Allah the Exalted warns the disbelievers of Quraysh and reminds them of the punishment and painful torment that He sent in this life on their likes, who disbelieved before them. For instance, Allah the Exalted punished the people of Nuh by drowning them in the encompassing flood that touched all the people of earth. There is also the end that struck the people of Ar-Rass, and we mentioned their story before in Surat Al-Furqan,

﴿وَثَمُودُوَعَادٌ وَفِرْعَوْنُ وَإِخْوَنُ لُوطٍ ﴾

(...and Thamud, and `Ad, and Fir`awn, and the brethren of Lut,) the people of Sadum (Sodom) and the surrounding areas, to whom Lut was sent. Allah the Exalted shook the earth beneath them and turned their area into a reeking lake, as stinking as the disbelief, tyranny and defiance of the Truth that they had,

﴿وَأَصْحَـبُ الاٌّيْكَةِ﴾

(And the Dwellers of Al-Aykah), they are the nation of Shu`ayb, peace be upon him,

﴿وَقَوْمُ تُّبَّعٍ﴾

(and the people of Tubba`), King of Yemen; we explained his story in the Tafsir of Surat Ad-Dukhan, and therefore, we do not need to repeat it here. All praise is due to Allah.

﴿كُلٌّ كَذَّبَ الرُّسُلَ﴾

(Everyone of them denied (their) Messengers,) means, all of these nations and their generations belied their respective Messenger, and whoever denies even one Messenger, is as if he has denied all Messengers. Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said,

﴿كَذَّبَتْ قَوْمُ نُوحٍ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ﴾

(The people of Nuh denied the Messengers.)(26:105) even though only one Messenger was sent to them, and indeed, if all the Messengers were sent to them, they would have disbelieved in them as well. Allah said,

﴿فَحَقَّ وَعِيدِ﴾

(so My threat took effect.) meaning, the promise of torment and punishment that Allah delivered to them on account of their denial took effect. Therefore, all those who fear suffering the same end should be warned, especially since the latter have denied their Messenger, just as the former denied their Messenger.