Hud 11:116

If only there were, among the generations before you, people with wisdom, who spoke against corruption on earth—except for the few whom We saved. But the wrongdoers pursued the luxuries they were indulged in, and thus became guilty.

If only there were, among the generations before you, people with wisdom, who spoke against corruption on earth—except for the few whom We saved. But the wrongdoers pursued the luxuries they were indulged in, and thus became guilty.

Why weren't there more good people in the past, who tried to stop people from doing wrong things on earth? Only a few did, and We saved them. But those who did wrong followed their own pleasures, and they became guilty.

Why weren't there more good people in the generations before you, who stood against corruption on earth? Only a few did, and We saved them. But those who did wrong chased after worldly pleasures and became guilty.

If only there had been among the generations before you people of virtue who forbade corruption in the land — except the few among them whom We saved. Those who did wrong pursued the luxury they were given, and they were criminals.

If only there were, among the generations before you, people with wisdom, who spoke against corruption on earth—except for the few whom We saved among them. But the wrongdoers pursued the luxuries they were indulged in, and they became wicked.

If only there were, among the generations before you, people with wisdom, who spoke against corruption on earth—except for the few whom We saved among them. But the wrongdoers pursued the luxuries they were indulged in, and they became wicked.

So why were there not580 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.

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).

If only there had been among the generations before you righteous people who would forbid others from spreading corruption in the land, except a few of them whom We saved. But the wrongdoers pursued their luxury1 which they were given therein, and they were wicked.

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 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, then, were there not among the generations before you upright men who would speak out against the [spread of] corruption on earth -- except for the few whom We saved? But the wrongdoers pursued their worldly pleasures and thus became 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.

Why were there not among the generations before you a remnant [of the wise] 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.

Falawla kana mina alqurooni min qablikum oloo baqiyyatin yanhawna AAani alfasadi fee alardi illa qaleelan mimman anjayna minhum waittabaAAa allatheena thalamoo ma otrifoo feehi wakanoo mujrimeena