﴿ وَكَمْ أَهْلَكْنَا قَبْلَهُم مِّن قَرْنٍ هُمْ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُم بَطْشًۭا فَنَقَّبُوا۟ فِى ٱلْبِلَٰدِ هَلْ مِن مَّحِيصٍ ﴾

“AND HOW MANY a generation have We destroyed before those [who now deny the truth] people of greater might than theirs; but [when Our chastise­ment befell them,] they became wanderers on the face of the earth, seeking no more than a place of refuge”

And how many a generation We destroyed before them that is before the disbelievers of Quraysh We destroyed many generations of disbelievers who were mightier than these in prowess and who then searched throughout the land wondering is there any escape? for them and others from death but they found none.