وَمَا مَنَعَ النَّاسَ اَنۡ يُّؤۡمِنُوۡ٘ا اِذۡ جَآءَهُمُ الۡهُدٰي وَيَسۡتَغۡفِرُوۡا رَبَّهُمۡ اِلَّا٘ اَنۡ تَاۡتِيَهُمۡ سُنَّةُ الۡاَوَّلِيۡنَ اَوۡ يَاۡتِيَهُمُ الۡعَذَابُ قُبُلًا

And nothing has prevented the people from believing when guidance came to them and from asking forgiveness of their Lord except that there [must] befall them the [accustomed] precedent of the former peoples or that the punishment should come [directly] before them