Oh, that among the generations before you there had but been a remnant forbidding corruption in the land save a few whom We saved among them! But those who did wrong followed what they had been given therein of opulence, and were lawbreakers.
| # | word | meaning | root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | falawlā | So why not | |
| 2 | kāna | had been | كون |
| 3 | mina | of | |
| 4 | l-qurūni | the generations | قرن |
| 5 | min | before you | |
| 6 | qablikum | before you | قبل |
| 7 | ulū | those possessing a remnant | اول |
| 8 | baqiyyatin | those possessing a remnant | بقي |
| 9 | yanhawna | forbidding | نهي |
| 10 | ʿani | from | |
| 11 | l-fasādi | the corruption | فسد |
| 12 | fī | in | |
| 13 | l-arḍi | the earth | ارض |
| 14 | illā | except | |
| 15 | qalīlan | a few | قلل |
| 16 | mimman | of those | |
| 17 | anjaynā | We saved | نجو |
| 18 | min'hum | among them | |
| 19 | wa-ittabaʿa | But followed | تبع |
| 20 | alladhīna | those who | |
| 21 | ẓalamū | did wrong | ظلم |
| 22 | mā | what | |
| 23 | ut'rifū | luxury they were given | ترف |
| 24 | fīhi | therein | |
| 25 | wakānū | and they were | كون |
| 26 | muj'rimīna | criminals | جرم |
Would that there had been more people with a vestige of good among the generations of those who came before you, who forbade corruption in the earth, other than the few among them whom We saved. Those who did wrong gladly pursued the life of luxury that they were given and were evildoers.
If only there was from the previous generations a people with wisdom who deterred from the corruption on Earth, except the few that We saved of them. And those who were wicked followed the enjoyment they were in, and they were criminal.
(Here is a lesson for the future of humanity. ) Alas, among the older generations there were few people of virtue, those who would take a stand against corruption and disorder in the land. Except the few whom We saved for their righteousness. Whereas most people indulged in violation of human rights, enjoying the fleeting delights of the world and thriving on the fruit of others' toil.
Oh, that among the generations before you there had but been a remnant forbidding corruption in the land save a few whom We saved among them! But those who did wrong followed what they had been given therein of opulence, and were lawbreakers.
If only there was from the previous generations a people with wisdom who prohibited corruption on the earth, except the few that We saved of them. And those who were wicked followed the enjoyment they were in, and they were criminal.
If only there was from the previous generations a people with wisdom who deterred from the corruption on earth, except the few that We saved of them. Those who were wicked followed the enjoyment they were in, and they were criminal.
If only some of those among the previous generations possessed enough intelligence to forbid evil! Only a few of them deserved to be saved by us. As for the transgressors, they were preoccupied with their material luxuries; they were guilty.
If only there had been men endued with virtue in the ages before you, who could preserve men from doing evil in the world, other than the few We saved from among them. Those who were wicked followed that which made them dissolute, and became sinners.
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.
BUT, ALAS, among those generations before your time there were no people endowed with any virtue - who would speak out against the corruption on earth -except the few of them whom We saved , whereas those who were bent on evildoing only pursued pleasures which corrupted their whole being, and so lost themselves in sinning.
If only there had been among the generations before you men possessing a remnant (of good sense) to warn (their people) from corruption in the earth, as did a few of those whom We saved from them! The wrong-doers followed that by which they were made sapless, and were guilty.
Why were there not, out of the generations that passed away before you, righteous men who would forbid others from causing corruption on the earth? And if such were there, they were only a few whom We had saved from those generations, or else the wrong-doers kept pursuing the ease and comfort which had been conferred upon them, thus losing themselves in sinfulness.
If only there had been among the preceding generations a class of persons virtuous, strong and influential enough to warn people against corruption and to forbid mischief on earth and prohibit perversion as did the few of them whom We saved. But the wrongful of actions pursued pleasure, and lust after the mundane vanity they were entangled with, and were steeped in crime.
What a shame that in the past there were not good people who would forbid the people of making mischief. If there were any, there were very few who were saved from those nations. As for the wrong-doers, they were absorbed with their materialistic pre-occupations and ended up as criminals.
If only there had been among the generations before you persons having wisdom, prohibiting (others) from Al-Fasâd (disbelief, polytheism, and all kinds of crimes and sins) in the earth, (but there were none) - 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 Mujrimûn (criminals, disbelievers in Allâh, polytheists, sinners).
Why were there not, among the generations before you, persons possessed of balanced good sense, prohibiting (men) from mischief in the earth - except a few among them whom We saved (from harm)? But the wrong-doers pursued the enjoyment of the good things of life which were given them, and persisted in sin.
If only there had been among the ˹destroyed˺ peoples before you, ˹O believers,˺ virtuous individuals who forbade corruption in the land—other than the few We had saved ˹from the torment˺. But the wrongdoers ˹only˺ pursued their ˹worldly˺ pleasures, becoming wicked.
Then, why is it that there were no people, among the generations before you, who would have enough remnants of wisdom to stop others from creating disorder in the land, except a few among them whom We saved (from Our punishment)? And the wrongdoers pursued the luxuries they were involved in, and they became sinners.
If only there had been, among the generations before your time, people with a rem-nant of good sense, to forbid corruption on the earth! We saved only a few of them, while the unjust pursued the enjoyment of plenty, and persisted in sin.
Or if there had been, of the generations before you, men of a remainder forbidding corruption in the earth -- except a few of those whom We delivered of them; but the evildoers followed the ease they were given to exult in and became sinners.
And were there among the generations before you any endowed with a remnant (of piety) forbidding evildoing in the earth, save a few of those whom we saved; but the evildoers followed what they enjoyed, and were sinners.
And be you patient, for Allah wastes not the wages of those who do good.
So, if only there been of the generations even before you, (remaining nations) endowed with (i. e., of understanding) forbidding corruption in the land-only a few of them whom We delivered. And the ones who did injustice closely followed whatever luxury they were made to live in; and they were criminals.
Were such of the generations before you, indued with understanding and virtue, who forbad the acting corruptly in the earth, any more than a few only of those whom We delivered? But they who were unjust followed the delights which they enjoyed in this world, and were wicked doers:
Why were there not, from generations before you, persons with balanced wisdom (and good sense), who prohibited (men) from mischief in the earth— Except a few of them whom We saved (from harm)? But the wrongdoers chased the enjoyment of the good things of life that were given to them and continued in sin (as criminals).
Why, then, were there not among the generations that preceded you persons possessed of excellence who would forbid the perpetration of evil in the land. But there were only a few of those (who acted righteously and) whom We had saved from among them. And (all others) who had committed wrong pursued that (wanton) ease and plenty they were afforded with (and this led to their rebellion and disobedience), and they became those who cut off their ties (with Allâh).
Why were there not among the generations before you a remnant who might forbid corruption in the earth, except a few of those whom We delivered from among them? Those who were wrongdoers pursued that in which they had been granted affluence, and they were a guilty lot.