His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "Did they not travel in the land and observe how was the end of those before them? Allah destroyed them, and for the disbelievers are similar [fates]." "That is because Allah is the protector of those who believe, and the disbelievers have no protector." "Indeed, Allah will admit those who believe and do righteous deeds to gardens beneath which rivers flow, while those who disbelieve enjoy and eat as the cattle eat, and the Fire will be a dwelling for them." "And how many a city was stronger in power than your city which expelled you! We destroyed them, and there was no helper for them."

His saying, the Most High: "Did they not travel" is a reprimand to Quraysh. And "those before them" refers to Thamud, the people of Lot, the people of Shu'ayb, the people of the dam, and others. And "destruction" means corruption, demolition of buildings, and the eradication of population. And His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "Allah destroyed them" is from that. The pronoun in His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "similar [fates]" may refer to the mentioned end, and it is correct that it refers to the action implied in His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "Allah destroyed them."

And His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "That is because" is an introduction and news in "that." This verse was revealed on the day of Uhud, and from it the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, derived his response to Abu Sufyan when he said to him: "Allah is our protector, and there is no protector for you."

And His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "and they eat as the cattle eat" means eating without thought and reflection. The comparison in meaning occurs in everything other than eating due to the lack of thought and absence of reflection. Thus, His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "as" is in the position of the state. This is like saying: the ignorant lives the life of an animal. As for according to the wording, the ignorant, the knowledgeable, and the animal are equal in terms of having a life, but the meaning of your words is: he lives devoid of thought and understanding as the animal lives. And "the dwelling" is the place of residence. And it has been previously stated multiple times in His saying, exalted and majestic is He: "And how many." And Allah, exalted and majestic is He, has made a parable for Mecca with the destroyed cities despite their greatness, like the city of the people of 'Aad and others. And His saying: "which expelled you" means the time of migration. He attributed the expulsion to the city based on the wording, and He said: "We destroyed them" based on the meaning. It is said that this verse was revealed following the Prophet's, blessings and peace be upon him, departure from Mecca on the way to Medina. It is also said that it was revealed in Medina, and it is said that it was revealed after Hudaybiyyah in Mecca in the year the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, entered it. It is also said that it was in the year of the conquest while he was approaching it. All of this is ruled as having the ruling of the Medinan.