The Holy Quran 7:164 — Surah Al-A'raf

Arabic text

وَإِذْ قَالَتْ أُمَّةٌ مِّنْهُمْ لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا ۙ ٱللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا ۖ قَالُوا۟ مَعْذِرَةً إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ

Translation

When a party of them (the third group) said (to the second group), "Why do you advise people (the first group) whom Allaah shall destroy or afflict with a severe punishment?" They (the second group) replied, "(We are trying to stop them) To be absolved (excused) of guilt before your Rabb (so that Allaah does not ask us why we did not make an effort to stop them from sin) and so that they may abstain (from fishing and be saved from punishment)."

Tafsir (excerpt) — Tafsir Usmani

Enjoining good by those who admonished: it appears that when they began to resort to tricks against Allah's command, the inhabitants of the town split into several groups, as usually happens in such circumstances. One group were those who, taking cover behind this trick, violated Allah's clear command.

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