You are reading a tafsir for the group of verses 24:12 to 24:13
لولا اذ سمعتموه ظن المومنون والمومنات بانفسهم خيرا وقالوا هاذا افك مبين ١٢ لولا جاءوا عليه باربعة شهداء فاذ لم ياتوا بالشهداء فاولايك عند الله هم الكاذبون ١٣
لَّوْلَآ إِذْ سَمِعْتُمُوهُ ظَنَّ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَٱلْمُؤْمِنَـٰتُ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ خَيْرًۭا وَقَالُوا۟ هَـٰذَآ إِفْكٌۭ مُّبِينٌۭ ١٢ لَّوْلَا جَآءُو عَلَيْهِ بِأَرْبَعَةِ شُهَدَآءَ ۚ فَإِذْ لَمْ يَأْتُوا۟ بِٱلشُّهَدَآءِ فَأُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ هُمُ ٱلْكَـٰذِبُونَ ١٣
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3

Every right-minded believer must think well of his fellow believer. Entertaining bad opinions about others is actually exposing one’s own evil nature and, conversely, holding a good opinion about others is a proof of one’s own righteous nature. The correct procedure is that whenever anyone speaks ill of any other person, proof should immediately be demanded of him. One who hears such an allegation should not simply start repeating it to others. On the contrary, he should ask the informer to furnish evidence according to the Islamic law to prove that he is right. What he has to say may be worth considering only if he produces witnesses, otherwise he himself becomes the guilty person. Nobody has the right to hold anyone guilty without proof.