Quran Universe
46:27

وَلَقَدۡ أَهۡلَكۡنَا مَا حَوۡلَكُم مِّنَ ٱلۡقُرَىٰ وَصَرَّفۡنَا ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَرۡجِعُونَ

Walaqad ahlakna ma hawlakum mina alqura wasarrafna alayati laAAallahum yarjiAAoona

And We have already destroyed what surrounds you of [those] cities, and We have diversified the signs [or verses] that perhaps they might return [from disbelief].

Word by word
  1. وَلَقَدۡAnd certainly
  2. أَهۡلَكۡنَاWe destroyed
  3. مَاwhat
  4. حَوۡلَكُمsurrounds you
  5. مِّنَof
  6. ٱلۡقُرَىٰthe towns
  7. وَصَرَّفۡنَاand We have diversified
  8. ٱلۡأٓيَٰتِthe Signs
  9. لَعَلَّهُمۡthat they may
  10. يَرۡجِعُونَreturn
Al-Ahqaf · 46:27Makkah

The ruins around you are a message told many ways.

Destroyed towns the Makkans passed on trade routes

Around Makkah
Aadal-Ahqaf, near Yemen
Thamudtoward Syria
Saba, Madyan, Luton routes they used
so that
they might returnsigns explained many ways
Why so many signs
to crush themjust a threat
to bring them backperhaps they return

Ibn Kathir lists the towns near Makkah: Aad, Thamud, Saba, Madyan, and the people of Lut, whose places the Makkans passed on their journeys. Allah explained the signs in different ways. The goal was that perhaps they would return.

A cousin's divorce. A friend's health scare. A coworker who burned out. You hear these stories every month. Each one is a quiet sign, explained a different way, so you might turn back sooner.

Other people's hard lessons are just their stories.

The lessons around me are signs repeated in many forms so that I might turn back.

Try this

Think of one hard thing that happened to someone you know. Write down what it teaches you.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 46:26)

And indeed We had firmly established them with that wherewith We have not established you! We also gave them hearing, vision, and hearts. But their hearing, vision, and hearts availed them nothing since they used to deny the Ayat of Allah, and they were completely encircled by that which they used to ridicule (26)And indeed We have destroyed towns round about you, and We have shown (them) the signs in various ways so that they might return (27)As for those whom they had taken for gods besides Allah, as the means of approach to Him, why then did they not aid them Nay, but they vanished completely from them. And that was their falsehood, and what they were fabricating (28)

Allah says, 'We have granted the earlier nations wealth and offspring in the worldly life. That which We granted them, we did not give you anything similar or close to it.' Furthermore,

وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُمْ سَمْعًا وَأَبْصَارًا وَأَفْئِدَةً فَمَا أَغْنَىٰ عَنْهُمْ سَمْعُهُمْ وَلَا أَبْصَارُهُمْ وَلَا أَفْئِدَتُهُمْ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِذْ كَانُوا يَجْحَدُونَ بِآيَاتِ اللَّهِ وَحَاقَ بِهِمْ مَا كَانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِئُونَ

(We also gave them hearing, vision, and hearts. But their hearing, vision, and hearts availed them nothing when they used to deny Allah's signs, and they were completely encircled by that which they used to ridicule!) meaning, they were encircled by the torment and exemplary punishment that they denied and whose occurrence they doubted. This means, you listeners must beware of being like them lest a punishment similar to theirs strikes you in this life and the Hereafter. Allah then says,

وَلَقَدْ أَهْلَكْنَا مَا حَوْلَكُمْ مِنَ الْقُرَىٰ

(And indeed We have destroyed towns round about you,) This is addressed to the people of Makkah. Allah destroyed the nations who disbelieved in the Messengers who lived around Makkah, such as 'Ad who were at Al-Ahqaf in Hadramawt near Yemen, Thamud whose dwellings were between Makkah and Ash-Sham (Greater Syria), Saba' who were in Yemen, the people of Madyan who were on the route and passage to Ghazzah (Western Palestine), and the people of Lut who dwelt by the lake (the Dead Sea) which they used to pass by (on the way to Jordan) as well. Allah then says,

 وَصَرَّفْنَا الْآيَاتِ

(and We have shown (them) the signs in various ways) meaning, 'We explained and clarified them.'

لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْجِعُونَ - فَلَوْلَا نَصَرَهُمُ الَّذِينَ اتَّخَذُوا مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ قُرْبَانًا آلِهَةً ۖ

(so that perhaps they might return. As for those whom they had taken for gods besides Allah, as the means of approach to Him, why then did they not aid them?) meaning, did they help them when they were in the greatest need for them?

بَلْ ضَلُّوا عَنْهُمْ

(but they vanished completely from them.) Rather, they completely left them alone when they needed them the most.

وَذَٰلِكَ إِفْكُهُمْ

(And that was their falsehood,) meaning, their lie.

وَمَا كَانُوا يَفْتَرُونَ 

(and what they were fabricating.) which means that they fabricated lies by taking them as gods, and they lost and failed in their worship of them and their reliance upon them – and Allah knows best.