لَّوْلَا إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ ظَنَّ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتُ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ خَيْرًا وَقَالُوا هَٰذَا إِفْكٌ مُّبِينٌ
Lawla ith samiAAtumoohu thanna almu/minoona waalmu/minatu bi-anfusihim khayran waqaloo hatha ifkun mubeenun
Why not, when you heard it, think the believing men and the believing women good of themselves and say, "This (is) a lie clear?"
Why do not the believing men and women, whenever such [a rumour] is heard, think the best of one another and say, This is an obvious falsehood"?
Why did not the believers - men and women - when ye heard of the affair,- put the best construction on it in their own minds and say, "This (charge) is an obvious lie" ?
Why did not the believers, men and women, when ye heard it, think good of their own own folk, and say: It is a manifest untruth?
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?
Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think good of one another and say, "This is an obvious falsehood"?