١٦٤And when a community among them said: Why preach ye to a folk whom Allah is about to destroy or punish with an awful doom, they said: In order to be free from guilt before your Lord, and that haply they may ward off (evil).

Wa iz qaalat ummatum minhum lima ta'izoona qaw manil laahu muhlikuhum aw mu'azzibuhum 'azaaban shadeedan qaaloo ma'ziratan ilaa Rabbikum wa la'allahum tattaqoon