أَلَمۡ يَأۡتِهِمۡ نَبَأُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبۡلِهِمۡ قَوۡمِ نُوحٖ وَعَادٖ وَثَمُودَ وَقَوۡمِ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ وَأَصۡحَٰبِ مَدۡيَنَ وَٱلۡمُؤۡتَفِكَٰتِۚ أَتَتۡهُمۡ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَٰتِۖ فَمَا كَانَ ٱللَّهُ لِيَظۡلِمَهُمۡ وَلَٰكِن كَانُوٓاْ أَنفُسَهُمۡ يَظۡلِمُونَ
Did not the news of those before them reach them – the people of Nooh, and the A’ad, and the Thamud – the people of Ibrahim, the people of Madyan and the dwellings that were overturned? Their Noble Messengers had brought clear proofs to them; so it did not befit Allah’s Majesty to oppress them, but in fact they wronged themselves.
Tafsir:
Advising the Hypocrites to learn a Lesson from Those before Them
Allah advises the hypocrites who reject the Messengers,
أَلَمْ يَأْتِهِمْ نَبَأُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ
(Has not the story reached them of those before them) have you (hypocrites) not learned the end of the nations before you who rejected the Messengers,
قَوْمُ نُوحٍ
(The people of Nuh), and the flood that drowned the entire population of the earth, except those who believed in Allah's servant and Messenger Nuh, peace be upon him,
وَعَادٌ
(and `Ad), who perished with the barren wind when they rejected Hud, peace be upon him,
وَثَمُودُ
(and Thamud), who were overtaken by the Sayhah (awful cry) when they denied Salih, peace be upon him, and killed the camel,
وَقَوْمِ إِبْرَهِيمَ
(and the people of Ibrahim), over whom He gave Ibrahim victory and the aid of clear miracles. Allah destroyed their king Nimrod, son of Canaan, son of Koch from Canaan, may Allah curse him,
وِأَصْحَـبِ مَدْيَنَ
(and the dwellers of Madyan), the people of Shu`ayb, peace be upon him, who were destroyed by the earthquake and the torment of the day of the Shade,
وَالْمُؤْتَفِكَـتِ
(and the overturned cities), the people of Lut who used to live in Madyan. Allah said in another Ayah,
وَالْمُؤْتَفِكَةَ أَهْوَى
(And He destroyed the overturned cities) 53:53, meaning the people of the overturned cities in reference to Sadum Sodom, their major city. Allah destroyed them all because they rejected Allah's Prophet Lut, peace be upon him, and because they committed the sin that none before them had committed homosexuality.
أَتَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ
(to them came their Messengers with clear proofs.), and unequivocal evidence,
فَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ
(So it was not Allah Who wronged them), when He destroyed them, for He established the proofs against them by sending the Messengers and dissipating the doubts,
وَلَـكِن كَانُواْ أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
(but they used to wrong themselves), on account of their denying the Messengers and defying the Truth; this is why they earned the end, torment and punishment, that they did.