فَلَمَّا نَسُوا۟ مَا ذُكِّرُوا۟ بِهِۦٓ أَنجَيْنَا ٱلَّذِينَ يَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلسُّوٓءِ وَأَخَذْنَا ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ بِعَذَابٍۭ بَـِٔيسٍۭ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَفْسُقُونَ 165
Translations
And when they [i.e., those advised] forgot that by which they had been reminded, We saved those who had forbidden evil and seized those who wronged, with a wretched punishment, because they were defiantly disobeying.
Transliteration
Falamma nasū mā dhukkirū bihī anjainā alladhīna yanhawna 'an al-sū'i wa-akhdhānā alladhīna ẓalamū bi-'adhābin bī'sin bimā kānū yafsuqūn
Tafsir (Explanation)
This ayah addresses the people of the Sabbath who violated Allah's command by fishing on the forbidden day. When they forgot or ignored the warnings they had received, Allah distinguished between two groups: those who enjoined good and forbade evil were saved from punishment, while the wrongdoers were seized with a severe punishment. According to Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari, this demonstrates that commanding good and forbidding evil is a means of protection, and those who remain silent against transgressions share in the burden of sin.
Revelation Context
This ayah is part of the narrative concerning the people of the Sabbath mentioned in verses 163-166 of Surah Al-A'raf. It illustrates a historical example of a community that violated divine law and highlights the consequences of abandoning religious duty and neglecting to forbid evil. The context emphasizes accountability and collective responsibility within a community.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa-sallam) said: 'Whoever sees an evil action, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then 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). Also relevant is the hadith about the ship's journey where those who remained silent about wrongdoing shared in the punishment (Ibn Majah).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that individuals and communities bear responsibility for upholding moral standards; silence in the face of wrongdoing is complicity, while active enjoining of good and forbidding of evil serves as both a spiritual shield and a means of salvation. Muslims should recognize that their obligation to command good and forbid evil is not optional but integral to their faith and protection from collective punishment.