Those towns We relate to you from their news. As for his saying, this is my husband, a sheikh, it is that it is a subject and a predicate and a state. It is permissible that the towns be an adjective for those, and We relate is a news, and that the towns are a news after a news.

If you say: What is the meaning of those towns so that it is a meaningful statement? I say: It is meaningful, but on the condition of being restricted by the state, just as it is meaningful on the condition of being restricted by the adjective in your saying: He is the generous man. If you say: What is the meaning of informing about the towns by relating to you some of their news? I say: Its meaning is that those mentioned towns relate to you some of their news, and they have other news that we did not relate to you. So they would not believe when the messengers came to them with clear signs, due to what they had denied of the signs of Allah before the coming of the messengers. Or they would not believe until the end of their lives in what they had denied at first when the messengers came to them, meaning they continued in denial from the time the messengers came to them until they died, persisting, not yielding, nor softening their resolve in their disbelief and obstinacy despite the repeated admonitions upon them and the continuous signs. And the meaning of the lam is the confirmation of the negation and that faith was contrary to their state in their determination on disbelief. And from Mujahid: It is like His saying, 'And if they were returned, they would return to what they were forbidden from.' Likewise, such a strong nature, We seal upon the hearts of the disbelievers.