"[Has there not reached them the news of those before them]" up to His saying: "[and the overturned ones (al-mu'tafikat)]." He says: Yes, their news has indeed reached them in what Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) has revealed in His Book. "[And the overturned ones]" means: those that were turned over; they are the three towns of the people of Lot, which Gabriel lifted with his wing and then overturned. "[And Allah would not have wronged them]" by destroying them, "[but they were wronging themselves]" by their denial and their shirk (polytheism). He warns these [people] of what was done to those before them.
Surah at-Tawbah from verse (71) to verse (72).
﴿أَلَمْ يَأْتِهِمْ نَبَأُ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قبلهم﴾ إِلَى قَوْله: ﴿والمؤتفكات﴾ يَقُولُ: بَلَى قَدْ أَتَاهُمْ خَبَرُهُمْ فِيمَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ﷿ فِي كِتَابه ﴿والمؤتفكات﴾ يَعْنِي: الْمُنْقَلِبَاتِ؛ وَهِيَ (قُرَيَّاتُ) قَوْمِ لُوطٍ الثَّلاثُ؛ رَفَعَهَا جِبْرِيلُ بِجَنَاحِهِ ثُمَّ قَلَبَهَا ﴿فَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ ليظلمهم﴾ بِإِهْلاكِهِ إِيَّاهُمْ ﴿وَلَكِنْ كَانُوا أَنْفُسَهُمْ يظْلمُونَ﴾ بِجُحُودِهِمْ وَشِرْكِهِمْ؛ يَحْذَرُ هَؤُلاءِ مَا فعل بِمن قبلهم.
سُورَة التَّوْبَة من الْآيَة (٧١) إِلَى الْآيَة (٧٢).
