And when he mentioned his salvation; and began with it out of concern for preference; he said - warning; expressing with a tool of distance; providing information along with arrangement; due to the great rank of what has come upon him -: ﴿Then We destroyed﴾; meaning: We annihilated; by what We have of greatness; ﴿the others﴾; meaning: We stripped the earth of their filth; and we purified the sacred lands from them; and from the abominations of their actions; so we did not leave anyone of them; nor did we need in their destruction to seek permission from anyone;