And when it was that no one would belittle these matters and dare such calamities except one who is secure from punishment, and no one is secure from punishment except one who turns away from Allah, glorified and exalted is He. It suffices in repelling the two matters the occurrences of Him, glorified and exalted is He, with the destroyed nations due to their denial of His messengers, their enmity towards His allies, and their transgression against His limits. He said, rebuking them and warning them in advance of His might, power, and severe taking and punishment, causing them to be averse to the mentioned matters and what resulted from it of enmity towards the people of Allah: "Did they not travel?" [meaning] due to the correction of their deeds and building them on a foundation "in the earth," meaning: that which has traces of occurrences; for it is indeed the earth in reality due to its increased knowledge of Allah. "So let them observe" after their traveling and by it. And when His occurrences are a removal of hearts due to what is in them of the marvelous matters that the tongues of conditions speak after the warning by the saying, He brought that in the form of a question as a means of alerting that it is of such greatness that it empties time for the concern of asking about it. He said: "What was the end of" meaning: the last of the matter of "those" and when it was possible for them to know [that from all the destroyed ones, He alerted by affirming the neighbor that they are some of the disbelievers, and they are those who heard their news and saw their abodes] with 'Aad, Thamud, and Madyan, and the people of Lut. He, glorified and exalted is He, said: "Before them." And when it was as if it was said: What is wrong with them? He said: "Allah destroyed" meaning: the greatest king inflicted the great destruction without permission, attacking suddenly "upon them" with what He knew of their people and their conditions and all who approved of their actions or their sayings. And He refrained from saying: "And for these" to His saying: "And for the disbelievers" generalizing and linking the ruling by the description which is deep-rooted in disbelief. Thus, it contained a good tidings that some of them Allah, glorified and exalted is He, will save from the causes of destruction due to his not being deeply rooted in disbelief; for he has not been sealed upon it. "Like it" meaning: like this outcome.