لَّوْلَآ Why not lawlā when idh you heard it samiʿ'tumūhu think ẓanna the believing men l-mu'minūna and the believing women wal-mu'minātu good of themselves bi-anfusihim good of themselves khayran and say waqālū This hādhā (is) a lie if'kun clear mubīnun
Why, when you heard it, did not the believing men and believing women think good of themselves [i.e., one another] and say, "This is an obvious falsehood"?
لَّوْلَا Why (did) not lawlā they bring jāū for it ʿalayhi four bi-arbaʿati witnesses shuhadāa Then when fa-idh not lam they brought yatū the witnesses bil-shuhadāi then those fa-ulāika near Allah ʿinda near Allah l-lahi they humu (are) the liars l-kādhibūna
Why did they [who slandered] not produce for it four witnesses? And when they do not produce the witnesses, then it is they, in the sight of Allāh, who are the liars.