And when We intend to destroy a city, We command its affluent (17:16)

Almuntakhab Fi Tafsir Alquran Alkarim

And when We justly decide to do away with a town by reason of obliquity, We incite those of its people who live in luxury to indulge in the style of shameless luxury, and there comes to be what was predicted beforehand that they were born to be losers and We reduce it to a useless form

Tafseer Tafheem-ul-Quran by Syed Abu-al-A'la Maududi

(17:16) When We decree that a habitation should be destroyed, We give Commands to its well-to-do people and they show disobedience; then that habitation incurs just torment and We totally exterminate it. *18

And when We intend to destroy a city, We command its affluent meaning

*18) Here a definite form of Divine procedure for the destruction of a people has been stated. When the well-to-do people of a habitation become disobedient, it is a portent that it is doomed to destruction. After their persistent and continuous transgression, the well-to-do people become so obdurate in their disobedience that they begin to discard the instinctive dictates of their conscience. The same thing has been stated in v. 16: "When We decree that a habitation should be destroyed We give Commands to its well-to-do people and they show disobedience." This is because Allah has created conscience for the guidance of man. Therefore, the dictates of conscience are really the commands of Allah. Thus it has become quite obvious that by "When We decree that a habitation should be destroyed . . . . " is not meant that Allah intends to destroy it without any reason. It is destroyed because after their disobedience "that habitation incurs Our just wrath and We totally exteminate it." The habitation deserves such a punishment because its common people follow the well-to-do people who are the factual leaders of a community and are mainly responsible for the corruption of the community. At first the well-to-do people commit acts of disobedience, wickedness, mischief, cruelty and tyranny and then the common people follow them and incur the torment of Allah. Incidentally, this is a warning for every community that it should be very discreet and prudent in choosing and electing its leaders and rulers, for if the latter are mean and wicked, they will inevitably lead the community to destruc
 

And when We intend to destroy a city, We command its affluent meaning in Urdu

جب ہم کسی بستی کو ہلاک کرنے کا ارادہ کرتے ہیں تو اس کے خوشحال لوگوں کو حکم دیتے ہیں اور وہ اس میں نافرمانیاں کرنے لگتے ہیں، تب عذاب کا فیصلہ اس بستی پر چسپاں ہو جاتا ہے اور ہم اسے برباد کر کے رکھ دیتے ہیں