Allah tells; وَكَذَلِكَ أَخْذُ رَبِّكَ إِذَا أَخَذَ الْقُرَى وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌSuch is the punishment of your Lord when He seizes the (population of) towns while they are doing wrong.It is as though Allah is saying, "Just as We have destroyed these wicked generations who rejected their Messengers, We will do the same to any who are like them."إِنَّ أَخْذَهُ أَلِيمٌ شَدِيدٌVerily, His punishment is painful (and) severe.In the Two Sahihs, it is recorded that Abu Musa said that the Messenger of Allah said,إِنَّ اللهَ لَيُمْلِي لِلظَّالِمِ حَتَّى إِذَا أَخَذَهُ لَمْ يُفْلِتْهVerily, Allah gives respite to a wrongdoer until He seizes him and he cannot escape.Then the Messenger of Allah recited,وَكَذَلِكَ أَخْذُ رَبِّكَ إِذَا أَخَذَ الْقُرَى وَهِيَ ظَالِمَةٌSuch is the punishment of your Lord when He seizes the towns while they are doing wrong