Tafsir of Hud 11:116

They have narrated from al-Khalil that every lawla in the Qur’an means "why not" (halla), except for those in Surat al-Saffat. However, this narration is not sound, for there are instances outside of al-Saffat such as:

• {Had it not been that a grace from his Lord reached him, he would have been cast into the wilderness} (al-Qalam: 49).
• {And had it not been for believing men...} (al-Fath: 25).
• {And had We not strengthened you, you would have almost inclined toward them} (al-Isra’: 74).

From this is the verse of the Hamasa: If you commit sins, then your 'baqiyyah' (best/remnant) comes to me.

And from this is their saying: "In the corners are hidden things, and in men are baqaya (remnants/virtuous ones)."

It is also possible that baqiyyah is in the sense of baqwa (preservation), like taqiyyah (precaution) in the sense of taqwa (piety). That is: "Why were there not among them those who preserved themselves and protected them from the wrath of God and His punishment?"

It is also recited as ulu baqiyyah (with a qaf like luqyah), from baqahu yabqihi—meaning to watch over and wait for. From this is: "We waited for (baqayna) the Messenger of God (peace be upon him)." The meaning is: "Why were there not among them those who watched for and feared God’s retribution, as if they were expecting Him to inflict it upon them due to their apprehension?"

The min (from) in mimman anjayna (from those whom We saved) should be for clarification (bayān), not for partition (tabʿīḍ), because salvation is only for those who forbade [evil] alone, as evidenced by His saying: {We saved those who forbade evil, and We seized those who did wrong} (al-Aʿrāf: 165).

If you ask: "Is there a way to interpret this exception as connected (muttaṣil)?" I say: If you make it connected according to the apparent wording, the meaning would be corrupt, as it would imply a specification of the "possessors of virtue" regarding the prohibition of corruption, excluding only a few of the saved ones.

However, if you say that the incitement to forbid corruption implies the negation of it from them—as if it were said: "There were no possessors of virtue among the generations except for a few"—then it is a connected exception with a sound meaning. Its accusative case would be based on the principle of exception, though it is more eloquent to be in the nominative as a substitute (badal).

Abu Amr, in a narration from al-Jaʿfi, read it as wa-ttabaʿa (passive), meaning: "And the recompense of what they were given to enjoy in luxury followed them." It is possible that the famous reading also carries this meaning: that they followed the consequences of their luxury. This is a strong meaning because of the preceding mention of salvation; it is as if it were said: "Except for a few whom We saved from among them, while the rest perished."

If you ask: "To what is the phrase {wa-ttabaʿa alladhīna ẓalamū} conjoined?" I say: If the meaning is "they followed their desires," it is conjoined to an implied verb, because the meaning is: "Except for a few whom We saved, they forbade corruption, and those who did wrong followed their desires." So it is conjoined to "forbade."

If the meaning is "they followed the consequences of luxury," then the waw is for the state (ḥāl), as if it were said: "We saved the few, while those who did wrong were following their consequences."

If you ask: "What about His saying {wa-kānū mujrimīn} (and they were criminals)?" I say: It is linked to uṭrifū (they were given luxury), meaning they followed luxury and their being criminals; for the follower of desires is submerged in sins. Or, "criminality" refers to their neglect of gratitude. Or, it is linked to ittabaʿū (they followed), meaning they followed their desires and were criminals because of that. It is also possible that it is an interruption and a judgment upon them that they are a criminal people.