If only there had been among the generations past communities before you men possessing a remnant of good sense men of religion and virtue forbidding corruption in the earth this statement is intended to be a negation in other words ‘there never were such men among them’ except but a few of those whom mimman min is explicative We delivered from among them did forbid corruption and were thus delivered. But those who did wrong through corruption and neglecting to forbid followed that by which they were made profligate and were sinners.