How does one respond to those who misinterpret the noble verse: "And when We intend to destroy a city, We command its affluent ones, and they defiantly disobey therein; so the word comes true upon it, and We destroy it with [complete] destruction" (Al-Isra: 16), and claim that it portrays God—exalted be He above such a thing—as an unjust, tyrannical deity, knowing that it is closely connected to the preceding verses and describes the state of the Children of Israel and their persistence in disobedience?

The sayings of scholars regarding the meaning of "We commanded its affluent ones, then they committed wickedness therein" (أمرنا مترفيها ففسقوا فيها) can be summarized into three views. The most accurate among them is that the command here is a legislative command for obedience to Allah and His oneness, where Allah commanded the affluent of the towns to comply with His commands, but they committed wickedness and disobeyed, thus punishment became due upon them and they were destroyed.

As for the second view, it holds that the command is a cosmic, predetermined one, meaning that Allah decreed corruption upon them. The third view is that "We commanded" (أمرنا) means "We made numerous" (أكثرنا) its affluent ones, then they committed wickedness.

Wickedness is attributed to the affluent because they are the followed leaders. Destruction encompasses everyone, including the righteous, if evil becomes widespread and some do not forbid others from it.