[...] as if it has already descended upon you." They said, "Why do you preach to a people whom God is about to destroy?" up to the end of the verse.
In other than the Tafsir of al-Kalbi: They became three groups: a group that was bold in committing the sin, a group that forbade it, and a group that refrained [from the sin] but did not do what the [first group] did and did not forbid them. They said to those who forbade them: "Why do you preach to a people whom God is about to destroy or punish with a severe punishment?" They replied: "As an excuse to your Lord."
Muhammad said: It is permissible to put [the word] "ma'dhiratan" (an excuse) in the nominative case (marfu'), with the meaning: "Our preaching to them is an excuse."
[ … ] كَأَنَّهُ قَدْ نَزَلَ بِكُمْ، قَالُوا ﴿لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا اللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ﴾ الآيَةَ.
وَفِي غَيْرِ تَفْسِيرِ الْكَلْبِيِّ: صَارُوا ثَلاثَ فِرَقٍ: فِرْقَةٌ اجْتَرَأَتْ عَلَى الْمَعْصِيَةِ، وَفِرْقَةٌ نَهَتْ، وَفِرْقَةٌ كَفَّتْ؛ فَلَمْ تَصْنَعْ مَا صَنَعُوا وَلم تنههم وَقَالُوا (ل ١١٢): لِلَّذِينَ نَهَوْا: ﴿لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا اللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًا شَدِيدًا قَالُوا مَعْذِرَةً إِلَى رَبِّكُمْ﴾.
قَالَ محمدٌ: يَجُوزُ الرَّفْعُ فِي ﴿معذرة﴾ عَلَى مَعْنَى: مَوْعِظَتُنَا إِيَّاهُمْ مَعْذِرَةٌ.
