Rabbi fala tajAAalnee fee alqawmi aththalimeen (surah Muminun: 94)

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(23:94) O my Lord, do not include me among these unjust people *87

Rabbi falaa taj`alnee fil qawmiz zaalimeen

*87) This prayer dces not mean that, God forbid, there was any real danger of the Holy Prophet's also being involved in the punishment, or that if he had not invoked this prayer, he might have been invoked in it. This way of address has been adopted to warn that alI people should fear Allah's punishment. They should not demand it nor persist in their wickedness, if Allah gives them respite. As a matter of fact, Allah's punishment is a thing which should be dreaded not only by the sinful people but also by the righteous people, and they should all seek His refuge from it, for when the scourge of God comes, it dces not destroy only the wicked people but may also involve the righteous people in it. Therefore the right course for those, who have to live in a wicked society, is that they should always pray to AIIah for His refuge, for one dces not know when that scourge might come down.