This example refers to the people of Makkah, which had been secure, peaceful and stable, a secure sanctuary while men were being snatched away from everywhere outside of it. Whoever entered Makkah, he was safe, and he had no need to fear, as Allah said:

﴿ظˆظژظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¥ظگظ† ظ†ظ‘ظژطھظ‘ظژط¨ظگط¹ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ‡ظڈط¯ظژظ‰ ظ…ظژط¹ظژظƒظژ ظ†ظڈطھظژط®ظژط·ظ‘ظژظپظ’ ظ…ظگظ†ظ’ ط£ظژط±ظ’ط¶ظگظ†ظژط¢ ط£ظژظˆظژظ„ظژظ…ظ’ ظ†ظڈظ…ظژظƒظ‘ظگظ† ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط­ظژط±ظژظ…ط§ظ‹ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظگظ†ط§ظ‹ ظٹظڈط¬ظ’ط¨ظژظ‰ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگ ط«ظژظ…ظژط±ظژط§طھظڈ ظƒظڈظ„ظ‘ظگ ط´ظژظ‰ظ’ط،ظچ ط±ظ‘ظگط²ظ’ظ‚ط§ظ‹ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ† ظ„ظ‘ظژط¯ظڈظ†ظ‘ظژط§﴾

(And they say: "If we follow the guidance with you, we would be snatched away from our land.'' Have We not established a secure sanctuary (Makkah) for them, to which are brought fruits of all kinds, a provision from Ourselves.) ﴿28:57﴾ Similarly, Allah says here:

﴿ظٹظژط£ظ’طھظگظٹظ‡ظژط§ ط±ظگط²ظ’ظ‚ظڈظ‡ظژط§ ط±ظژط؛ظژط¯ظ‹ط§﴾

(its provision coming to it in abundance) meaning, with ease and in plenty,

﴿ظ…ظ‘ظگظ† ظƒظڈظ„ظ‘ظگ ظ…ظژظƒظژط§ظ†ظچ ظپظژظƒظژظپظژط±ظژطھظ’ ط¨ظگط£ظژظ†ظ’ط¹ظڈظ…ظگ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ﴾

(from every place, but it (its people) denied the favors of Allah.) meaning, they denied the blessings of Allah towards them, the greatest of which was Muhammad being sent to them, as Allah said:

﴿ط£ظژظ„ظژظ…ظ’ طھظژط±ظژ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط¨ظژط¯ظ‘ظژظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ†ظگط¹ظ’ظ…ظژطھظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ظƒظڈظپظ’ط±ظ‹ط§ ظˆظژط£ظژط­ظژظ„ظ‘ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¯ظژط§ط±ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¨ظژظˆظژط§ط±ظگ - ط¬ظژظ‡ظژظ†ظ‘ظژظ…ظژ ظٹظژطµظ’ظ„ظژظˆظ’ظ†ظژظ‡ظژط§ ظˆظژط¨ظگط¦ظ’ط³ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظژط±ظژط§ط±ظڈ ﴾

(Have you not seen those who have changed the favors of Allah into disbelief, and caused their people to dwell in the abode of destruction; Hell, in which they will burn, - and what an evil place to settle in!) (14:28-29). Hence Allah replaced their former blessings with the opposite, and said:

﴿ظپظژط£ظژط°ظژط§ظ‚ظژظ‡ظژط§ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ظ„ظگط¨ظژط§ط³ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¬ظڈظˆط¹ظگ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ’ط®ظژظˆظ’ظپظگ﴾

(So Allah made it taste extreme hunger (famine) and fear,) meaning, He inflicted it and made them taste of hunger after fruits of all kinds and provision in abundance from every place had been brought to it. This was when they defied the Messenger of Allah and insisted on opposing him, so he supplicated against them, asking Allah to send them seven years like the seven years of Yusuf (i.e., seven years of famine), and they were stricken with a year in which everything that they had was destroyed, and they ate `Alhaz', which is the hair of the camel mixed with its blood when it is slaughtered.

﴿ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ’ط®ظژظˆظ’ظپظگ﴾

(and fear). This refers to the fact that their sense of security was replaced with fear of the Messenger of Allah and his Companions after they had migrated to Al-Madinah. They feared the power and the attack of his armies, and they started to lose and face the destruction of everything that belonged to them, until Allah made it possible for His Messenger to conquer Makkah. This happened because of their evil deeds, their wrongdoing and their rejection of the Messenger that Allah sent to them from among themselves. He reminded them of this blessing in the Ayah:

﴿ظ„ظژظ‚ظژط¯ظ’ ظ…ظژظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظڈط¤ظ…ظگظ†ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط¥ظگط°ظ’ ط¨ظژط¹ظژط«ظژ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ط±ظژط³ظڈظˆظ„ط§ظ‹ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظ’ ط£ظژظ†ظپظڈط³ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’﴾

(Indeed, Allah blessed the believers when He sent Messenger from among themselves to them.) (3:164) and,

﴿ظپظژط§طھظ‘ظژظ‚ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژ ظٹط£ظڈظˆظ’ظ„ظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ط£ظژظ„ظ’ط¨ظژظ€ط¨ظگ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ‚ظژط¯ظ’ ط£ظژظ†ط²ظژظ„ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظٹظ’ظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط°ظگظƒظ’ط±ط§ظ‹ط±ظژط³ظڈظˆظ„ط§ظ‹﴾

(So have Taqwa of Allah! O men of understanding who have believed, Allah has indeed revealed to you a reminder (this Qur'an). (And has also sent to you) a Messenger.) ﴿65:10-11﴾ and:

﴿ظƒظژظ…ظژط¢ ط£ظژط±ظ’ط³ظژظ„ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظپظگظٹظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط±ظژط³ظڈظˆظ„ط§ظ‹ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظ’ظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظٹظژطھظ’ظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظٹظ’ظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ط¢ظٹظژظ€طھظگظ†ظژط§ ظˆظژظٹظڈط²ظژظƒظ‘ظگظٹظƒظڈظ…ظ’ ظˆظژظٹظڈط¹ظژظ„ظ‘ظگظ…ظڈظƒظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظƒظگطھظژظ€ط¨ظژ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظگظƒظ’ظ…ظژط©ظژ﴾

(Similarly (as a blessing), We have sent a Messenger to you from among you, reciting Our Ayat to you, and purifying you, and teaching you the Book (the Qur'an) and the Hikmah (i.e. Sunnah).) Until

﴿ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ طھظژظƒظ’ظپظڈط±ظڈظˆظ†ظگ﴾

(and do not be ungrateful.) ﴿2:151-152﴾ Allah changed the situation of the disbelievers and made it the opposite of what it had been, so they lived in fear after being secure, they were hungry after having plenty of provisions. After the believers lived in fear, Allah granted them security, giving them ample provisions after they lived in poverty, making them rulers, governors and leaders of mankind. This is what we say about the example that was given of the people of Makkah. It was also the opinion of Al-`Awfi and Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, `Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam, and Malik narrated it from Az-Zuhri as well. May Allah have mercy on them all.

﴿ظپظژظƒظڈظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ…ظگظ…ظ‘ظژط§ ط±ظژط²ظژظ‚ظژظƒظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظڈ ط­ظژظ„ظژظ€ظ„ط§ظ‹ ط·ظژظٹظ‘ظگط¨ط§ظ‹ ظˆظژط§ط´ظ’ظƒظڈط±ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ†ظگط¹ظ’ظ…ظژطھظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط¥ظگظ† ظƒظڈظ†ظ’طھظڈظ…ظ’ ط¥ظگظٹظ‘ظژط§ظ‡ظڈ طھظژط¹ظ’ط¨ظڈط¯ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژظ…ظژط§ ط­ظژط±ظ‘ظژظ…ظژ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظٹظ’ظƒظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ…ظژظٹظ’طھظژط©ظژ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ’ط¯ظ‘ظژظ…ظژ ظˆظژظ„ظژط­ظ’ظ…ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ط®ظژظ†ظ’ط²ظگظٹط±ظگ ظˆظژظ…ظژط¢ ط£ظڈظ‡ظگظ„ظ‘ظژ ظ„ظگط؛ظژظٹظ’ط±ظگ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط¨ظگظ‡ظگ ظپظژظ…ظژظ†ظگ ط§ط¶ظ’ط·ظڈط±ظ‘ظژ ط؛ظژظٹظ’ط±ظژ ط¨ظژط§ط؛ظچ ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ ط¹ظژط§ط¯ظچ ظپظژط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژ ط؛ظژظپظڈظˆط±ظŒ ط±ظ‘ظژط­ظگظٹظ…ظŒ - ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ طھظژظ‚ظڈظˆظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ„ظگظ…ظژط§ طھظژطµظگظپظڈ ط£ظژظ„ظ’ط³ظگظ†ظژطھظڈظƒظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظƒظژط°ظگط¨ظژ ظ‡ظژظ€ط°ظژط§ ط­ظژظ„ظژظ€ظ„ظŒ ظˆظژظ‡ظژظ€ط°ظژط§ ط­ظژط±ظژط§ظ…ظŒ ظ„ظ‘ظگطھظژظپظ’طھظژط±ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ظƒظژط°ظگط¨ظژ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظٹظژظپظ’طھظژط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط§ظ„ظ’ظƒظژط°ظگط¨ظژ ظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظڈظپظ’ظ„ظگط­ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظ…ظژطھظژظ€ط¹ظŒ ظ‚ظژظ„ظگظٹظ„ظŒ ظˆظژظ„ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¹ظژط°ظژط§ط¨ظŒ ط£ظژظ„ظگظٹظ…ظŒ ﴾

(114. So eat of the lawful and good food which Allah has provided for you. And be grateful for Allah's favor, if it is He Whom you worship.) (115. He has only forbidden dead flesh, blood, the flesh of swine, and any animal which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for other than Allah. But if one is forced by necessity, without willful disobedience, nor transgressing, then, Allah is Pardoning, Most Merciful.) (116. And do not describe what your tongues have lied about, saying: "This is lawful and this is forbidden,'' to invent lies against Allah. Verily, those who invent lies against Allah, will never succeed.) (117. A passing brief enjoyment (will be theirs), but they will suffer a painful torment.)