Quran Universe
11:101

وَمَا ظَلَمۡنَٰهُمۡ وَلَٰكِن ظَلَمُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡۖ فَمَآ أَغۡنَتۡ عَنۡهُمۡ ءَالِهَتُهُمُ ٱلَّتِي يَدۡعُونَ مِن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَيۡءٖ لَّمَّا جَآءَ أَمۡرُ رَبِّكَۖ وَمَا زَادُوهُمۡ غَيۡرَ تَتۡبِيبٖ

Wama thalamnahum walakin thalamoo anfusahum fama aghnat AAanhum alihatuhumu allatee yadAAoona min dooni Allahi min shayin lamma jaa amru rabbika wama zadoohum ghayra tatbeebin

And We did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves. And they were not availed at all by their gods which they invoked other than Allah when there came the command of your Lord. And they did not increase them in other than ruin.

Word by word
  1. وَمَاAnd not
  2. ظَلَمۡنَٰهُمۡWe wronged them
  3. وَلَٰكِنbut
  4. ظَلَمُوٓاْthey wronged
  5. أَنفُسَهُمۡۖthemselves
  6. فَمَآSo not
  7. أَغۡنَتۡavailed
  8. عَنۡهُمۡthem
  9. ءَالِهَتُهُمُtheir gods
  10. ٱلَّتِيwhich
  11. يَدۡعُونَthey invoked
  12. مِنother than Allah
  13. دُونِother than Allah
  14. ٱللَّهِother than Allah
  15. مِنany
  16. شَيۡءٖthing
  17. لَّمَّاwhen
  18. جَآءَcame
  19. أَمۡرُ(the) command (of) your Lord
  20. رَبِّكَۖ(the) command (of) your Lord
  21. وَمَاAnd not
  22. زَادُوهُمۡthey increased them
  23. غَيۡرَother than
  24. تَتۡبِيبٖruin
Hud · 11:101Makkah

We did not wrong them; they wronged themselves.

False gods added nothing but loss

What happened at the end
the nationsrejected their messengers
called on
their godsbesides Allah
which gave
only ruinloss here and after
Who did the wrong
Allah was harshit was unfair
they wronged themselvesby rejecting the truth

Allah says We did not wrong them when We destroyed them; they wronged themselves by rejecting their messengers. When the command came, their idols could not help or save them. Mujahid and Qatadah said those gods only added loss.

You stayed up gaming instead of studying, then blamed the exam. You spent on credit, then blamed the bank. Some wounds are self-inflicted. Seeing that is not shame; it is the start of change.

When things go badly, it is usually someone else's fault.

Allah wrongs no one; much of my harm comes from my own choices, which I can change.

Try this

Name one problem you keep blaming on others and write one thing you did that fed it.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 11:100)

That is some of the news of the (population of) towns which We relate unto you; of them, some are (still) standing, and some have been (already) reaped (100)We wronged them not, but they wronged themselves. So their gods whom they call upon besides Allah, profited them naught when there came the command of your Lord, nor did they add aught to them but destruction (101)

The Lesson taken from the Destroyed Towns

When Allah mentioned the story of the Prophets and what happened with them and their nations – how He destroyed the disbelievers and saved the believers – He goes on to say,

ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنبَاءِ الْقُرَىٰ

(That is some of the news of the (population of ) towns) meaning, news of them

نَقُصُّهُ عَلَيْكَ ۖ مِنْهَا قَائِمٌ

(which We relate unto you; of them, some are (still) standing,) This means still remaining.

وَحَصِيدٌ

(and some have been (already) reaped.) This means totally destroyed.

وَمَا ظَلَمْنَاهُمْ

(We wronged them not,) This means, "When We destroyed them."

وَلَٰكِن ظَلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ

(but they wronged themselves.) their rejecting their Messengers and disbelieving in them.

فَمَا أَغْنَتْ عَنْهُمْ آلِهَتُهُمُ

(So their gods, profited them [not]...) This is referring to their idols that they used to worship and invoke.

مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ مِن شَيْءٍ

(other than Allah naught) the idols did not benefit them, nor did they save them when Allah's command came for their destruction.

وَمَا زَادُوهُمْ غَيْرَ تَتْبِيبٍ

(nor did they add aught to them but destruction.) Mujahid, Qatadah and others said, "This means loss. Because the reason for their destruction and their ruin was that they followed those false gods. Therefore, they were losers in this life and the Hereafter."