تُدَمِّرُ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ
Destroying every thing,
meaning, destroying every part of their land that could normally be destroyed.
بِأَمْرِ رَبِّهَا
by the command of its Lord!
meaning, it had Allah's permission to do that.
This is similar to Allah's saying,
مَا تَذَرُ مِن شَىْءٍ أَتَتْ عَلَيْهِ إِلاَّ جَعَلَتْهُ كَالرَّمِيمِ
It spared nothing that it reached, but blew it into broken spreads of rotten ruins. (51;42)
meaning, like something dilapidated (or decrepit). Because of this,
Allah says,
فَأَصْبَحُوا لَاأ يُرَى إِلاَّ مَسَاكِنُهُمْ
So they became such that nothing could be seen except their dwellings!
means, all of them were destroyed, and none of them were spared.
Allah then says;
كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْقَوْمَ الْمُجْرِمِينَ
Thus do We recompense the criminal people!
which means that this is Our judgement regarding those who reject Our Messengers and disobey Our commands.
Imam Ahmad recorded from A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that she said,
"I never saw Allah's Messenger fully laughing so that I would see his uvula. He would only smile."
She added that when Allah's Messenger saw clouds or wind, that would reflect on his face (as discomfort). She asked him;
"O Allah's Messenger! When the people see clouds, they become happy, hoping that they bring them rain. But I notice that when you see them, displeasure appears on your face."
Allah's Messenger replied,
يَا عَايِشَةُ مَا يُوْمِنُنِي أَنْ يَكُونَ فِيهِ عَذَابٌ قَدْ عُذِّبَ قَوْمٌ بِالرِّيحِ وَقَدْ رَأَى قَوْمٌ الْعَذَابَ وَقَالُوا هذَا عَارِضٌ مُمْطِرُنَا
O `A'ishah! What would guarantee to me that they do not bring punishment Some nations had been punished with wind. On seeing the punishment approaching them, a nation once said;"This is a cloud bringing us rain."
This is also recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslim.
Imam Ahmad recorded that A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said that when Allah's Messenger saw clouds on any of the horizons, he would leave whatever he was doing -- even if he was in prayer -- and say;
اللْهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّ مَا فِيه
O Allah! I seek refuge with you from any harm that it (the cloud) contains.
If Allah removed those clouds, the Prophet would praise Allah, and if rain fell, he would say;
اللْهُمَّ صَيِّبًا نَافِعًا
O Allah! Make it pouring and beneficent.
Muslim also recorded in his Sahih from A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, that when the wind blew, Allah's Messenger would say,
اللْهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ خَيْرَهَا وَخَيْرَ مَا فِيهَا وَخَيْرَ مَا أُرْسِلَتْ بِهِ وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنْ شَرِّهَا وَشَرِّ مَا فِيهَا وَشَرِّ مَا أُرْسِلَتْ بِه
O Allah! I ask You of its good, the good that it contains, and the good with which it has been sent. And I seek refuge in You from its evil, the evil that it contains, and the evil with which it has been sent.
She added that if the sky became cloudy, his color would change; he would exit, enter, come, and go.
When it rained, his anxiety would be relieved.
When A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, noticed that, she asked him about it and he said;
لَعَلَّهُ يَا عَايِشَةُ كَمَا قَالَ قَوْمُ عَادٍ
فَلَمَّا رَأَوْهُ عَارِضًا مُّسْتَقْبِلَ أَوْدِيَتِهِمْ قَالُوا هَذَا عَارِضٌ مُّمْطِرُنَا
O `A'ishah! It could be like what the people of `Ad said,
(Then, when they saw it as a dense cloud approaching their valleys, they said;"This is a cloud bringing us rain!")
We have previously mentioned the story of the destruction of the people of `Ad in both Surah Al-A`raf and Surah Hud. Thus, there is no need to repeat it here; and verily Allah is worthy of all praise and gratitude