164وَإِذ قالَت أُمَّةٌ مِنهُم لِمَ تَعِظونَ قَومًا ۙ اللَّهُ مُهلِكُهُم أَو مُعَذِّبُهُم عَذابًا شَديدًا ۖ قالوا مَعذِرَةً إِلىٰ رَبِّكُم وَلَعَلَّهُم يَتَّقونَT. B. IrvingWhenever a community among them said: "Why do you lecture a folk whom God will destroy anyhow, or [at least] punish them severely?" they said: "To gain absolution from your Lord, and so they may do their duty."