Commentary on Tafsir al-Jalalayn: ((or destroy them)) is coordinated with "settle" (i.e., cause them to dwell), meaning He drowns them with the wind's force along with their people. ((for what they earned)) means the sins committed by their people.
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" is coordinated with "settle," meaning He drowns them with the wind's force along with their people " This is a third category: [Ash-Shuraa 42:33-34] that He drowns them meaning because of what they earned. So what is the earning that leads to punishment? Sins, either by leaving obligatory acts or by committing forbidden acts: [Ash-Shuraa 42:34] His saying: [Al-Ma'idah 5:15] "and He pardons much" is not coordinated with "settle" because that would corrupt the meaning, as it would imply: if He wills, He settles [the wind], or destroys, or pardons much, and this is defective. But the meaning is: He destroys them for what they earned, and "He pardons much" is a new sentence, but the conjunction was omitted for brevity. The meaning is that Allah the Exalted pardons many sins and does not punish for them. " of them, so He does not drown their people ".