Al-A'raf 7:165

<h2>Those Who breached the Sabbath were turned into Monkeys, butThose Who prohibited Their Actions were saved</h2><p>Allah said that the people of this village were divided into three groups, a group that committed the prohibition, catching fish on the Sabbath, as we described in the Tafsir of Surat Al-Baqarah. Another group prohibited them from transgression and avoided them. A third group neither prohibited them, nor participated in their action. The third group said to the preachers, </p><div class="arabic uthmani">لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا اللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَاباً شَدِيدًا</div><p>("Why do you preach to a people whom Allah is about to destroy or to punish with a severe torment"). They said, `why do you forbid these people from evil, when you know that they are destroyed and have earned Allah's punishment' Therefore, they said, there is no benefit in forbidding them. The preachers replied, </p><div class="arabic uthmani">مَعْذِرَةً إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ</div><p>("In order to be free from guilt before your Lord (Allah),") `for we were commanded to enjoin righteousness and forbid evil,' r </p><div class="arabic uthmani">وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ</div><p>("and perhaps they may fear Allah") for on account of our advice, they might stop this evil and repent to Allah. Certainly, if they repent to Allah, Allah will accept their …

And when they forgot that whereof they had been reminded, We rescued those who forbade wrong, and visited those who did wrong with dreadful punishment because they were evil-livers.

When they disregarded the warnings that had been given them, We rescued those who forbade Evil; but We visited the wrong-doers with a grievous punishment because they were given to transgression.

So when they forgot the remindings that had been given to them, We rescued those who forbade evil, but We seized those who did wrong with a severe torment because they used to rebel (disobey Allah).

Then, when they neglected what they were reminded of, We saved those who prohibited evil, and We seized those who did wrong with a terrible punishment, because of their sinfulness.