Verily! Those who brought forth the slander (against 'Aishah, 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 Would that on your hearing this report, the believing men and women among you had a favorable attitude towards it, and had said, "This report is clearly false". 12 Why did they not produce four witnesses? If they could not produce any witnesses, they were indeed liars in the sight of God! 13 Had it not been for the grace of Allah and His mercy unto you in the world and the Hereafter an awful doom had overtaken you for that whereof ye murmured. 14 When ye welcomed it with your tongues, and uttered with your mouths that whereof ye had no knowledge, ye counted it a trifle. In the sight of Allah it is very great. 15 Would that on hearing this report, you had said, "We have nothing to say about it. God forbid! It is a serious accusation." 16 God admonishes you [hereby] lest you ever revert to the like of this [sin,] if you are [truly] believers; 17 Allah makes His Revelations clear to you, and He is All-Knowing, All-Wise. 18 There is painful punishment in this world and the next for those who like that immorality should spread among the believers, for God knows and you do not know. 19 But for the grace of God and His mercy upon you, and were not God compassionate and merciful, [you would have come to grief]. 20