Tafseer Ibn Kathir of AN NUUR [12]

12. Why then, did not the believers, men and women, when you heard it, think good of their own people and say: ”This is an obvious lie'' 13. Why did they not produce four witnesses against him Since they have not produced witnesses! Then with Allah, they are the liars. Here Allah disciplines the believers with regard to the matter of `A'ishah, because some of them spread this evil talk and the slander that had been mentioned. So Allah says:

(Why then, when you heard it,) meaning, the talk which accused the Mother of the believers, may Allah be pleased with her,

(the believers, men and women, think good of their own people) means, why did they not compare what was said to themselves -- if it was not befitting for them then it was even less appropriate for the Mother of the believers, and she was more likely to be innocent. Or it was said that this was revealed about Abu Ayyub Khalid bin Zayd Al-Ansari and his wife, may Allah be pleased with them. Imam Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar narrated, ”The wife of Abu Ayyub Khalid bin Zayd Al-Ansari, Umm Ayyub, said to him, `O Abu Ayyub, have you heard what the people are saying about `A'ishah' He said, `Yes, and it is all lies. Would you do that, O Umm Ayyub' She said, `No, by Allah, I would not do that.' He said, `And by Allah, `A'ishah is better than you.' When the Qur'an was revealed, Allah mentioned those who spoke about the evil deed among the people of the slander,

(Verily, those who brought forth the slander are a group among you.) ï´¿24:1ï´¾ This refers to Hassan and his companions who said what they said. Then Allah said,

(Why then, did not the believers, men, when you heard it, think...) means, as Abu Ayyub and his wife did.'' Allah's saying:

(the believers, men think...) meaning, `why did they not think good, because the Mother of the believers is his wife and is closer to him.' This is concerned with innermost feelings;

(and say:) means, with their tongues, verbally,

(”This (charge) is an obvious lie'') means, a clear untruth told about the Mother of the believers, may Allah be pleased with her. What happened should not have been the cause of suspicion. The fact that the Mother of the believers came openly, riding on the camel of Safwan bin Al-Mu`attal at midday, with the entire army watching and the Messenger of Allah among them, should have made it clear that there was no cause for suspicion. If there had been anything suspicious about the matter, they would not have come openly in this manner in front of so many witnesses; they would have come secretly. On this basis, what the people of the slander said accusing the Mother of the believers was an utter lie, false speech and evil foolish talk, by which people who indulged in it lost out. Allah said:

(Why did they not produce four witnesses against him) meaning, to prove that what they were saying was true.

(Since they have not produced witnesses! Then with Allah they are the liars.)Allah has ruled that they are indeed wicked liars.