أَتَبْنُونَ بِكُلِّ رِيعٍ آيَةً تَعْبَثُونَ ﴿۱۲۸﴾ وَتَتَّخِذُونَ مَصَانِعَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَخْلُدُونَ ﴿۱۲۹﴾ وَإِذَا بَطَشْتُمْ بَطَشْتُمْ جَبَّارِينَ ﴿۱۳۰﴾ فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُونِ ﴿۱۳۱﴾ وَاتَّقُوا الَّذِي أَمَدَّكُمْ بِمَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿۱۳۲﴾ أَمَدَّكُمْ بِأَنْعَامٍ وَبَنِينَ ﴿۱۳۳﴾ وَجَنَّاتٍ وَعُيُونٍ ﴿۱۳۴﴾ إِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابَ يَوْمٍ عَظِيمٍ ﴿۱۳۵﴾ قَالُوا سَوَاءٌ عَلَيْنَا أَوَعَظْتَ أَمْ لَمْ تَكُنْ مِنَ الْوَاعِظِينَ ﴿۱۳۶﴾ إِنْ هَذَا إِلَّا خُلُقُ الْأَوَّلِينَ ﴿۱۳۷﴾

﴾128﴿ Atabnoona bikulli ree'in aayatan ta'basoon
﴾129﴿ Wa tattakhizoona masaani'a la'allakum takhludoon
﴾130﴿ Wa izaa batashtum batashtum jabbaareen
﴾131﴿ Fattaqul laaha wa atee'oon
﴾132﴿ Wattaqul lazeee amad dakum bimaa ta'lamoon
﴾133﴿ Amaddakum bi an'aa minw wa baneen
﴾134﴿ Wa jannaatinw wa 'uyoon
﴾135﴿ Innee akhaafu 'alaikum 'azaaba Yawmin 'azeem
﴾136﴿ Qaaloo sawaaa'un 'alainaaa awa 'azta am lam takum minal waa'izeen
﴾137﴿ In haazaaa illaa khuluqul awwaleen

﴾128﴿ Do you construct on every high place a monument, engaging in frivolity
﴾129﴿ And you build palaces as though you will live forever
﴾130﴿ And when you seize, you seize with tyranny
﴾131﴿ So fear Allah, the Most High, and obey me
﴾132﴿ And fear the One who has provided you with blessings that you know
﴾133﴿ Who has provided you with livestock and sons
﴾134﴿ And gardens and springs
﴾135﴿ Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a Great Day
﴾136﴿ They said, It is the same to us whether you advise us or are not of the advisors
﴾137﴿ This is nothing but the tradition of the former people

[128] In addition to polytheism, this people were materialistic and wealthy — and this is being pointed out as a warning.
(رِيعٍ) can mean a high piece of land, or a path or valley between mountains — either meaning can be intended.
They used to build symbolic monuments and towers in such places, like today’s national and governmental towers, spending vast amounts on them without any real benefit — this is the habit of the ignorant.
(تَعْبَثُونَ) means they built these markers pointlessly and without benefit, or it refers to their mocking and senseless behavior along public roads.
[129] (مَصَانِعَ) means strong structures, lofty palaces, or reservoirs — but they would build them without purpose.
(لَعَلَّكُمْ) here carries a tone of rebuking interrogation, or لعل can mean "as if", implying: Is it your intention to live forever?
In other words, you have even forgotten death.
[130] Along with their wealth, their trait of oppression is mentioned — meaning that the wealthy are often unjust and fearless.
(بَطَشْتُمْ) — batsh refers to seizing without any wrongdoing, killing, or dishonoring others.
(جَبَّارِينَ) — a jabbār is someone who accepts no law above himself; he is arrogant and rebellious.
These people, too, did not accept the law of Allah the Exalted.
[131] This taqwa (God-consciousness) and obedience refer to following the commandments (ahkām) of Allah.
[132] This is a reminder of blessings, and in بِمَا تَعْلَمُونَ there is generality and ambiguity — indicating abundance.
And in تَعْلَمُونَ is an indication that you know these blessings are from Allah the Exalted.
[133,134] This is a detailed explanation of what came before.
It indicates that they possessed vast lands, and their children (sons) were also numerous.
[135] This is a warning of punishment due to their ingratitude for these blessings.
[136] This reflects their arrogance and rebellion — they told the Prophet that his advice has no effect on them.
9 [137] هَذَا refers to the punishment — meaning, the drought and other hardships which you consider as punishment are not punishment at all.
Such events and cycles of time have occurred to people before us as well.
Or it refers to building structures and committing oppression — that this is simply the way of our forefathers.