سُوْرَةُ هُوْدٍ
Surah Hud (11) — Ayah 116
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 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.
116. 2 That is, these wrongdoers. They remained firm upon their wrongdoing and remained lost in their intoxication until the punishment overtook them.
