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Ayah
Word by Word
فَلَوۡلَا
So why not
كَانَ
had been
مِنَ
of
ٱلۡقُرُونِ
the generations
مِن
before you
قَبۡلِكُمۡ
before you
أُوْلُواْ
those possessing a remnant
بَقِيَّةٖ
those possessing a remnant
يَنۡهَوۡنَ
forbidding
عَنِ
from
ٱلۡفَسَادِ
the corruption
فِي
in
ٱلۡأَرۡضِ
the earth
إِلَّا
except
قَلِيلٗا
a few
مِّمَّنۡ
of those
أَنجَيۡنَا
We saved
مِنۡهُمۡۗ
among them
وَٱتَّبَعَ
But followed
ٱلَّذِينَ
those who
ظَلَمُواْ
did wrong
مَآ
what
أُتۡرِفُواْ
luxury they were given
فِيهِ
therein
وَكَانُواْ
and they were
مُجۡرِمِينَ
criminals
فَلَوۡلَا
So why not
كَانَ
had been
مِنَ
of
ٱلۡقُرُونِ
the generations
مِن
before you
قَبۡلِكُمۡ
before you
أُوْلُواْ
those possessing a remnant
بَقِيَّةٖ
those possessing a remnant
يَنۡهَوۡنَ
forbidding
عَنِ
from
ٱلۡفَسَادِ
the corruption
فِي
in
ٱلۡأَرۡضِ
the earth
إِلَّا
except
قَلِيلٗا
a few
مِّمَّنۡ
of those
أَنجَيۡنَا
We saved
مِنۡهُمۡۗ
among them
وَٱتَّبَعَ
But followed
ٱلَّذِينَ
those who
ظَلَمُواْ
did wrong
مَآ
what
أُتۡرِفُواْ
luxury they were given
فِيهِ
therein
وَكَانُواْ
and they were
مُجۡرِمِينَ
criminals
Translation
Why were there not, among the generations before you, persons possessed of balanced good sense, prohibiting (men) from mischief in the earth - except a few among them whom We saved (from harm)? But the wrong-doers pursued the enjoyment of the good things of life which were given them, and persisted in sin.
Tafsir
If only there had been among the generations, past communities, before you men possessing a remnant [of good sense], men of religion and virtue, forbidding corruption in the earth (this [statement] is intended to be a negation, in other words, 'there never were such [men] among them'), except, but, a few of those whom (mimman: min is explicative) We delivered from among them, did forbid [corruption] and were thus delivered. But those who did wrong, through corruption and neglecting to forbid, followed that by which they were made profligate, and were sinners.
There must be a Group of People Who forbid Lewdness
Allah says,
فَلَوۡلَا كَانَ مِنَ الۡقُرُونِ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ أُوۡلُواۡ بَقِيَّةٍ يَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ الۡفَسَادِ فِي الَارۡضِ إِلاَّ قَلِيلً مِّمَّنۡ أَنجَيۡنَا مِنۡهُمۡ
If only there had been among the generations before you persons having wisdom, prohibiting (others) from Fasad (corruption) in the earth, except a few of those whom We saved from among them!
Allah, the Exalted, says that there should have been a group of wise people present among the past generations who called to good and forbade the evil and corruption that took place among them in the land.
His statement,
إِلاَّ قَلِيلً
(except a few),
This means that there were only a small number of people present among them who were of this caliber. They were those whom Allah saved at the sudden striking of His vengeance, when His anger was let lose. For this reason Allah commanded this noble Ummah (followers of Muhammad) to always have among them those who command the good and forbid the evil.
This is as Allah says,
وَلۡتَكُن مِّنۡكُمۡ أُمَّةٌ يَدۡعُونَ إِلَى الۡخَيۡرِ وَيَأۡمُرُونَ بِالۡمَعۡرُوفِ وَيَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ الۡمُنۡكَرِ وَأُوۡلَـيِكَ هُمُ الۡمُفۡلِحُونَ
Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining righteousness and forbidding evil. And it is they who are the successful. (3:104)
It is related in a Hadith that the Prophet said,
إِنَّ النَّاسَ إِذَا رَأَوُا الۡمُنۡكَرَ فَلَمۡ يُغَيِّرُوهُ أَوۡشَكَ أَنۡ يَعُمَّهُمُ اللَّهُ بِعِقَاب
Verily, whenever a group of people see an evil and they do not change it, it is likely that Allah will cover them with (His) punishment.
Thus, Allah says,
فَلَوۡلَا كَانَ مِنَ الۡقُرُونِ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ أُوۡلُواۡ بَقِيَّةٍ يَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ الۡفَسَادِ فِي الَارۡضِ إِلاَّ قَلِيلً مِّمَّنۡ أَنجَيۡنَا مِنۡهُمۡ
If only there had been among the generations before you persons having wisdom, prohibiting (others) from the Fasad in the earth, - except a few of those whom We saved from among them!
Concerning the statement,
وَاتَّبَعَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواۡ مَا أُتۡرِفُواۡ فِيهِ
Those who did wrong pursued the enjoyment of good things of (this worldly) life,
This means that they continued in their ways of disobedience and evils and they did not heed the protesting of those righteous people, until the torment suddenly seized them.
وَكَانُواۡ مُجۡرِمِينَ
and were criminals.
Then, Allah
وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ لِيُهۡلِكَ الۡقُرَى بِظُلۡمٍ وَأَهۡلُهَا مُصۡلِحُونَ
And your Lord would never destroy the towns wrongfully, while their people were doers of good.
Allah informs that he does not destroy any town, except that it has wronged itself. No correctional punishment or torment comes to any town, except that its people were wrongdoers. This is as Allah says,
وَمَا ظَلَمۡنَـهُمۡ وَلَـكِن ظَلَمُواۡ أَنفُسَهُمۡ
We wronged them not, but they wronged themselves. (11:101)
Allah also says,
وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّـمٍ لِّلۡعَبِيدِ
And your Lord is not at all unjust to (His) servants. (41:46)
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