وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ لِيُهۡلِكَ ٱلۡقُرَىٰ بِظُلۡمࣲ وَأَهۡلُهَا مُصۡلِحُونَ
Nor would thy Lord be the One to destroy communities for a single wrong-doing, if its members were likely to mend
In truth thy Lord destroyed not the townships tyrannously while their folk were doing right
And your Lord would never destroy the towns wrongfully, while their people were doers of good
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وما كان ربك -أيها الرسول- ليهلك قرية من القرى وأهلها مصلحون في الأرض، مجتنبون للفساد والظلم، وإنما يهلكهم بسبب ظلمهم وفسادهم.
Source: King Fahd Complex via spa5k/tafsir_api · reference
أي: وما كان الله ليهلك أهل القرى بظلم منه لهم، والحال أنهم مصلحون, أي: مقيمون على الصلاح، مستمرون عليه، فما كان الله ليهلكهم، إلا إذا ظلموا، وقامت عليهم حجة الله. ويحتمل، أن المعنى: وما كان ربك ليهلك القرى بظلمهم السابق، إذا رجعوا وأصلحوا عملهم، فإن الله يعفو عنهم، ويمحو ما تقدم من ظلمهم.
Source: Saadi via spa5k/tafsir_api · reference
ثم أخبر تعالى أنه لم يهلك قرية إلا وهي ظالمة لنفسها ولم يأت قرية مصلحة بأسه وعذابه قط حتى يكونوا هم الظالمين كما قال تعالى "وما ظلمناهم ولكن ظلموا أنفسهم" وقال "وما ربك بظلام العبيد".
Source: Ibn Kathir via spa5k/tafsir_api · reference
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,
إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً
(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 مِّنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ 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 said,
«إِنَّ النَّاسَ إِذَا رَأَوُا الْمُنْكَرَ فَلَمْ يُغَيِّرُوهُ أَوْشَكَ أَنْ يَعُمَّهُمُ اللَّهُ بِعِقَاب»
(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,
فَلَوْلاَ كَانَ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ أُوْلُواْ بَقِيَّةٍ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْفَسَادِ فِى الاٌّرْضِ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً مِّمَّنْ أَنجَيْنَا مِنْهُمْ
(If only there had been among the generations before you persons having wisdom, 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,
إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً
(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 مِّنْكُمْ أُمَّةٌ يَدْعُونَ إِلَى الْخَيْرِ وَيَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَيَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأُوْلَـئِكَ 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 said,
«إِنَّ النَّاسَ إِذَا رَأَوُا الْمُنْكَرَ فَلَمْ يُغَيِّرُوهُ أَوْشَكَ أَنْ يَعُمَّهُمُ اللَّهُ بِعِقَاب»
(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,
فَلَوْلاَ كَانَ مِنَ الْقُرُونِ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ أُوْلُواْ بَقِيَّةٍ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْفَسَادِ فِى الاٌّرْضِ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً 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 ظَلَمُواْ مَآ أُتْرِفُواْ 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.
وَكَانُواْ 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, s
وَمَا ظَلَمْنَـهُمْ وَلَـكِن ظَلَمُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ
(We wronged them not, but they wronged themselves.) 11:101 Allah also says,
وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِظَلَّـمٍ لِّلْعَبِيدِ
(And your Lord is not at all unjust to (His) servants.) 41:46
وَلَوْ شَآءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَلاَ يَزَالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِينَ
Source: Ibn Kathir abridged via spa5k/tafsir_api · reference
Yet your Lord would never destroy the towns through injustice on His part against them while their inhabitants were righteous that is believers.
Source: Jalalayn (English) via spa5k/tafsir_api · reference
It was said in the fourth verse (117) that Allah does not destroy towns and habitations unjustly while people living there are good in their ways, that is, they are believing Muslims. The sense is that the probability of injustice and oppression does not exist with Allah Ta` ala. Those destroyed deserve being destroyed. Some early commentators have said that the word: ظُلُم ` zulm' (injustice) in this verse means shirk (ascribing of partners in the pristine divinity of Allah) and مُصلِحُون ` muslihun' (people good in their ways) refers to people who, de-spite being Mushriks and Kafirs, are good in morals and dealings, do not hurt and cause pain to anyone, do not lie and do not cheat. Thus, the sense of the verse comes to be that the punishment of the world does not fall on a people simply because of their being Mushriks and Kafirs - unless they were to spread disorder in the land by their very deeds and morals. The cause of all punishments that came upon the past peoples was but their particular evil deeds. The people of Sayyidna Nub (علیہ السلام) caused him all sorts of pains. The people of Sayyidna Shu'aib ؓ spread disorder by weighing and measuring short. The people of Sayyidna Lut (علیہ السلام) ، took to the worst type of evil act. The people of Sayyidna Musa and ` Isa (علیہما السلام) oppressed their prophets. The Holy Qur'an says that these very misdeeds were the reason why punishment came upon them. Divine punishment does not come in this world because of bland Kufr and Shirk. The everlasting punishment of the fire of Hell is its punishment. Therefore, some ` Ulama' have said that countries and governments can survive with Kufr and Shirk, but they cannot survive with injustice and oppression.
Source: Maarif-ul-Quran via spa5k/tafsir_api · reference
Arabic text: Tanzil project (tanzil.net) — Uthmani Hafs edition. Translations: Yusuf Ali and Pickthall (public domain) and Mubarakpuri (King Fahd Quran Printing Complex). For audio recitation sources and data-handling details, see the privacy policy .
