How many populations have We destroyed, which were given to wrong- doing? They tumbled down(2823) on their roofs. And how many wells are lying idle and neglected,(2824) and castles lofty and well-built?
2823 The roofs fell in first, and the whole structure, walls and all, came tumbling after, as happens in ruins. The place was turned upside down. 2824 In a dry country like Arabia, a well stands as a symbol for a living, flourishing population, and many place-names mean "the well of so-and-so" e.g., Bir 'Ali, a village just south of Madinah, the quality of whose drinking water is famous, or Abyar Ibn Hassan, a noted stopping place on the road from Makkah to Madinah, about 92 miles from Madinah.