And if the people of the towns had believed and had Taqwa, certainly, We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth, but they belied (the Messengers). So We took them (with punishment) for what they used to earn (96)Did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our punishment by night while they were asleep (97)Or, did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our punishment in the forenoon while they were playing (98)Did they then feel secure against Allah's plan? None feels secure from Allah's plan except the people who are the losers (99)
Blessings come with Faith, while Kufr brings Torment
Allah mentions here the little faith of the people of the towns to whom He sent Messengers. In another instance, Allah said,
فَلَوْلَا كَانَتْ قَرْيَةٌ آمَنَتْ فَنَفَعَهَا إِيمَانُهَا إِلَّا قَوْمَ يُونُسَ لَمَّا آمَنُوا كَشَفْنَا عَنْهُمْ عَذَابَ الْخِزْيِ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ
(Was there any town (community) that believed (after seeing the punishment), and its faith (at that moment) saved it (from the punishment)? Except the people of Yunus; when they believed, We removed from them the torment of disgrace in the life of the (present) world, and permitted them to enjoy for a while.)[10:98]
This Ayah indicates that no city believed in its entirety, except the city of Prophet Yunus, for they all believed after they were stricken by punishment. Allah said (about Prophet Yunus),
وَأَرْسَلْنَاهُ إِلَىٰ مِائَةِ أَلْفٍ أَوْ يَزِيدُونَ - فَآمَنُوا فَمَتَّعْنَاهُمْ إِلَىٰ حِينٍ
(And We sent him to a hundred thousand (people) or even more. And they believed; so We gave them enjoyment for a while.)[37:147-148] Allah said in another Ayah,
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ
(And We did not send a warner to a township....)[34:34] Allah said here,
وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَىٰ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا
(And if the people of the towns had believed and had Taqwa...) meaning their hearts had faith in what the Messenger brought them, believed and obeyed him, and had Taqwa by performing the acts of obedience and abstaining from the prohibitions,
لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ
(We should have opened for them blessings from the heaven and the earth,) in reference to the rain that falls from the sky and the vegetation of the earth. Allah said,
وَلَٰكِن كَذَّبُوا فَأَخَذْنَاهُم بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ
(but they belied (the Messengers). So We took them (with punishment) for what they used to earn.)
They denied their Messengers, so that We punished them and sent destruction on them as a result of the sins and wickedness that they earned. Allah then said, while warning and threatening against defying His orders and daring to commit His prohibitions,
أَفَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَىٰ
(Did the people of the towns then feel secure),meaning the disbelievers among them,
أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا
(that should come to them our punishment), Our torment and punishing example,
بَيَاتًا
('Bayātan') during the night,
وَهُمْ نَائِمُونَ - أَوَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَىٰ أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا ضُحًى وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ
(while they were asleep? Or, did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our punishment in the forenoon while they were playing?) while they are busy in their affairs and unaware.
أَفَأَمِنُوا مَكْرَ اللَّهِ
(Did they then feel secure against Allah's plan?) His torment, vengeance, and His power to destroy them while they are inattentive and heedless,
فَلَا يَأْمَنُ مَكْرَ اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ
(None feels secure from Allah's plan except the people who are the losers.)
Al-Hasan Al-Basri said, "The believer performs the acts of worship, all the while feeling fear, in fright and anxiety. The Fajir (wicked sinner, or disbeliever) commits the acts of disobedience while feeling safe (from Allah's torment)!"