هُود : ١١٦

  • 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
So why were there not1 among the generations before you those of enduring discrimination forbidding corruption on earth - except a few of those We saved from among them? But those who wronged pursued what luxury they were given therein, and they were criminals.
Footnotes
1 Meaning "If only there had been..."
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.