Tafsir of Al-Anbiya' 21:6

"No town believed before them"—this is a new sentence initiated to refute what is implied by the conclusion of their statement: the implicit promise to believe if the proposed sign were brought. It serves to clarify that, in proposing this, they are like one who digs his own grave with his own hoof. Furthermore, refraining from granting their request is an act of mercy towards them. How could it be otherwise? For if they were granted what they proposed—while they would certainly not believe—they would have been utterly annihilated, in accordance with the established tradition (Sunnah) of Allah—exalted is His affair—regarding past nations: to annihilate those among them who proposed signs if they were granted them and then failed to believe. His word—glorified be He—has already preceded that this nation shall not be punished with the punishment of total annihilation. This interpretation is superior to the view that, because they slandered the Quran and its status as a miracle—going so far as to say, "Do you then approach magic?" until they reached His saying, "Then let him bring us..."—this statement, "No town believed," was brought as a consolation to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), indicating that warning them is of no avail.

Regardless of the interpretation, His saying "from a town" (min qaryah) involves the omission of a genitive; that is, "from the people of a town." The "min" is intensive (za'idah) to emphasize universality, and what follows is in the nominative position as the subject. His saying "We destroyed it" (ahlaknaha) is in the genitive or nominative position as an adjective for "town." The intent is that "We destroyed it" through the destruction of its inhabitants because of their failure to believe after the arrival of the signs they had proposed. It has been said that "town" is a metaphor for its people, thus negating the need for the estimated genitive. This was challenged on the grounds that "We destroyed it" (feminine singular pronoun) refutes this, and "istikhdam" (using a word in a sense other than its literal one), while frequent in speech, contradicts the apparent meaning. Some have said: You may say that destroying the town is a metonymy for destroying its inhabitants, though what was mentioned first is more appropriate.

The interrogative "hamzah" in His saying, "Will they then believe?" (afahum yu'minun) is for the denial of occurrence. The "fa" (then) is for conjunction, either to an implied sentence which the "hamzah" has entered, thus signifying the denial and negation of their belief following the non-belief of those who came before them. The meaning is: "No nation of the destroyed nations believed when they were granted the signs they proposed; will they then believe—i.e., these people—if they were granted what they proposed?" This is especially true given that they are even more rebellious and insolent, as understood by the context. This is also suggested by the shift from the form "they will not believe" (la yu'minun). Regarding "No town believed," the "fa" is considered in terms of sequence to be preceding the "hamzah," signifying that the denial of their belief is consequential to the non-belief of those who came before. The "hamzah" is placed before it only because of its requirement to occupy the initial position in the sentence.