فَلَوْلَا كَانَ مِنَ ٱلْقُرُونِ مِن قَبْلِكُمْ أُو۟لُوا۟ بَقِيَّةٍ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْفَسَادِ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّمَّنْ أَنجَيْنَا مِنْهُمْ ۗ وَٱتَّبَعَ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ مَآ أُتْرِفُوا۟ فِيهِ وَكَانُوا۟ مُجْرِمِينَ 116
Translations
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.
Transliteration
Falawla kana mina al-quruni min qablikum ulū baqiyyatin yanhawna 'an al-fasādi fī al-arḍ illā qalīlan mimman anjainā minhum; wa-ittaba'a alladhīna ẓalamū mā utrrifū fīhi wa-kānū mujrimīn.
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah expresses regret that among the previous generations before the Prophet's time, there were not righteous people with moral resolve who forbade corruption on earth, except for a few whom Allah saved. The majority of the wrongdoers followed their luxuries and indulgences, becoming criminals. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this ayah emphasizes the rarity of those who actively command good and forbid evil, and warns against the spiritual danger of pursuing worldly pleasures without moral restraint.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of Surah Hud, a Meccan chapter that discusses the downfall of previous nations and their rejection of prophets. It comes within the broader narrative comparing past civilizations' corruption and eventual destruction, serving as a warning to the Meccan disbelievers about the consequences of abandoning divine guidance in favor of material excess.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'Whoever among you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart—and that is the weakest of faith.' (Sahih Muslim 49). This relates to the ayah's emphasis on actively forbidding corruption.
Themes
Key Lesson
Believers have a collective responsibility to stand against corruption and injustice in society; passivity and pursuit of worldly pleasures without moral grounding lead to spiritual ruin. The ayah reminds us that being among the 'saved few' requires active, courageous moral witness, not mere personal piety.