Overall meaning : Allah, Exalted be He, says, warning the unbelievers and reminding them of the punishment He inflicted on the past unbelieving nations: Have you not heard the stories of the nations before you—the people of Noah, the tribes of ‘Aad and Thamud and of many other nations after them? Only Allah knows how many they were. Their messengers came to them with clear signs and proofs, but they thrust their hands into their mouths, biting them in anger and out of extreme spite, and said, ‘We totally reject and disbelieve what you have been sent with, and we strongly doubt the faith to which you are inviting us.’
Their messengers said to them, ‘Is there any doubt about Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth out of absolutely nothing, who calls you to worship Him alone and obey Him in order to forgive you your sins and let you live without inflicting any chastisement on you until your appointed earthly term comes to an end?’
They argued, ‘You are no more than humans like us and you have no advantage over us which entitles you to be messengers! You only wish to turn us away from the idols that our forefathers worshipped. Bring us, then, some compelling proof or wondrous miracle to confirm your authority and the truthfulness of your message.’
Their messengers said to them, ‘We are indeed only humans like you, but Allah favours whomsoever He chooses of His servants by granting them prophethood and preferring them over many of what He has created. It is not in our power to bring you the sort of proof or miraculous sign which you suggest without Allah’s permission; and it is in Allah alone that the believers must place their trust in all their affairs. Why should we not put our trust in Allah, when He has truly guided us to the way which leads those who follow it to His mercy and saves them from His punishment? We will patiently endure whatever harm you may cause us, and in Allah alone must the faithful put their trust.’