Ad-Dahhak reported that Ibn `Abbas commented on Allah's statement,

[وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ إِلاَّ رِجَالاً]

(And We sent not before you (as Messengers) any but men) "They were not from among the residents of the heaven (angels), as you claimed.'' This statement of Ibn `Abbas is supported by Allah's statements,

[وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا قَبْلَكَ مِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ إِلاَّ إِنَّهُمْ لَيَأْكُلُونَ الطَّعَامَ وَيَمْشُونَ فِى الاٌّسْوَاقِ]

(And We never sent before you any of the Messengers, but verily, they ate food and walked in the markets), [25:20]

[وَمَا جَعَلْنَـهُمْ جَسَداً لاَّ يَأْكُلُونَ الطَّعَامَ وَمَا كَانُواْ خَـلِدِينَ - ثُمَّ صَدَقْنَـهُمُ الْوَعْدَ فَأَنجَيْنَـهُمْ وَمَن نَّشَآءُ وَأَهْلَكْنَا الْمُسْرفِينَ ]

(And We did not create them with bodies that ate not food, nor were they immortals. Then We fulfilled to them the promise. So We saved them and those whom We willed, but We destroyed extravagants), [21:8-9] and,

[قُلْ مَا كُنتُ بِدْعاً مِّنَ الرُّسُلِ]

(Say: "I am not a new thing among the Messengers.'') [46:9] Allah said next,

[مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْقُرَى]

(from among the people of townships), meaning, from among the people of cities, not that they were sent among the bedouins who are some of the harshest and roughest of all people.