And when it was previously mentioned about the disbelievers in this surah two sayings: one of them is in denying the Qur'an, and the second is in denying the resurrection. Allah, glorified and exalted is He, indicated the invalidity of both until He concluded with mentioning the signs, the resurrection, and the distinction between the truthful and the false. He followed it with two rhetorical questions directed against the two sayings. [And each of them concluded with the other, so the questions become four.] And in the introduction of the first is the distinction between the two groups in this world. He said, threatening: ﴿Do they not﴾ meaning, do they say out of stubbornness to our Messenger: Does he not ﴿guide﴾ meaning, clarify - as narrated by al-Bukhari from Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them - ﴿How many have We destroyed﴾ meaning, the multitude of those We have destroyed.

And when the proximity of something in time or place is more indicative, He clarified their proximity by including the preposition, saying: ﴿Before them﴾ meaning, for the sake of opposing the messengers ﴿from the past nations﴾ who turned away from the signs. And We saved those who believed in them, and [perhaps] the proximity of the place is more indicative than the proximity of time due to the abundance of reminders through the remnants and the frequent visits among the ruins.

And when their immersion in the fleeting world has occupied them from contemplating what benefits them from the admonitions through actions and words, He indicated this by portraying their awareness of what they have of conditions, by saying: ﴿They walk﴾ meaning, that they are not fit for contemplation except while walking ﴿in their dwellings﴾ due to their strong attachment to the tangible, and that is like the dwellings of 'Aad, Thamud, and the people of Lot, and others like them. And when there is in this the most complete lesson and the greatest admonition, He said, alerting them and emphasizing the alert that whoever does not take heed is a denier of what is in it of lessons: ﴿Indeed, in that﴾ meaning, the great matter ﴿are signs﴾ meaning, very clear indications, visible in the dwellings and other remnants, and audible in the news.

And when hearing is the greatest pillar, [and the destruction of the nations reached them only through hearing,] He said, denying: ﴿Do they not hear﴾ meaning, that their conditions do not require what has been mentioned to them in returning from misguidance except for hearing it. (p-269) If he does not return, then he is among those who have no hearing.