Quran Universe
11:116

فَلَوۡلَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡقُرُونِ مِن قَبۡلِكُمۡ أُوْلُواْ بَقِيَّةٖ يَنۡهَوۡنَ عَنِ ٱلۡفَسَادِ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا مِّمَّنۡ أَنجَيۡنَا مِنۡهُمۡۗ وَٱتَّبَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُواْ مَآ أُتۡرِفُواْ فِيهِ وَكَانُواْ مُجۡرِمِينَ

Falawla kana mina alqurooni min qablikum oloo baqiyyatin yanhawna AAani alfasadi fee alardi illa qaleelan mimman anjayna minhum waittabaAAa allatheena thalamoo ma otrifoo feehi wakanoo mujrimeena

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.

Word by word
  1. فَلَوۡلَاSo why not
  2. كَانَhad been
  3. مِنَof
  4. ٱلۡقُرُونِthe generations
  5. مِنbefore you
  6. قَبۡلِكُمۡbefore you
  7. أُوْلُواْthose possessing a remnant
  8. بَقِيَّةٖthose possessing a remnant
  9. يَنۡهَوۡنَforbidding
  10. عَنِfrom
  11. ٱلۡفَسَادِthe corruption
  12. فِيin
  13. ٱلۡأَرۡضِthe earth
  14. إِلَّاexcept
  15. قَلِيلٗاa few
  16. مِّمَّنۡof those
  17. أَنجَيۡنَاWe saved
  18. مِنۡهُمۡۗamong them
  19. وَٱتَّبَعَBut followed
  20. ٱلَّذِينَthose who
  21. ظَلَمُواْdid wrong
  22. مَآwhat
  23. أُتۡرِفُواْluxury they were given
  24. فِيهِtherein
  25. وَكَانُواْand they were
  26. مُجۡرِمِينَcriminals
Hud · 11:116Makkah

If only a few had spoken up against corruption.

The missing voices in the past nations

In the past generations
a few wise onesforbade corruption
were saved, while
the wrongdoerschased their luxuries
and
ignored the warninguntil it struck
What a society needs
everyone minding ownnot my business
people who speak upagainst corruption

Allah asks why there were not, among earlier generations, people of wisdom who forbade corruption on earth, except a few whom He saved. The wrongdoers chased the luxuries they were given. Ibn Kathir says this is why this community is told to always have people who call to good and forbid evil.

Someone in the office shares a cruel joke about a colleague. Your cousin is cheating his business partner and everyone knows. One calm voice matters. Silence feels safe, but the few who spoke were the ones saved.

It is not my place to say anything when others do wrong.

A few people willing to speak gently against wrong can protect a whole community.

Try this

When you see something wrong today, say one kind, clear sentence about it instead of staying silent.

Related3:104
Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

If only there had been among the generations before you persons having wisdom, prohibiting (others) from Fasad (corruption) in the earth, except a few of those whom We saved from among them! Those who did wrong pursued the enjoyment of good things of (this worldly) life, and were criminals (116)And your Lord would never destroy the towns wrongfully, while their people were doers of good (117)

There must be a Group of People Who forbid Lewdness

Allah, the Exalted, says that there should have been a group of wise people present among the past generations who called to good and forbade the evil and corruption that took place among them in the land. His statement,

إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

(except a few) This means that there were only a small number of people present among them who were of this caliber. They were those whom Allah saved at the sudden striking of His vengeance, when His anger was let lose. For this reason Allah commanded this noble Ummah (followers of Muhammad ) to always have among them those who command the good and forbid the evil. This is as Allah says,

وَلْتَكُن مِّنكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ ۚ وَأُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

(Let there arise out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good, enjoining righteousness and forbidding evil. And it is they who are the successful.)[3:104] It is related in a Hadith that the Prophet ﷺ said,

إِنَّ النَّاسَ إِذَا رَأَوُا الْمُنْكَرَ فَلَمْ يُغَيِّرُوهُ أَوْشَكَ أَنْ يَعُمَّهُمُ اللَّهُ بِعِقَابٍ

(Verily, whenever a group of people see an evil and they do not change it, it is likely that Allah will cover them with (His) punishment.) Thus, Allah says,

فَلَوْلَا كَانَ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ أُولُو بَقِيَّةٍ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْفَسَادِ فِي الْأَرْضِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّمَّنْ أَنجَيْنَا مِنْهُمْ

(If only there had been among the generations before you persons having wisdom, prohibiting (others) from the Fasad in the earth, except a few of those whom We saved from among them!) Concerning the statement,

وَاتَّبَعَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا مَا أُتْرِفُوا فِيهِ

(Those who did wrong pursued the enjoyment of good things of (this worldly) life,) This means that they continued in their ways of disobedience and evils and they did not heed the protesting of those righteous people, until the torment suddenly seized them.

وَكَانُوا مُجْرِمِينَ

(and were criminals.) Then, Allah informs that he does not destroy any town, except that it has wronged itself. No correctional punishment or torment comes to any town, except that its people were wrongdoers. This is as Allah says,

وَمَا ظَلَمْنَاهُمْ وَلَٰكِن ظَلَمُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ

(We wronged them not, but they wronged themselves.)[11:101] Allah also says,

وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّامٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ

(And your Lord is not at all unjust to (His) servants.)[41:46]