And when the meaning was: Beware of us; for we have destroyed the previous nations; and we have devastated the established towns; He turned to His saying (glorified and exalted is He): ﴿And if﴾; meaning: and what; and He emphasized the negation; so He said (glorified and exalted is He): ﴿from a town﴾; from these towns; in which you are; and others; ﴿except We﴾; meaning: by virtue of our greatness; ﴿are its destroyers﴾; in a type of destruction; for what they are upon of disbelief; or disobedience; and from Muqatil that it is general; for the righteous by death; and the wicked by punishment.

And when what is possible has no existence except for non-existence; and that is encompassing for the time of before; He omitted the preposition; so He said (glorified and exalted is He): ﴿before the Day of Resurrection﴾; which you are denying; as we did in the Sacred House; in the two mentioned instances at the beginning of the Surah; for the corruption of its people; so beware of something like that; ﴿or its inhabitants will be punished﴾; meaning: the town; with the punishment of its people; ﴿a severe punishment﴾; while it remains.

And when He confirmed that with the naming, He added emphasis in response to one who seemed to say: Is there any exception in that? For someone like him is hardly believed. So He said (glorified and exalted is He): "That was"; meaning: the great matter; "in the Book"; which is with us; "recorded"; on the face of the report; and reports are not abrogated. If there were no gathering, our matter would be worthy of being obeyed; out of caution from our might; and it is necessary that we frighten you after your long security; and we will destroy many of your dear ones; at the hands of this one man; whom you all conspire against; belittling his matter; while we sent him for your honor; and the exaltation of your mention; and it is necessary that we bring him into your land with troops of great might; to corrupt you in it; and your disdain for it; just as we did with the Children of Israel; when they corrupted in their mosque; as has preceded. Imam Al-Hafiz Abu Amr; Uthman ibn Said Al-Dani; in the Book of Fitnah: narrated to us Abd ibn Ahmad ibn Muhammad Al-Harawi; in his book; he said: Umar ibn Ahmad ibn Uthman ibn Shahin narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Harun Al-Hadrami narrated to us; Ali ibn Abdullah Al-Tamimi narrated to us; Abd Al-Mun'im ibn Idris said: My father informed us; from Wahb ibn Munabbih who said: The island is safe from destruction; until Erminia is destroyed; and Erminia is safe from destruction until Egypt is destroyed; and Egypt is safe from destruction until Kufa is destroyed; and the great battle will not occur until Kufa is destroyed; so when the great battle occurs, Constantinople will be opened at the hands of a man from Banu Hashim; and the destruction of Andalusia will be from the Zanj; and the destruction of Ifriqiya will be from Andalusia; and the destruction of Egypt will be from the cessation of the Nile; and the conflict of the armies in it; and the destruction of Iraq will be from hunger; and the sword; and the destruction of Kufa will be from an enemy behind them; who belittles them; until they cannot drink a drop from the Euphrates; and the destruction of Basra will be from Iraq; and the destruction of Aila will be from an enemy who attacks them once by land; and once by sea; and the destruction of Al-Rayy will be from the Daylam; and the destruction of Khurasan will be from Tibet; and the destruction of Tibet will be from China; and the destruction of China will be from India; and the destruction of Yemen will be from the locusts; and the Sultan; and the destruction of Mecca will be from the Abyssinians; and the destruction of Medina will be from hunger. Abd Al-Rahman ibn Abdullah ibn Khalid narrated to us; Ali ibn Muhammad ibn Nusayr narrated to us; Muhammad ibn Khalaf narrated to us; Salim ibn Jinadah informed us; my father informed us; from Hisham ibn Urwah; from his father; from Abu Huraira - may Allah be pleased with him - who said: The Messenger of Allah - blessings and peace be upon him - said: "The last village of the villages of Islam to be destroyed is Medina." It has ended; and Al-Tirmidhi has reported it from this chain.