Az-Zukhruf • EN-TAFSIR-MAARIF-UL-QURAN
﴿ فَجَعَلْنَٰهُمْ سَلَفًۭا وَمَثَلًۭا لِّلْءَاخِرِينَ ﴾
“and so We made them a thing of the past, and an example to those who would come after them.”
فَلَمَّا آسَفُونَا (So, when they provoked our anger, - 43:55). Since Allah Almighty is pure of the states of anger and sorrow, the meaning is that their behavior caused Us to decide that they should be punished. (Ruh-ul-Ma’ ani)