Indeed those who have brought this great accusation are a group from among you; do not consider it bad for you; on the contrary, it is good for you; for each man among them is the sin that he has earned; and for the one among them who played the greatest part in it – for him is a terrible punishment. 11 Why did not the believing men and the believing women, when you heard it, think well of their own people, and say: This is an evident falsehood? 12 Why did they not bring four witnesses upon it? Since they did not bring witnesses, they themselves are liars before Allah. 13 And were it not for God's favour upon you, [O men,] and His grace in this world and in the life to come, awesome suffering would indeed have afflicted you in result of all [the calumny] in which you indulge 14 When you received it with your tongues and spoke with your mouths what you had no knowledge of, and you deemed it an easy matter while with Allah it was grievous. 15 Why did you not, as soon as you heard of it, say, "It is not proper for us to utter such a thing? Glory be to Allah! This is a great slander." 16 Allah forbids you from it and warns you not to repeat the like of it forever, if you are believers. 17 for God makes [His] messages clear unto you - and God is all-knowing, 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 Allah knows and you know not. 19 But for the grace of God and His mercy (much harm would have been done); yet God is compassionate and kind. 20