Surah Al-A'raf 7:164 — translation and meaning

الأعراف · Verse 164 / 206 · Page 172

ۖ ۙ وَإِذْ قَالَتْ أُمَّةٌ مِّنْهُمْ لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا اللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا قَالُوا مَعْذِرَةً إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ

Word by Word

ۖ
ۙ
وَإِذْ
wa-idh
And when
قَالَتْ
qalat
said
أُمَّةٌ
ummatun
a community
مِّنْهُمْ
min'hum
among them
لِمَ
lima
Why
تَعِظُونَ
ta'izuna
(do) you preach
قَوْمًا
qawman
a people
اللَّهُ
al-lahu
(whom) Allah
مُهْلِكُهُمْ
muh'likuhum
(is going to) destroy them
أَوْ
aw
or
مُعَذِّبُهُمْ
mu'adhibuhum
punish them
عَذَابًا
adhaban
(with) a punishment
شَدِيدًا
shadidan
severe
قَالُوا
qalu
They said
مَعْذِرَةً
ma'dhiratan
To be absolved
إِلَى
ila
before
رَبِّكُمْ
rabbikum
your Lord
وَلَعَلَّهُمْ
wala'allahum
and that they may
يَتَّقُونَ
yattaquna
become righteous

Transliteration

Wa iz qaalat ummatum minhum lima ta'izoona qaw manil laahu muhlikuhum aw mu'azzibuhum 'azaaban shadeedan qaaloo ma'ziratan ilaa Rabbikum wa la'allahum tattaqoon

Translation

And when a community among them said, "Why do you advise [or warn] a people whom Allah is [about] to destroy or to punish with a severe punishment?" they [the advisors] said, "To be absolved before your Lord and perhaps they may fear Him."

Verse interpretation (Tafsir)

Mention, O Messenger, when a group among them forbade them from doing what was wrong, cautioning them against it. Another group remarked: 'Why are you advising those whom Allah is going to destroy in this world because of their disobedience, or punish with a firm punishment on the Day of Judgement?' Those advising replied: 'This advising of ours is to be free from blame before Allah, through doing what He commanded us to do of instructing what is right and forbidding what is wrong, so that He would not take us to account for not doing so; and, perhaps, those we advise might benefit from the advice, and give up their disobedience.'

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

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