﴿ وَإِذْ قَالَتْ أُمَّةٌۭ مِّنْهُمْ لِمَ تَعِظُونَ قَوْمًا ۙ ٱللَّهُ مُهْلِكُهُمْ أَوْ مُعَذِّبُهُمْ عَذَابًۭا شَدِيدًۭا ۖ قَالُوا۟ مَعْذِرَةً إِلَىٰ رَبِّكُمْ وَلَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ ﴾

“And whenever some people among them asked [those who tried to restrain the Sabbath-breakers], "Why do you preach to people whom God is about to destroy or [at least] to chastise with suffering severe?" -the pious ones would answer, "In order to be free from blame before your Sustainer, and that these [transgressors, too,] might become conscious of Him."”

And when wa-idh is a supplement to the preceding idh ‘how’ a community among them who neither fished nor prohibited it said to those who prohibited it ‘Why do you preach admonition to a folk whom God is about to destroy or chastise with a severe chastisement?’ They said our admonishing them is ‘As an exculpation by which we excuse ourselves before your Lord lest we are reproached for failing to prohibit them in any way; and so that they might be wary of fishing’.