وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُم مِّن قَرْنٍ هُمْ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُم بَطْشًا فَنَقَّبُوا۟ فِى ٱلْبِلَـٰدِ هَلْ مِن مَّحِيصٍ
Wa kam ahlaknaa qablahum min qarnin hum ashaddu minhum batshan fanaqqaboo fil bilaad, hal mim mahees
We have destroyed even mightier generations before these disbelievers, who travelled through [many] lands- was there any escape?
How many generations we destroyed before them — mightier than these in force, who roamed through the lands. Was there any escape?