﴿ فَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَٰهَا وَهِىَ ظَالِمَةٌۭ فَهِىَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَبِئْرٍۢ مُّعَطَّلَةٍۢ وَقَصْرٍۢ مَّشِيدٍ ﴾

“And how many a township have We destroyed because it had been immersed in evildoing - and now they [all] lie deserted, with their roofs caved in! And how many a well lies abandoned, and how many a castle that [once] stood high!”

How many a town I have destroyed ahlaktuhā a variant reading has ahlaknāhā ‘We have destroyed’ while it was doing wrong that is while its inhabitants were doing wrong by being disbelievers but now it lies fallen down collapsed on its roofs and how many a neglected well abandoned because of the death of its owners and a lofty palace stands empty because of the death of its residents.