Quran 7:164 — Al-A'raaf, verse 164
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
how, when some of them asked [their preachers], ‘Why do you bother preaching to people God will destroy, or at least punish severely?’ [the preachers] answered, ‘In order to be free from your Lord’s blame, and so that they may perhaps take heed.’
وَإِذْ قَالَتْ أُمَّةٌ مِنْهُمْ لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا ۙ اللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا ۖ قَالُوا مَعْذِرَةً إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ
wa-idh qālat ummatun min'hum lima taʿiẓūna qawman l-lahu muh'likuhum aw muʿadhibuhum ʿadhāban shadīdan qālū maʿdhiratan ilā rabbikum walaʿallahum yattaqūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- And when a certain nation of them said, 'Why do you admonish a people God is about to destroy or to chastise with a terrible chastisement?' They said, 'As an excuse to your Lord; and haply they will be godfearing.'
- Muhammad Asad
- And whenever some people among them asked [those who tried to restrain the Sabbath-breakers], "Why do you preach to people whom God is about to destroy or [at least] to chastise with suffering severe?" -the pious ones would answer, "In order to be free from blame before your Sustainer, and that these [transgressors, too,] might become conscious of Him."
- Sahih International
- And when a community among them said, "Why do you advise [or warn] a people whom Allāh is [about] to destroy or to punish with a severe punishment?" they [the advisors] said, "To be absolved before your Lord and perhaps they may fear Him."
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَإِذْwa-idh | And when | — |
| 2 | قَالَتْqālat | said | قول |
| 3 | أُمَّةٌۭummatun | a community | أمم |
| 4 | مِّنْهُمْmin'hum | among them | — |
| 5 | لِمَlima | Why | — |
| 6 | تَعِظُونَtaʿiẓūna | (do) you preach | وعظ |
| 7 | قَوْمًا ۙqawman | a people | قوم |
| 8 | ٱللَّهُl-lahu | (whom) Allah | أله |
| 9 | مُهْلِكُهُمْmuh'likuhum | (is going to) destroy them | هلك |
| 10 | أَوْaw | or | — |
| 11 | مُعَذِّبُهُمْmuʿadhibuhum | punish them | عذب |
| 12 | عَذَابًۭاʿadhāban | (with) a punishment | عذب |
| 13 | شَدِيدًۭا ۖshadīdan | severe | شدد |
| 14 | قَالُوا۟qālū | They said | قول |
| 15 | مَعْذِرَةًmaʿdhiratan | To be absolved | عذر |
| 16 | إِلَىٰilā | before | — |
| 17 | رَبِّكُمْrabbikum | your Lord | ربب |
| 18 | وَلَعَلَّهُمْwalaʿallahum | and that they may | — |
| 19 | يَتَّقُونَyattaqūna | become righteous | وقي |