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 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.
[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.
