﴿ظˆظژظƒظژظ…ظ’ ظ‚ظژطµظژظ…ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظ…ظگظ† ظ‚ظژط±ظ’ظٹظژط©ظچ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظژطھظ’ ط¸ظژظ€ظ„ظگظ…ظژط©ظ‹﴾

(How many a town given to wrongdoing, have We destroyed,) meaning, they were very many. This is like the Ayah:

﴿ظˆظژظƒظژظ…ظ’ ط£ظژظ‡ظ’ظ„ظژظƒظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظ…ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظڈط±ظڈظˆظ†ظگ ظ…ظگظ† ط¨ظژط¹ظ’ط¯ظگ ظ†ظڈظˆط­ظچ﴾

(And how many generations have We destroyed after Nuh!) ﴿17:17﴾

﴿ظپظژظƒظژط£ظژظٹظ‘ظگظ† ظ…ظ‘ظگظ† ظ‚ظژط±ظ’ظٹظژط©ظچ ط£ظژظ‡ظ’ظ„ظژظƒظ’ظ†ظژظ€ظ‡ظژط§ ظˆظژظ‡ظگظ‰ظژ ط¸ظژط§ظ„ظگظ…ظژط©ظŒ ظپظژظ‡ظگظ‰ظژ ط®ظژط§ظˆظگظٹظژط©ظŒ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط¹ظڈط±ظڈظˆط´ظگظ‡ظژط§﴾

(And many a township did We destroy while they were given to wrongdoing, so that it lie in ruins) ﴿22:45﴾.

﴿ظˆظژط£ظژظ†ط´ظژط£ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ط¨ظژط¹ظ’ط¯ظژظ‡ظژط§ ظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ط§ظ‹ ط،ظژط§ط®ظژط±ظگظٹظ†ظژ﴾

(and raised up after them another people!) means, another nation which came after them.

﴿ظپظژظ„ظژظ…ظ‘ظژط¢ ط£ظژط­ظژط³ظ‘ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¨ظژط£ظ’ط³ظژظ†ظژط¢﴾

(Then, when they sensed Our torment,) when they realized that the torment would undoubtedly come upon them, just as their Prophet had warned them,

﴿ط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظ’ظ‡ظژط§ ظٹظژط±ظ’ظƒظڈط¶ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(behold, they (tried to) flee from it.) they tried to run away.

﴿ظ„ط§ظژ طھظژط±ظ’ظƒظڈط¶ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظˆظژط§ط±ظ’ط¬ظگط¹ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ‰ ظ…ظژط¢ ط£ظڈطھظ’ط±ظگظپظ’طھظڈظ…ظ’ ظپظگظٹظ‡ظگ ظˆظژظ…ظژط³ظژظ€ظƒظگظ†ظگظƒظڈظ…ظ’﴾

(Flee not, but return to that wherein you lived a luxurious life, and to your homes,) This is a way of ridiculing them. It will be said to them by way of ridicule: "Do not run away from the coming torment; go back to the delights and luxuries and fine homes in which you were living.'' Qatadah said, "Mocking them.''

﴿ظ„ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ‘ظژظƒظڈظ…ظ’ طھظڈط³ظ’ط£ظژظ„ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(in order that you may be questioned) about whether you gave thanks for what you had.

﴿ظ‚ظژط§ظ„ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظٹظˆظژظٹظ’ظ„ظژظ†ظژط¢ ط¥ظگظ†ظ‘ظژط§ ظƒظڈظ†ظ‘ظژط§ ط¸ظژظ€ظ„ظگظ…ظگظٹظ†ظژ ﴾

(They cried: "Woe to us! Certainly we have been wrong- doers.'') They will confess their sins when it will be of no benefit to them.

﴿ظپظژظ…ظژط§ ط²ظژط§ظ„ظژطھ طھظگظ„ظ’ظƒظژ ط¯ظژط¹ظ’ظˆظژط§ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط­ظژطھظ‘ظژظ‰ ط¬ظژط¹ظژظ„ظ’ظ†ظژظ€ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط­ظژطµظگظٹط¯ط§ظ‹ ط®ظژظ€ظ…ظگط¯ظگظٹظ†ظژ ﴾

(And that cry of theirs ceased not, till We made them as a field that is reaped, extinct.) meaning, "they will keep on saying that, admitting their wrong- doing, until We harvest them as it were, and their movements and voices come to a stop.''

﴿ظˆظژظ…ظژط§ ط®ظژظ„ظژظ‚ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ط§ظ„ط³ظ‘ظژظ…ظژط¢ط،ظژ ظˆظژط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط±ظ’ط¶ظژ ظˆظژظ…ظژط§ ط¨ظژظٹظ’ظ†ظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظژط§ ظ„ط§ظژط¹ظگط¨ظگظٹظ†ظژ - ظ„ظژظˆظ’ ط£ظژط±ظژط¯ظ’ظ†ظژط¢ ط£ظژظ† ظ†ظ‘ظژطھظ‘ظژط®ظگط°ظژ ظ„ظژظ‡ظ’ظˆط§ظ‹ ظ„ط§ظ‘ظژطھظ‘ظژط®ظژط°ظ’ظ†ظژظ€ظ‡ظڈ ظ…ظگظ† ظ„ظ‘ظژط¯ظڈظ†ظ‘ظژط¢ ط¥ظگظ† ظƒظڈظ†ظ‘ظژط§ ظپظژظ€ط¹ظگظ„ظگظٹظ†ظژ - ط¨ظژظ„ظ’ ظ†ظژظ‚ظ’ط°ظگظپظڈ ط¨ظگط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظژظ‚ظ‘ظگ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ’ط¨ظژظ€ط·ظگظ„ظگ ظپظژظٹظژط¯ظ’ظ…ظژط؛ظڈظ‡ظڈ ظپظژط¥ظگط°ظژط§ ظ‡ظڈظˆظژ ط²ظژط§ظ‡ظگظ‚ظŒ ظˆظژظ„ظژظƒظڈظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظˆظژظٹظ’ظ„ظڈ ظ…ظگظ…ظ‘ظژط§ طھظژطµظگظپظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظˆظژظ„ظژظ‡ظڈ ظ…ظژظ† ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ط³ظ‘ظژظ…ظژظ€ظˆظژطھظگ ظˆظژط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط±ظ’ط¶ظگ ظˆظژظ…ظژظ†ظ’ ط¹ظگظ†ظ’ط¯ظژظ‡ظڈ ظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژط³ظ’طھظژظƒظ’ط¨ظگط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط¹ظژظ†ظ’ ط¹ظگط¨ظژط§ط¯ظژطھظگظ‡ظگ ظˆظژظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژط³ظ’طھظژط­ظ’ط³ظگط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظٹظڈط³ظژط¨ظ‘ظگط­ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ„ظ‘ظژظٹظ’ظ„ظژ ظˆظژط§ظ„ظ†ظ‘ظژظ‡ظژط§ط±ظژ ظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژظپظ’طھظڈط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(16. We created not the heavens and the earth and all that is between them for play.) (17. Had We intended to take a pastime, We could surely have taken it from Us, if We were going to do (that).) (18. Nay, We fling the truth against the falsehood, so it destroys it, and behold, it disappears. And woe to you for that which you ascribe.) (19. To Him belongs whosoever is in the heavens and on earth. And those who are near Him are not too proud to worship Him, nor are they weary.) (20. They glorify His praises night and day, they never slacken.)