Al-Qur'an Surah Al-A'raf Verse 164

Mufti Taqi Usmani

When a group of them said, “Why do you exhort a people whom Allah is going to destroy or chastise with a severe punishment?” They said, “To absolve ourselves before your Lord, and in order that they may fear Allah.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

When some of ˹the righteous among˺ them questioned ˹their fellow Sabbath-keepers˺, “Why do you ˹bother to˺ warn those ˹Sabbath-breakers˺ who will either be destroyed or severely punished by Allah?” They replied, “Just to be free from your Lord’s blame, and so perhaps they may abstain.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

When a group of them said, “Why are you admonishing a people whom Allah will destroy or punish severely?” They said, “To excuse ourselves before your Lord, and perhaps they may fear Allah.”

A. J. Arberry

And when a certain nation of them said, 'Why do you admonish a people God is about to destroy or to chastise with a terrible chastisement?' They said, 'As an excuse to your Lord; and haply they will be godfearing.'

Abdul Haleem

how, when some of them asked [their preachers], ‘Why do you bother preaching to people God will destroy, or at least punish severely?’ [the preachers] answered, ‘In order to be free from your Lord’s blame, and so that they may perhaps take heed.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And recall what time a community of them said Why exhort ye a people whom Allah is going to destroy or chastise with a severe chastisenent They said: to justify us before your Lord, and that haply they may fear.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

When some of them said; "Why do ye preach to a people whom Allah will destroy or visit with a terrible punishment?"- said the preachers;" To discharge our duty to your Lord, and perchance they may fear Him."

Abul Ala Maududi

And recall when a party of them said: 'Why do you admonish a people whom Allah is about to destroy or punish severely?' They said: 'We admonish them in order to be able to offer an excuse before Your Lord, and in the hope that they will guard against disobedience.'

Ahmed Ali

When a Section of them said: "Why do you admonish a people whom God is about to destroy or to punish severely?" They replied: "To clear ourselves of blame before your Lord, and that they may fear God.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And when a group among them said, “Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is going to destroy or mete out a severe punishment?” They said, “To have an excuse before your Lord, and that perhaps they may fear.”

Ali Quli Qarai

When a group of them said, ‘Why do you advise a people whom Allah will destroy, or punish with a severe punishment?’ They said, ‘As an excuse before your Lord, and [with the hope] that they may be Godwary.’

Ali Ünal

And when a community of people among them asked (others who tried to restrain the Sabbath-breakers): "Why do you preach to a people whom God will destroy or punish with a severe punishment?" They said: "So as to have an excuse before your Lord and so that they might keep from such disobedience in reverence for God."

Amatul Rahman Omar

And (ask them what happened to those people) when a section from amongst them said (to another section), `Why do you admonish a people whom Allâh is going to destroy completely, or whom He is going to punish with a severe punishment?´ They answered, `We do it so that it may serve as an excuse (to be absolved from blame) before your Lord and that they may become secure (against the punishment).´

English Literal

And when a nation from them said: "Why/for what (do) you preach/advise/warn a nation God (is) making them die/destroying them or torturing them, a strong (severe) torture." They said: "An apology/excuse to your Lord and maybe/perhaps they fear and obey."

Faridul Haque

And when a group among them said, "Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is going to destroy or mete out a severe punishment?" They said, "To have an excuse before your Lord, and that perhaps they may fear."

Hamid S. Aziz

And when a community from amongst them said, "Why do you warn a people whom Allah would destroy, or punish with severe torment?" they said, "In order to do our duty to our Lord, that per chance (or possibly) they may fear (evil)."

Hilali & Khan

And when a community among them said: "Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe torment?" (The preachers) said: "In order to be free from guilt before your Lord (Allah), and perhaps they may fear Allah."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And ask them about the town which stood by the sea. When they violated the Sabbath, when their fish came to them on their Sabbath day on the surface, and when it was not their Sabbath they came not to them. Thus did We try them because they transgressed.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And when a party of them said: Why do you admonish a with a severe chastisement? They said: To be free from blame before your Lord, and that haply they may guard (against evil).

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And when a community among them said: Why preach ye to a folk whom Allah is about to destroy or punish with an awful doom, they said: In order to be free from guilt before your Lord, and that haply they may ward off (evil).

Muhammad Sarwar

When a group of them questioned another group saying, "Why do you preach to those whom God has decided to destroy or punish by a severe torment?" they replied, "We preach to them for we are responsible in the sight of your Lord and so that perhaps they may have fear of God."

Qaribullah & Darwish

And when some asked: 'Why do you admonish a nation whom Allah will destroy or sternly punish' They replied: '(Seeking) a pardon from your Lord, and in order that they may be cautious'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And when a community among them said: "Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe torment" (The preachers) said: "In order to be free from guilt before your Lord (Allah), and perhaps they may fear Allah."

Wahiduddin Khan

When some of them asked, "Why do you admonish a people whom God is going to destroy or to afflict with a severe punishment?" They answered, "In order to be free from blame before your Lord, and that they may perhaps fear Him."

Talal Itani

And when a group of them said, “Why do you counsel a people whom God will annihilate, or punish with a severe punishment?” They said, “As an excuse to your Lord, and so that they may become righteous.”

Tafsir jalalayn

And when (wa-idh is a supplement to the preceding idh, `how') a community among them, who neither fished nor prohibited it, said, to those who prohibited it; `Why do you preach [admonition] to a folk whom God is about to destroy or chastise with a severe chastisement?' They said, our admonishing [them] is, `As an exculpation, by which we excuse ourselves, before your Lord, lest we are reproached for failing to prohibit [them] in any way; and so that they might be wary, of fishing'.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Those Who breached the Sabbath were turned into Monkeys, but Those Who prohibited Their Actions were saved

Allah says;

وَإِذَ قَالَتْ أُمَّةٌ مِّنْهُمْ

And when a community among them said;

Allah said that the people of this village were divided into three groups, a group that committed the prohibition, catching fish on the Sabbath, as we described in the Tafsir of Surah Al-Baqarah. Another group prohibited them from transgression and avoided them. A third group neither prohibited them, nor participated in their action. The third group said to the preachers,

لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا اللّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا

"Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe torment!"

They said, `why do you forbid these people from evil, when you know that they are destroyed and have earned Allah's punishment!' Therefore, they said, there is no benefit in forbidding them.

قَالُواْ

(The preachers) said;

مَعْذِرَةً إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ

"In order to be free from guilt before your Lord (Allah),"

`for we were commanded to enjoin righteousness and forbid evil,'

وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ



"and perhaps they may fear Allah."

for on account of our advice, they might stop this evil and repent to Allah. Certainly, if they repent to Allah, Allah will accept their repentance and grant them His mercy.'

Allah said