Al-Ahqaf (The Dunes)

26. And verily We had firmly established them with that wherewith We have not established you! And We had assigned them hearing, seeing, and hearts; but their hearing, seeing, and their hearts availed them nothing since they used to deny the Signs of Allah, and they were [finally] completely encircled by that which they used to mock at!

To have access to facilities necessitates making efforts, but they all belong to God:

(“And verily We had firmly established them”).

In ad hoc indicates negation and is addressed to Meccans signifying:

“O people of Quraysh! The people of ‘Ad were better than you in terms of property, wealth, power, high stature, and perseverance.”

It is said that they were so powerful that they would built houses out of mountain rocks. God had provided them with such wealth and power that they were superior to Quraysh in this respect. In ad hoc may be taken as a particle referring to the fact that the people of ‘Ad, despite their strength, power, high stature, and lofty and fortified dwellings were unable to stay unharmed from the harsh wind blowing as a result of Divine Wrath.

How could you who are weaker than them save yourselves from God’s torment?

In spite of having been granted hearing, seeing, and perceiving hearts, i.e., having provided them with all the requirements of mankind in terms of bodily strength and intellectual power, they failed to enjoy Divine Bounties, felicity, and spiritual merits. They made use of them to satisfy their bestial needs, denied Divine Signs, and derided the Messenger of God. As a consequence of their vices, they suffered from the torment and paid for their mockery.