﴿ أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ كَانُوٓا۟ أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةًۭ وَأَثَارُوا۟ ٱلْأَرْضَ وَعَمَرُوهَآ أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا عَمَرُوهَا وَجَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِ ۖ فَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَٰكِن كَانُوٓا۟ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ ﴾

“Have they, then, never journeyed about the earth and beheld what happened in the end to those [deniers of the truth] who lived before their time? Greater were they in power than they are; and they left a stronger impact on the earth, and built it up even better than these [are doing]; and to them [too] came their apostles with all evidence of the truth: and so, [when they rejected the truth and thereupon perished,] it was not God who wronged them, but it was they who had wronged themselves.”

(Have they not travelled) i.e. the disbelievers of Mecca (in the land and seen) and reflect upon (the nature of the consequence for) the requital of (those who were before them) when they disbelieved in their messengers? (They were stronger than these in power) in physical strength, (and they dug the earth) for agriculture more than the people of Mecca did; it is also said that this means: they travelled more for their trade (and built upon it) and lived in their buildings (more than these have built) more than the period in which the people of Mecca lived in their buildings. (Messengers of their own came unto them with clear proofs (of Allah's Sovereignty)) with commands, prohibitions and signs but they disbelieved and Allah, Exalted is He, destroyed them because of their disbelief. (Surely Allah wronged them not) when He destroyed them, (but they did wrong themselves) through their disbelief, idolatry and denial of the messengers.