by God as well.

And Allah knows and you do not know: God knows the outcome of sins and the consequences of actions.[6] If people knew and understood the real consequences of their sins they would almost never enter into it. It is this ignorance that allows man to commit sins and disobey the command of God. Although, this ignorance is often wilful and the result of scorning what man innately and rationally understands to be good and righteous. This is why God sends down the ‘clear command’, so that man may be reminded and warned and avoid the destruction that sin entails, and We have sent down in it manifest signs so that you may take admonition (verse 1).

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

1. From Imam al-Ṣādiq (a): ‘Whoever says about a believer what his eyes have seen or his ears have heard, he is from amongst those regarding whom God – mighty and glorious – has said: Indeed those who want indecency to spread among the faithful.’[7]

Note: This means that even if one witnesses or hears of the mistake or sin of a believer, they should not backbite them and tell others of that (unless there is a need to speak out about it; for that, see the commentary on 4:148).

2. From Manṣūr ibn Ḥāzim, that Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) reported from the Prophet: ‘Whoever spreads an indecency is like the one who initiated it. Whoever censures [in front of other people] a Muslim because of a sin [and thinks himself safe from it], will not die until he commits it too.’[8]
3. From Abū Dardāʾ, that the Prophet said: ‘Whenever a man spreads rumours about another innocent man, wishing to denigrate him in this world, it is God’s right to throw him in the fire. This is originally found in the book of God: Indeed those who want indecency to spread among the faithful.’[9]
4. From Imam Ali (a): ‘The one who is pleased with the actions of a people shares in them as if he participated in them. For everyone who participates in falsehood, there are two sins: the sin of performing it, and the sin of being pleased with it.’[10]
5. From Ṭalḥah ibn Zayd, that Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) reported through his fathers, that Imam Ali (a) said: ‘The one who performs a sin, and the one who is pleased with it, and the one who enables it, all three of them are partners.’[11]
6. From al-Sakūnī, that Imam al-Ṣādiq (a) reported through his fathers, that the Prophet said: ‘Whoever was present for an event and was displeased with it, is like the one who was not present; and the one who is not present for an event and is pleased with it, is like the one who was present.’[12]
7. From Muhammad ibn al-Fuḍayl, that he asked Imam al-Kāẓim (a): ‘May I be your ransom, there is a man among my brethren about whom I have heard something I dislike. I asked him about it, and he denied it. However, trustworthy people have informed me about it?’ He said to me: ‘O Muhammad, belie your ears and your eyes regarding your brethren. Even if fifty people come to you and testify to something by oath and he tells you the opposite, accept his word and reject theirs. Do not spread anything that would disgrace him and undermine his dignity, for you would then be among those about whom God – mighty and glorious – has said: Indeed those who want indecency to spread among the faithful …’[13]

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Some exegetes have suggested that and Allah knows and you do not know means: God knows that those who invented the slander are liars, while you do not know;[14] or: He knows the secrets hidden in people’s hearts and who secretly enjoys slanderous rumours to be spread about the believers.[15]

[1] See also Razi, 23/345, who points out that the expression among the faithful is also in the plural, which confirms that the verse has a general purport, and is not just about the wife of the Prophet.
[2] Tibyan, 7/419.
[3] See Mizan, 15/93.
[4] Tibyan, 7/419; Tabari, 18/80. Like the punishment for slander described in verse 4 of this surah.
[5] Mizan, 15/93. Furthermore, Tabatabai points out that the ḥadd is prescribed for just slandering, even if it be only once, and it is not necessary that the slander actually spreads.
[6] See Tibyan, 7/419; Tabrisi, 7/208.
[7] Kafi, 2/357; Qummi, 2/100; Wasail, 12/280, h. 16305.
[8] Barqi, 1/104; Thawab, p. 247; Wasail, 12/296, h. 16345.
[9] Thalabi, 7/81.
[10] Nahj, saying 154; Wasail, 16/141, h. 21188.
[11] Wasail, 16/139, h. 21182.
[12] Wasail, 16/137-138, h. 21178.
[13] Kafi, 8/147; Thawab, p. 247; Wasail, 12/295, h. 16343.
[14] Tabari, 18/80.
[15] Zamakhshari, 3/221; Razi, 23/346; Baydawi, 4/102.