سورة الأنعام

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! Say to them: "Travel upon the earth" — that is, look into the Quran and the reports of the prophets. "Then see how was the end of those who denied" the signs of Allah!

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): As for the concession whose outward is contrary to its inward, and the "disconnected-yet-conjoined" in the revelation — it is that a verse of the Book of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, brings forth some matter, then afterwards comes with a [distinct and] separate meaning and brings a meaning other than that [first meaning], then in its address it conjoins upon the first — like the word of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: قُلْ سِیرُوا فِی الْأَرْضِ ثُمَّ انْظُرُوا کَیْفَ کانَ عاقِبَةُ المُکَذِّبِینَ [Say: Travel in the land, then see what was the end of the deniers].

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Abu Rabi al-Shami said: I asked Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) about the words of Allah the Mighty and Majestic: قُلْ سِیرُوا فِی الْأَرْضِ فَانْظُرُوا کَیْفَ کانَ عاقِبَةُ الَّذِینَ مِنْ قَبْلُ [Say: Travel in the land, then see what was the end of those who were before]. He said: "That is, look into the Qur'an [and by means of it undertake a spiritual journey through the land] so that you may know what was the end of those who were before you, and what [the Qur'an] has told you about them."