Surah Hud 11:116 — translation and meaning

هود · Verse 116 / 123 · Page 234

ۗ فَلَوْلَا كَانَ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ أُولُو بَقِيَّةٍ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْفَسَادِ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّمَّنْ أَنجَيْنَا مِنْهُمْ وَاتَّبَعَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مَا أُتْرِفُوا فِيهِ وَكَانُوا مُجْرِمِينَ

Word by Word

ۗ
فَلَوْلَا
falawla
So why not
كَانَ
kana
had been
مِنَ
mina
of
الْقُرُونِ
al-quruni
the generations
مِن
min
before you
قَبْلِكُمْ
qablikum
before you
أُولُو
ulu
those possessing a remnant
بَقِيَّةٍ
baqiyyatin
those possessing a remnant
يَنْهَوْنَ
yanhawna
forbidding
عَنِ
ani
from
الْفَسَادِ
al-fasadi
the corruption
فِي
fi
in
الْأَرْضِ
al-ardi
the earth
إِلَّا
illa
except
قَلِيلًا
qalilan
a few
مِّمَّنْ
mimman
of those
أَنجَيْنَا
anjayna
We saved
مِنْهُمْ
min'hum
among them
وَاتَّبَعَ
wa-ittaba'a
But followed
الَّذِينَ
alladhina
those who
ظَلَمُوا
zalamu
did wrong
مَا
ma
what
أُتْرِفُوا
ut'rifu
luxury they were given
فِيهِ
fihi
therein
وَكَانُوا
wakanu
and they were
مُجْرِمِينَ
muj'rimina
criminals

Transliteration

Falw laa kaana minal qurooni min qablikum ooloo baqiyyatiny yanhawna 'anil fasaadi fil ardi illaa qaleelam mimman anjainaa minhum; wattaba'al lazeena zalamoo maaa utrifoo feehi wa kaanoo mujrimeen

Translation

So why were there not among the generations before you those of enduring discrimination forbidding corruption on earth - except a few of those We saved from among them? But those who wronged pursued what luxury they were given therein, and they were criminals.

Verse interpretation (Tafsir)

If only there were, among the communities who were punished before you, remnants of the people of virtue and piety who prohibited those communities from disbelief and from corruption on earth through sins. But there were no such remnants among them, except for a few of them who used to prohibit corruption and whom I saved when I destroyed their people who did wrong. The wrongdoers from their people pursued the luxuries they had and were wrong in doing so.

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

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