Quran Universe
29:29

أَئِنَّكُمۡ لَتَأۡتُونَ ٱلرِّجَالَ وَتَقۡطَعُونَ ٱلسَّبِيلَ وَتَأۡتُونَ فِي نَادِيكُمُ ٱلۡمُنكَرَۖ فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوۡمِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَن قَالُواْ ٱئۡتِنَا بِعَذَابِ ٱللَّهِ إِن كُنتَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ

Ainnakum latatoona alrrijala wataqtaAAoona alssabeela watatoona fee nadeekumu almunkara fama kana jawaba qawmihi illa an qaloo itina biAAathabi Allahi in kunta mina alssadiqeena

Indeed, you approach men and obstruct the road and commit in your meetings [every] evil." And the answer of his people was not but they said, "Bring us the punishment of Allah, if you should be of the truthful."

Word by word
  1. أَئِنَّكُمۡIndeed,you
  2. لَتَأۡتُونَapproach
  3. ٱلرِّجَالَthe men
  4. وَتَقۡطَعُونَand you cut off
  5. ٱلسَّبِيلَthe road
  6. وَتَأۡتُونَand commit
  7. فِيin
  8. نَادِيكُمُyour meetings
  9. ٱلۡمُنكَرَۖevil
  10. فَمَاAnd not
  11. كَانَwas
  12. جَوَابَ(the) answer
  13. قَوۡمِهِۦٓ(of) his people
  14. إِلَّآexcept
  15. أَنthat
  16. قَالُواْthey said
  17. ٱئۡتِنَاBring upon us
  18. بِعَذَابِ(the) punishment
  19. ٱللَّهِ(of) Allah
  20. إِنif
  21. كُنتَyou are
  22. مِنَof
  23. ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَthe truthful
Al-'Ankabut · 29:29Makkah

Wrong done openly, with no one objecting.

Gatherings where evil is shared and cheered

What Lut listed
immoralitywith men
the roadrobbing travellers
their gatheringsevil, unchallenged
reply
"bring the punishment"mockery
The gathering
it is just a laughno one says anything
silence joins inno one stopped another

Ibn Kathir says they also robbed and killed travellers on the road. In their gatherings they did and said shameful things and did not stop one another. Asked to change, they mocked: bring Allah's punishment if you are truthful.

The group chat turns cruel about someone not in it. Everyone sends a laughing emoji. No one says stop. The verse puts the spotlight on the gathering, and on whether you are one of the people who just goes along.

I did not say anything bad, I was only there.

A gathering where wrong goes unchallenged shares in it. I can be the one who objects.

Try this

Next time a conversation turns cruel or shameful, change the subject or leave it.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 29:28)

And (remember) Lut, when he said to his people: "You commit immoral sins which none has preceded you in (committing) it in all creatures. (28)"Verily, you practice sodomy with men, and rob the wayfarer! And practice Al-Munkar in your meetings." But his people gave no answer except that they said: "Bring Allah's torment upon us if you are one of the truthful. (29)He said: "My Lord! Give me victory over the people who are corrupt. (30)

The preaching of Lut and what happened between Him and His People

Allah tells us that His Prophet Lut, peace be upon him, denounced his people for their evil deed and their immoral actions in having intercourse with males, a deed which none of the sons of Adam had ever committed before them. As well as doing this, they also disbelieved in Allah and rejected and opposed His Messenger, they robbed wayfarers, they would lie in wait on the road, kill people and loot their possessions.

 وَتَأْتُونَ فِي نَادِيكُمُ الْمُنْكَرَ

(And practice Al-Munkar in your meetings.) This means, 'in your gatherings you do and say things that are not befitting, and you do not denounce one another for doing such things.'

Some said that they used to have intercourse with one another in public; this was the view of Mujahid. Some said that they used to compete in passing gas and laughing. This was the view of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, and Al-Qasim. Some of them said that they used to make rams fight one another, or organize cockfights. They used to do all of these things, and they were even eviler than that.

فَمَا كَانَ جَوَابَ قَوْمِهِ إِلَّا أَنْ قَالُوا ائْتِنَا بِعَذَابِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الصَّادِقِينَ

(But his people gave no answer except that they said: "Bring Allah's torment upon us if you are one of the truthful.") This is indicative of their disbelief, scornful attitude and stubbornness. So Allah's Prophet asked for help against them, and said:

 رَبِّ انْصُرْنِي عَلَى الْقَوْمِ الْمُفْسِدِينَ

(My Lord! Give me victory over the people who are corrupt.)