Surat Al A`raf (94-95)

{وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِّن نَّبِيٍّ إِلاَّ أَخَذْنَا أَهْلَهَا بِالْبَأْسَاء وَالضَّرَّاء لَعَلَّهُمْ يَضَّرَّعُونَ} [الأعراف : 94]

94- When we sent a Prophet in one of the countries which We destroyed to call to the religion of Allah and forbid them to do evil and deniable acts and they belie it, we would afflict them -before destruction- with poverty, need, and sickness perhaps their selves would submit, become lenient, resort to Allah, respond to His Commands, and to repent of their sins in order to remove their distress and affliction.

{ثُمَّ بَدَّلْنَا مَكَانَ السَّيِّئَةِ الْحَسَنَةَ حَتَّى عَفَواْ وَّقَالُواْ قَدْ مَسَّ آبَاءنَا الضَّرَّاء وَالسَّرَّاء فَأَخَذْنَاهُم بَغْتَةً وَهُمْ لاَ يَشْعُرُونَ} [الأعراف : 95]

95- However, they did not behave themselves by these afflictions and did not stop their bad actions by threatening and warning, so we changed their conditions from hardship and misery to prosperity and blessings until their number and money increased so that they might thank Allah for these blessings, but they did not. They did not consider all these as an affliction and test, but said: This is normal and may hit people at every time and place, and our forefathers were inflicted by similar afflictions as they enjoyed prosperity and likewise we are. As a result, Allah punished them while they are heedless without thinking that would happen one day.