And when the intended purpose of informing about their destruction was fulfilled, despite their great ability, so that those who heard about them might take heed, He followed them with those who were partners with them in denial, so they shared with them in destruction. He said, repeating to frighten them and indicating the encompassing nature of His power by the encompassing nature of His knowledge: "And certainly We have destroyed" with what We have of greatness and encompassing power over all that We desire "what is around you" meaning: O people of Makkah "from the towns" like the people of Al-Hijr, Saba', Madyan, Al-Ayka, the people of Lut, Pharaoh, the companions of Al-Rass, Thamud, and others among them who are noteworthy. And when the promised destruction was mentioned first, the listener longed to ask about their condition in the verses, so He said, connecting with the conjunction [which] does not prevent its subject from being prior to what it is connected to: "And We turned the verses" meaning: We transformed the clear proofs and repeated them, conveying them in detail, adorned and beautified in various forms of indications, free from any doubt. And when the turning of the verses does not specify anyone in particular, but is for everyone who sees or hears it, He did not restrict it to them and mentioned the comprehensive reason for others, saying: "Perhaps they" meaning: the disbelievers "may return" meaning: to be with one who knows their condition in witnessing the verses like one who returns from the misguidance that he was upon due to imitation or a doubt that the verses have revealed and the indications have exposed. But they did not return, so their failure to return was the cause of Our destruction of them.