Tafsir of Al-A'raf 7:82

"And the answer of his people was not..." (meaning the arrogant among them, those who hold the power to bind and loose) "...except that they said..." (an istithna' mufarragh—an elliptical exception—from the most general category of things; meaning, their answer was not any thing at all except for their saying—that is, some of them said to others who were directly involved in the matters, or their answer was not any thing except the saying of some to others, turning away from his address, peace be upon him): "Expel them..." (meaning Lot and those with him) "...from your city..." (your town, in which you have gathered and settled).

The noble construction is of the type "a painful greeting among them." Its intent is to provide a response in the most eloquent manner, for what is mentioned within the exception has no connection to his speech—peace be upon him—regarding the denunciation of the indecency, the magnifying of its gravity, and branding them with that which is the root of all evil. If it had been said, "And they said: 'Expel them,'" it would not have carried the same level of benefit.

His saying, Glory be to Him: "Indeed, they are people who keep themselves pure" is a justification for the command to expel them. The wretched ones intended by this description to mock Lot and those with him, and to mock their purification from indecencies, their distance from them, and their abstinence from what is in the bowels. They sought to take pride in the filth they were in, just as the debauched scoundrels say to some righteous people when they preach to them: "Expel this ascetic from us, and relieve us of this pious one."

It has been recited with the nominative case for jawāb (answer) as the noun of kāna, and illā an qālū as its predicate. This is clearer, even if the first (accusative) is stronger in technical grammar, as the noun (jawāb) is more entitled to being the subject of the sentence. What is beneficial for you here has already preceded, so remember it.

Regardless, the intent is not that nothing was issued from them in response to the speech and sermons of Lot—peace be upon him—except for this false statement, as might come to mind. Rather, it means that in the final round of the dialogues occurring between him—peace be upon him—and them, nothing was issued except for this heinous word. Otherwise, much nonsense had indeed been issued from them before that, as is narrated about them in more than one place in the Noble Book. The same is said regarding similar instances.

It is said that the waw (and) was brought in "And the answer was not..." instead of the fa (then), as in [the surahs of] al-Naml and al-Ankabut, because here the noun (subject) precedes the verb, whereas there the verb precedes. A following sequence of a verb after a verb is better than a sequence of a verb after a noun; though, in this, there is room for consideration.

Perhaps the mention of "Expel them" here, and "Expel the family of Lot" in al-Naml, is an indication that they said this at one time and that at another, or that some said the one and others said the other. Al-Naysaburi said: "It was only stated in al-Naml 'Expel the family of Lot' so that it would be an explanation for this metonymy." It is also said that that surah was revealed before al-A'raf, so it made it explicit in the former and used metonymy in the latter. Perhaps what we have mentioned is worthier, so contemplate it.