Abu Musa reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, "When God purposes mercy to a people among His servants He takes their prophet and makes him a forerunner who goes before them; but when He purposes to destroy a people, He punishes them while their prophet is alive, destroys them while he is there to see, and comforts him by their destruction when they disbelieved him and disobeyed his command." Muslim transmitted it.