What is the response to someone who claims that the noble verse: "Wicked women are for wicked men, and wicked men are for wicked women. And good women are for good men, and good men are for good women. Those [good people] are innocent of what the accusers say. For them is forgiveness and noble provision" (24:26) is not applicable in reality, citing the wives of Prophet Lot and Pharaoh as evidence?

The exegetes differed regarding the meaning of the verse. Some of them are of the view that "al-khabīthāt" (the evil things/words/deeds) are the bad sayings and actions that emanate from "al-khabīthīn" (the evil ones) among people, and that "al-ṭayyibāt" (the good things/words/deeds) are the good sayings and actions that emanate from "al-ṭayyibīn" (the good ones).

Others are of the view that the verse speaks about individuals: so, evil women are for evil men, and evil men are for evil women; and good women are for good men, and good men are for good women.

Ibn Jarir al-Tabari chose the first meaning, saying: "The most appropriate of these interpretations for the verse is the saying of those who said: 'al-khabīthāt' refers to evil speech, meaning its ugliness and badness, for the evil ones among men and women; and the evil ones among people are for evil speech, they are more deserving of it, because they are its people. And 'al-ṭayyibāt' refers to good speech, meaning its beauty and excellence, for the good ones among people; and the good ones among people are for good speech, because they are its people and more deserving of it."