(6–14) “Have you not seen how your Lord dealt with Ād—* Iram of the pillars, * whose like had never been created in any land—* and with Thamūd, who hewed the rocks in the valley, * and Pharaoh of the stakes—* all of whom transgressed throughout the lands * and spread much corruption therein? * So your Lord poured upon them a scourge of punishment. * Indeed, your Lord is ever watchful.”

Allah Most High says: “Have you not seen” with your heart and insight how He dealt with these tyrannical peoples? One of them was “Iram,” the well-known tribe in Yemen, “of the pillars”—that is, possessing tremendous strength, insolence, and tyranny.

“Whose like had never been created”—that is, the like of Ād—“in any land,” meaning anywhere [in strength and might], as their prophet Hūd (peace be upon him) said to them:

“Remember when He made you successors after the people of Noah and increased you abundantly in stature. So remember Allah’s favors, so that you may prosper.”

“And Thamūd, who hewed the rocks in the valley”—that is, Wādī al-Qurā. With their strength, they carved the rocks and made them into dwellings.

“And Pharaoh of the stakes”—that is, [the possessor of] armies who secured his rule, just as stakes secure whatever they are meant to hold in place.

“All of whom transgressed throughout the lands”: this description refers to Ād, Thamūd, Pharaoh, and their followers. They transgressed in Allah’s lands and harmed Allah’s servants in their religion and worldly lives. Therefore, He said:

“And spread much corruption therein”—namely, practicing disbelief and its various branches, encompassing every kind of sin. They strove to oppose the messengers and turn people away from Allah’s path. When their insolence reached a level warranting their destruction, Allah sent upon them a share of His punishment and a scourge of torment. “Indeed, your Lord is ever watchful” over whoever disobeys Him (1): He gives him a brief respite and then seizes him with the seizure of One Almighty and All-Powerful.