Surah Al A'raf Tafseer

قَالَ الْمَلُ مِن قَوْمِهِ

The leaders of his people said;

meaning, the general public, chiefs, commanders and great ones of his people said,

إِنَّا لَنَرَاكَ فِي ضَلَلٍ مُّبِينٍ

"Verily, we see you in plain error."

because of your calling us to abandon the worship of these idols that we found our forefathers worshipping.

This, indeed, is the attitude of evil people, for they consider the righteous people to be following misguidance. Allah said in other Ayat,

وَإِذَا رَأَوْهُمْ قَالُواْ إِنَّ هَـوُلَاءِ لَضَألُّونَ

And when they saw them, they said:"Verily, these have indeed gone astray!" (83:32)

and,

وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لِلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ لَوْ كَانَ خَيْراً مَّا سَبَقُونَأ إِلَيْهِ وَإِذْ لَمْ يَهْتَدُواْ بِهِ فَسَيَقُولُونَ هَـذَا إِفْكٌ قَدِيمٌ

And those who disbelieve say of those who believe:"Had it been a good thing, they (the weak and poor) would not have preceded us thereto!" And when they have not let themselves be guided by it (this Qur'an), they say:"This is an ancient lie!" (46:11)

There are several other Ayat on this subject.

قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ لَيْسَ بِي ضَلَلَةٌ وَلَكِنِّي رَسُولٌ مِّن رَّبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ