سُوْرَةُ هُوْدٍ

Surah Hud (11) — Ayah 116

Hud · Meccan · Juz 12 · Page 234

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فَلَوْلَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْقُرُونِ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ أُو۟لُوا۟ بَقِيَّةٍ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْفَسَادِ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّمَّنْ أَنجَيْنَا مِنْهُمْ ۗ وَٱتَّبَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ مَآ أُتْرِفُوا۟ فِيهِ وَكَانُوا۟ مُجْرِمِينَ ﴿116﴾

Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

If only there had been among the generations before you persons having wisdom, prohibiting (others) from Al-Fasâd (disbelief, polytheism, and all kinds of crimes and sins) in the earth, (but there were none) - except a few of those whom We saved from among them! Those who did wrong pursued the enjoyment of good things of (this worldly) life, and were Mujrimûn (criminals, disbelievers in Allâh, polytheists, sinners).

Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning

فَلَوْلَا falawlā So why not
كَانَ kāna had been
مِنَ mina of
ٱلْقُرُونِ l-qurūni the generations
مِن min before you
قَبْلِكُمْ qablikum before you
أُو۟لُوا۟ ulū those possessing a remnant
بَقِيَّةٍۢ baqiyyatin those possessing a remnant
يَنْهَوْنَ yanhawna forbidding
عَنِ ʿani from
ٱلْفَسَادِ l-fasādi the corruption
فِى fī in
ٱلْأَرْضِ l-arḍi the earth
إِلَّا illā except
قَلِيلًۭا qalīlan a few
مِّمَّنْ mimman of those
أَنجَيْنَا anjaynā We saved
مِنْهُمْ ۗ min'hum among them
وَٱتَّبَعَ wa-ittabaʿa But followed
ٱلَّذِينَ alladhīna those who
ظَلَمُوا۟ ẓalamū did wrong
مَآ mā what
أُتْرِفُوا۟ ut'rifū luxury they were given
فِيهِ fīhi therein
وَكَانُوا۟ wakānū and they were
مُجْرِمِينَ muj'rimīna criminals

Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi

Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

There are two meanings of {فَلَوْ لَا كَانَ مِنَ الْقُرُوْنِ …: ’’ لَوْ لَا ‘‘}: the first is “if this had not happened,” for example, {’’ لَوْ لَا عَلِيٌّ لَهَلَكَ عُمَرُ ‘‘} “If Ali had not been there, Umar would have perished.” The second meaning is {’’ هَلاَّ ‘‘}, that is, “why did this not happen?” This is used for encouragement, meaning it should have happened; here, this is the intended meaning. { ’’ قَرْنٌ ‘‘} means people of a generation. This word is generally used for a century. {’’ اُولُوْا بَقِيَّةٍ ‘‘} means people of good habits, qualities, and intellect. Originally, {’’ بَقِيَّةٍ ‘‘} refers to those precious and selected things that a person saves and keeps for his benefit, as it is said: {’’ بَقِيَّةُ السَّلَفِ ‘‘} meaning the best man among the earlier people.

After mentioning the incidents of all the previous nations, now a summary is being stated: why were there not among those before you such people of virtue who would prevent the evil-doers and corrupters from spreading corruption in the land? That is, the presence of such people was extremely necessary. Then it is said, there were such people, but they were very few, whose efforts did not prevail; thus, when punishment came upon the others, We saved those few people from the punishment. In this, Muslims are also warned that as long as there remain among them such people of virtue who enjoin good and forbid evil, and as long as such people of virtue are not extremely few and ineffective, punishment will not come. Then the reason for the destruction of the earlier people is stated: that they became so engrossed in blessings and prosperity that they followed their base desires and thus became criminals deserving of punishment.

Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf

Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

116. 1 That is, why were there not among the previous communities such righteous people who would prevent the people of evil and those who commit wrong from evil, wrongdoings, and corruption? Then it is said, there were such people, but they were very few. We saved them at the time when others were destroyed through punishment.

116. 2 That is, these wrongdoers. They remained firm upon their wrongdoing and remained lost in their intoxication until the punishment overtook them.

Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani

Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

Why were there not, among the generations before you, people of virtue who would forbid corruption in the land, except for a few [129] of those whom We saved? But the wrongdoers pursued the luxury they were given, and became sinners.

[129]
Allah’s Law Regarding Punishment:

In these two verses, the principle regarding the rise and fall of nations or Allah’s seizure of a people has been explained. What happens is that whenever a prophet is sent and he invites people to faith and good deeds, the battle between truth and falsehood begins, as a result of which Allah destroys the criminals and saves the believers. Then, in the descendants of these saved believers, evil begins to arise again. If this evil is forcefully eradicated, the society remains safe from punishment, but if negligence is shown, evil becomes widespread and only a few people of reform and goodness remain. Then, if these righteous people continue to fulfill the duty of forbidding evil to the best of their ability, even then, due to the presence of these good people, Allah’s punishment does not come. But if these righteous people prove so weak that they become negligent in forbidding evil, or they become so few that their voice becomes ineffective and evil becomes widespread, and the prosperous people remain absorbed in their luxuries, then in this situation, Allah’s punishment descends, which does not even spare the heedless righteous people, and thus the innocent are also caught up with the guilty. And if the righteous strive to the best of their ability to eradicate evil, then either the punishment does not come at all, or Allah creates some way to save them.
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