Are they better or the people of Tubba' and those before them? (44:37)

Almuntakhab Fi Tafsir Alquran Alkarim

Are they -the Meccan infidels- the better in wordly conditions than the people of Tobba* and their predecessors? But We did away with them, and reduced them into a useless form; they were evil personified

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

(44:37) Are these better or the people of Tubba *32 and those who went before them? We destroyed them for they were a criminal people. *33

Are they better or the people of Tubba' and those before them? meaning

*32) Tubba was the title of the kings of the Himyarites, like the titles of Khosroes, Caesar, Pharaoh etc. which have been associated with the kings of different countries. They were a branch of the Sabaeans, who attained domination over Saba in 115 B.C. and puled it till 300 A.D. They have been a well known people of Arabia for centuries. (For details, see E.N. 37 of Surah Saba).
*33) This is the first answer to the disbelievers' objection; it means: No individual group or nation which denies the Hereafter can help becoming criminal. Perversion of the morals is its inevitable result, and human history bears evidence that whichever nation adopted this view of life ultimately perished. As for the question: Are they better or the people of Tubba' or the people before them? ii means this: The disbelievers of Makkah have not been able to attain to the prosperity and splendour that became the lot of the people of Tubba' and of the people of Saba and of the people of Pharaoh and others before them. But this material prosperity and worldly splendour could not save them from the consequences of their moral degeneration. How will then the chiefs of the Quraish be saved from destruction on the strength of their puny resources and wealth? (For details, see E.N.'s 25 to 36 of Surah Saba).
 

Are they better or the people of Tubba' and those before them? meaning in Urdu

یہ بہتر ہیں یا تبع کی قوم اور اُس سے پہلے کے لوگ؟ ہم نے ان کو اِسی بنا پر تباہ کیا کہ وہ مجرم ہوگئے تھے