Allah mentions here the little faith of the people of the towns to whom He sent Messengers. In another instance, Allah said,

﴿ظپظژظ„ظژظˆظ’ظ„ط§ظژ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظژطھظ’ ظ‚ظژط±ظ’ظٹظژط©ظŒ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظژطھظ’ ظپظژظ†ظژظپظژط¹ظژظ‡ظژط¢ ط¥ظگظٹظ…ظژط§ظ†ظڈظ‡ظژط§ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ظژ ظٹظڈظˆظ†ظڈط³ظژ ظ„ظژظ…ظ‘ظژط¢ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظƒظژط´ظژظپظ’ظ†ظژط§ ط¹ظژظ†ظ’ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¹ظژط°ظژط§ط¨ظژ ط§ظ„ط®ظگط²ظ’ظ‰ظگ ظپظگظ‰ ط§ظ„ظ’ط­ظژظٹظژظˆط©ظژ ط§ظ„ط¯ظ‘ظڈظ†ظ’ظٹظژط§ ظˆظژظ…ظژطھظ‘ظژط¹ظ’ظ†ظژط§ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ‰ ط­ظگظٹظ†ظچ ﴾

(Was there any town (community) that believed (after seeing the punishment), and its faith (at that moment) saved it (from the punishment) -- Except the people of Yunus; when they believed, We removed from them the torment of disgrace in the life of the (present) world, and permitted them to enjoy for a while.) ﴿10:98﴾ This Ayah indicates that no city believed in its entirety, except the city of Prophet Yunus, for they all believed after they were stricken by punishment. Allah said (about Prophet Yunus),

﴿ظˆظژط£ظژط±ظ’ط³ظژظ„ظ’ظ†ظژظ€ظ‡ظڈ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ‰ ظ…ظگط§ظ’ط¦ظژط©ظگ ط£ظژظ„ظ’ظپظچ ط£ظژظˆظ’ ظٹظژط²ظگظٹط¯ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ظپظژظ€ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظپظژظ…ظژطھظ‘ظژط¹ظ’ظ†ظژظ€ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¥ظگظ„ظژظ‰ ط­ظگظٹظ†ظچ ﴾

(And We sent him to a hundred thousand (people) or even more. And they believed; so We gave them enjoyment for a while.) ﴿37:147-148﴾ Allah said in another Ayah,

﴿ظˆظژظ…ظژط¢ ط£ظژط±ظ’ط³ظژظ„ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ظپظگظ‰ ظ‚ظژط±ظ’ظٹظژط©ظچ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ† ظ†ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹط±ظچ﴾

(And We did not send a warner to a township....) ﴿34:34﴾ Allah said here,

﴿ظˆظژظ„ظژظˆظ’ ط£ظژظ†ظ‘ظژ ط£ظژظ‡ظ’ظ„ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظڈط±ظژظ‰ ط،ظژط§ظ…ظژظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظˆظژط§طھظ‘ظژظ‚ظژظˆظ’ط§ظ’﴾

(And if the people of the towns had believed and had Taqwa. ..) meaning their hearts had faith in what the Messenger brought them, believed and obeyed him, and had Taqwa by performing the acts of obedience and abstaining from the prohibitions,

﴿ظ„ظژظپظژطھظژط­ظ’ظ†ظژط§ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظٹظ’ظ‡ظگظ… ط¨ظژط±ظژظƒظژظ€طھظچ ظ…ظ‘ظگظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ط³ظ‘ظژظ…ظژط¢ط،ظگ ظˆظژط§ظ„ط§ظ‘ظŒط±ظ’ط¶ظگ﴾

(We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth,) in reference to the rain that falls from the sky and the vegetation of the earth. Allah said,

﴿ظˆظژظ„ظژظ€ظƒظگظ† ظƒظژط°ظ‘ظژط¨ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظپظژط£ظژط®ظژط°ظ’ظ†ظژظ€ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¨ظگظ…ظژط§ ظƒظژط§ظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظٹظژظƒظ’ط³ظگط¨ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(but they belied (the Messengers). So We took them (with punishment) for what they used to earn.) They denied their Messengers, so that We punished them and sent destruction on them as a result of the sins and wickedness that they earned. Allah then said, while warning and threatening against defying His orders and daring to commit His prohibitions,

﴿ط£ظژظپظژط£ظژظ…ظگظ†ظژ ط£ظژظ‡ظ’ظ„ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظڈط±ظژظ‰﴾

(Did the people of the towns then feel secure),meaning the disbelievers among them,

﴿ط£ظژظ† ظٹظژط£ظ’طھظگظٹظژظ‡ظڈظ… ط¨ظژط£ظ’ط³ظڈظ†ظژط§﴾

(that should come to them our punishment), Our torment and punishing example,

﴿ط¨ظژظٹظژظ€طھظ‹ط§﴾

(Bayatan) during the night,

﴿ط£ظژظپظژط£ظژظ…ظگظ†ظژ ط£ظژظ‡ظ’ظ„ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظڈط±ظژظ‰ ط£ظژظ† ظٹظژط£ظ’طھظگظٹظژظ‡ظڈظ… ط¨ظژط£ظ’ط³ظڈظ†ظژط§ ط¨ظژظٹظژظ€طھط§ظ‹ ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظ†ظژط¢ط¦ظگظ…ظڈظˆظ†ظژ - ط£ظژظˆظژ ط£ظژظ…ظگظ†ظژ ط£ظژظ‡ظ’ظ„ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظڈط±ظژظ‰ ط£ظژظ† ظٹظژط£ظ’طھظگظٹظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¨ظژط£ظ’ط³ظڈظ†ظژط§ ط¶ظڈط­ظ‹ظ‰ ظˆظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظٹظژظ„ظ’ط¹ظژط¨ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(while they were asleep Or, did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our punishment in the forenoon while they were playing) while they are busy in their affairs and unaware.

﴿ط£ظژظپظژط£ظژظ…ظگظ†ظڈظˆط§ظ’ ظ…ظژظƒظ’ط±ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ﴾

(Did they then feel secure against Allah's plan) His torment, vengeance, and His power to destroy them while they are inattentive and heedless,

﴿ظپظژظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژط£ظ’ظ…ظژظ†ظڈ ظ…ظژظƒظ’ط±ظژ ط§ظ„ظ„ظ‘ظژظ‡ظگ ط¥ظگظ„ط§ظ‘ظژ ط§ظ„ظ’ظ‚ظژظˆظ’ظ…ظڈ ط§ظ„ظ’ط®ظژظ€ط³ظگط±ظڈظˆظ†ظژ﴾

(None feels secure from Allah's plan except the people who are the losers.) Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "The believer performs the acts of worship, all the while feeling fear, in fright and anxiety. The Fajir (wicked sinner, or disbeliever) commits the acts of disobedience while feeling safe (from Allah's torment)!''

﴿ط£ظژظˆظژظ„ظژظ…ظ’ ظٹظژظ‡ظ’ط¯ظگ ظ„ظگظ„ظ‘ظژط°ظگظٹظ†ظژ ظٹظژط±ظگط«ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ط§ظ„ط£ظژط±ظ’ط¶ظژ ظ…ظگظ† ط¨ظژط¹ظ’ط¯ظگ ط£ظژظ‡ظ’ظ„ظگظ‡ظژط¢ ط£ظژظ† ظ„ظ‘ظژظˆظ’ ظ†ظژط´ظژط¢ط،ظڈ ط£ظژطµظژط¨ظ’ظ†ظژظ€ظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ط¨ظگط°ظڈظ†ظڈظˆط¨ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظˆظژظ†ظژط·ظ’ط¨ظژط¹ظڈ ط¹ظژظ„ظژظ‰ ظ‚ظڈظ„ظڈظˆط¨ظگظ‡ظگظ…ظ’ ظپظژظ‡ظڈظ…ظ’ ظ„ط§ظژ ظٹظژط³ظ’ظ…ظژط¹ظڈظˆظ†ظژ ﴾

(100. Is it not a guidance for those who inherit the earth from its previons inhabitants that had We willed, We would have punished them for their sins. And We seal up their hearts so that they hear not)