أَوَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا فِي الْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا كَيْفَ كَانَ عَاقِبَةُ الَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ كَانُوا أَشَدَّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةً وَأَثَارُوا الْأَرْضَ وَعَمَرُوهَا أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا عَمَرُوهَا وَجَاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَاتِ فَمَا كَانَ اللَّهُ لِيَظْلِمَهُمْ وَلَكِن كَانُوا أَنفُسَهُمْ يَظْلِمُونَ
Have they not travelled in the land and seen how was the fate of those who were before them? They were more powerful than them, and they plowed the earth and developed it more than they have developed it. Their apostles brought them manifest proofs. So it was not Allah who wronged them, but it was they who used to wrong themselves.
Agha Ali Puya Commentary
Commentary on Quran 30:9
[Pooya/Ali Commentary 30:9] Everyone should keep in view the end of bygone people and their kingdoms which were numerous, strong and prosperous but when they disobeyed the word of Allah, all was destroyed. Refer to the commentary of Yusuf: 109 and Hajj: 46. Aqa Mahdi Puya says: Thus a strong warning is sounded for the sinners that their sinfulness might result in complete disbelief in Allah and denial of truth. This very passage was quoted by Bibi Zaynab, Imam Husayn's sister, when she was brought as a prisoner in the court of Yazid, in answer to his observation: "The Hashimites had played a game for acquiring power to rule otherwise neither there came any message nor any revelation from heaven."