Overall meaning : We had securely established ‘Aad, Hud’s people, in a manner in which We have never established you, Quraysh idolaters, endowing them with greater wealth and might; and We had, out of Our grace, given them ears, eyes and hearts. Nevertheless, as they stubbornly refused to give thanks to Us by failing to use such blessings in ways pleasing to Us, We punished them severely, without their ears, eyes or hearts being of any avail to them at all when Our retribution descended upon them, for they persisted in denying Our signs bearing witness to Our oneness and perfect power; and so they were overwhelmed by the very punishment which they used to ridicule. Beware, then, unbelievers, of suffering the same terrible fate!
We also destroyed the unbelieving dwellers of the cities around you, Quraysh unbelievers, such as ‘Aad, Sheba, Thamud and Midian, and repeatedly showed them Our signs and proofs in various ways and forms so that they might desist from their unbelief and rejection of the truth, but they obstinately refused to do so, and thus We destroyed them!
Why did their gods, which they had set up besides Allah to bring them nearer to Him, did not, then, help them or protect them from Allah’s punishment?! Rather, they utterly forsook them. Indeed, the very gods they worshipped besides Allah failed them, as they were all lies and false inventions!