Transliteration:( Wa iz qaalat ummatum minhum lima ta'izoona qaw manil laahu muhlikuhum aw mu'azzibuhum 'azaaban shadeedan qaaloo ma'ziratan ilaa Rabbikum wa la'allahum yattaqoon )
And when a group of them said [375]: "Why do you admonish a people whom Allah is about to destroy or punish with a severe torment [376]?" They replied: "To have an excuse before your Lord, and perhaps they may become righteous."
This verse refers to the third group mentioned earlier, the one that remained silent. Although they did not commit the sin themselves, they were unwilling to confront the wrongdoers, showing a level of passive acceptance. However, this verse suggests that they were not pleased with the sinful act, but rather disheartened by the others' actions. Since being pleased with disbelief is itself disbelief, the stronger view is that they may have attained salvation due to their inner disapproval.
This verse teaches that preaching is still encouraged, even if the likelihood of acceptance seems low. Advising such people may not be obligatory, but it is still virtuous and preferred. The intention behind it is twofold: to fulfill one's duty before Allah and to possibly awaken repentance in the hearts of the wrongdoers.
The tafsir of Surah Al-A’raf verse 164 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah A’raf ayat 163 which provides the complete commentary from verse 163 through 166.
(7:164) And recall when a party of them said: ‘Why do you admonish a people whom Allah is about to destroy or punish severely?’ They said: ‘We admonish them in order to be able to offer an excuse before Your Lord, and in the hope that they will guard against disobedience.’
There is no commentary by Abul Maududi available for this verse.
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