Allah says: Just as We appointed chiefs and leaders for the criminals who call to disbelief, hinder from the path of Allah, and oppose and defy you in your town, O Muhammad. Such was also the case with the Messengers before you, who were tested with the same. But the good end was always theirs.' Allah said in other Ayat,

﴿وَكَذَلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِىٍّ عَدُوّاً مِّنَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ﴾

(Thus have We made for every Prophet an enemy among the criminals.) ﴿25:31﴾ Allah said,

﴿وَإِذَآ أَرَدْنَآ أَن نُّهْلِكَ قَرْيَةً أَمَرْنَا مُتْرَفِيهَا فَفَسَقُواْ فِيهَا﴾

(And when We decide to destroy a town, We send a definite order to those among them who lead a life of luxury, and they transgress therein.) ﴿17:16﴾ meaning, We command them to obey Us, but they defy the command and as a consequence, We destroy them. It was also said that, "We send a definite order'', in the last Ayah means, "We decree for them,'' as Allah stated here

﴿لِيَمْكُرُواْ فِيهَا﴾

(to plot therein.) Ibn Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas explained the Ayah

﴿أَكَـبِرَ مُجْرِمِيهَا لِيَمْكُرُواْ فِيهَا﴾

(. ..great ones of its wicked people to plot therein.) "We give the leadership to these wicked ones and they commit evil in it. When they do this, We destroy them with Our torment.'' Mujahid and Qatadah said that in the Ayah,

﴿أَكَـبِرَ مُجْرِمِيهَا﴾

(great ones) refers to leaders. I say that this is also the meaning of Allah's statements,

﴿وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا فِى قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ إِلاَّ قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَآ إِنَّا بِمَآ أُرْسِلْتُمْ بِهِ كَـفِرُونَ - وَقَالُواْ نَحْنُ أَكْثَـرُ أَمْوَلاً وَأَوْلَـداً وَمَا نَحْنُ بِمُعَذَّبِينَ ﴾

(And We did not send a warner to a township, but those who were given the worldly wealth and luxuries among them, said: "We believe not in what you have been sent with." And they say: "We have too much wealth and too many children and we are not going to suffer punishment.") ﴿34:34-35﴾ And,

﴿وَكَذَلِكَ مَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ فِى قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّذِيرٍ إِلاَّ قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَآ إِنَّا وَجَدْنَآ ءَابَآءَنَا عَلَى أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَى ءَاثَـرِهِم مُّقْتَدُونَ ﴾

(And similarly, We sent not a warner before you to any town but the luxurious ones among them said: "We found our fathers following a certain way and religion, and we will indeed follow their footsteps.'') ﴿43:23﴾ `Plot' in the Ayah ﴿6:123﴾ refers to beautified speech and various actions with which the evil ones call to misguidance. Allah said about the people of Prophet Nuh, peace be upon him,

﴿وَمَكَرُواْ مَكْراً كُبَّاراً ﴾

(And they have plotted a mighty plot. ) ﴿71:22 ﴾ Allah said,

﴿وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ بِهَـذَا الْقُرْءَانِ وَلاَ بِالَّذِى بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَلَوْ تَرَى إِذِ الظَّـلِمُونَ مَوْقُوفُونَ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ يَرْجِعُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ الْقَوْلَ يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُواْ لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ لَوْلاَ أَنتُمْ لَكُنَّا مُؤْمِنِينَ - قَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ لِلَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُواْ أَنَحْنُ صَدَدنَـكُمْ عَنِ الْهُدَى بَعْدَ إِذْ جَآءَكُمْ بَلْ كُنتُمْ مُّجْرِمِينَ وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ اسْتُضْعِفُواْ لِلَّذِينَ اسْتَكْبَرُواْ بَلْ مَكْرُ الَّيْلِ وَالنَّهَارِ إِذْ تَأْمُرُونَنَآ أَن نَّكْفُرَ بِاللَّهِ وَنَجْعَلَ لَهُ أَندَاداً﴾

(But if you could see when the wrongdoers will be made to stand before their Lord, how they will cast the (blaming) word one to another! Those who were deemed weak will say to those who were arrogant: "Had it not been for you, we should certainly have been believers.'' And those who were arrogant will say to those who were deemed weak: "Did we keep you back from guidance after it had come to you Nay, but you were criminals." Those who were deemed weak will say to those who were arrogant: "Nay, but it was your plotting by night and day, when you ordered us to disbelieve in Allah and set up rivals for Him!") ﴿34:31-33﴾. Ibn Abi Hatim reported that Ibn Abi `Umar said that Sufyan said, "Every `plot' mentioned in the Qur'an refers to actions.'' Allah's statement,

﴿وَمَا يَمْكُرُونَ إِلاَّ بِأَنفُسِهِمْ وَمَا يَشْعُرُونَ﴾

(But they plot not except against themselves, and they perceive (it) not.) means, the harm of their wicked plots, as well as misguiding those whom they lead astray, will only strike them. Allah said in other Ayat,

﴿وَلَيَحْمِلُنَّ أَثْقَالَهُمْ وَأَثْقَالاً مَّعَ أَثْقَالِهِمْ﴾

(And verily, they shall bear their own loads, and other loads besides their own.) ﴿29:13﴾ and,

﴿وَمِنْ أَوْزَارِ الَّذِينَ يُضِلُّونَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ أَلاَ سَآءَ مَا يَزِرُونَ﴾

(And also of the burdens of those whom they misled without knowledge. Evil indeed is that which they shall bear!) ﴿16:25﴾. Allah said;

﴿وَإِذَا جَآءَتْهُمْ ءَايَةٌ قَالُواْ لَن نُّؤْمِنَ حَتَّى نُؤْتَى مِثْلَ مَآ أُوتِىَ رُسُلُ اللَّهِ﴾

(And when there comes to them a sign they say: "We shall not believe until we receive the like of that which the Messengers of Allah received.'') When there comes to them a sign they say,

﴿لَن نُّؤْمِنَ حَتَّى نُؤْتَى مِثْلَ مَآ أُوتِىَ رُسُلُ اللَّهِ﴾

("We shall not believe until we receive the like of that which the Messengers of Allah received.") until the angels bring us the Message from Allah, just as they brought it to the Messengers. In another Ayah, Allah said,

﴿وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ لاَ يَرْجُونَ لِقَآءَنَا لَوْلاَ أُنزِلَ عَلَيْنَا الْمَلَـئِكَةُ أَوْ نَرَى رَبَّنَا﴾

(And those who expect not a meeting with Us said: "Why are not the angels sent down to us, or why do we not see our Lord") ﴿25:21﴾. Allah's statement,

﴿اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ حَيْثُ يَجْعَلُ رِسَالَتَهُ﴾

(Allah knows best with whom to entrust His Message.) means, He knows best with whom His Message should be given and which of His creatures are suitable for it. Allah said in other Ayat,

﴿وَقَالُواْ لَوْلاَ نُزِّلَ هَـذَا الْقُرْءَانُ عَلَى رَجُلٍ مِّنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ عَظِيمٍ أَهُمْ يَقْسِمُونَ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّكَ﴾

(And they say: "Why is not this Qur'an sent down to some great man of the two towns" Is it they who would portion out the mercy of your Lord) ﴿43:31-32﴾. They said, why was not this Qur'an revealed to a mighty, respectable leader, honored by us,

﴿مِّنَ الْقَرْيَتَيْنِ﴾

(...from one of the two towns) Of Makkah and At-Ta'if. This is because they, may Allah curse them, belittled the Messenger out of envy, transgression, rebellion and defiance. Allah described them,

﴿وَإِذَا رَأَوْكَ إِن يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلاَّ هُزُواً أَهَـذَا الَّذِى بَعَثَ اللَّهُ رَسُولاً ﴾

(And when they see you, they only mock: "Is this the one whom Allah has sent as a Messenger") ﴿25:41﴾ and

﴿وَإِذَا رَآكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ إِن يَتَّخِذُونَكَ إِلاَّ هُزُواً أَهَـذَا الَّذِى يَذْكُرُ آلِهَتَكُمْ وَهُمْ بِذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَـنِ هُمْ كَـفِرُونَ ﴾

(And when those who disbelieved see you, they only mock at you: "Is this the one who talks about your gods" While they disbelieve at the mention of the Most Gracious (Allah).) ﴿21:36﴾, and,

﴿وَلَقَدِ اسْتُهْزِىءَ بِرُسُلٍ مِّن قَبْلِكَ فَحَاقَ بِالَّذِينَ سَخِرُواْ مِنْهُمْ مَّا كَانُواْ بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِءُونَ ﴾

(Indeed Messengers were mocked before, but the scoffers were surrounded by that, whereat they used to mock.) ﴿21:41﴾