(Zukhuruf) 43 : 23
وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ قَبْلِكَ فِي قَرْيَةٍ مِنْ نَذِيرٍ إِلَّا قَالَ مُتْرَفُوهَا إِنَّا وَجَدْنَا آبَاءَنَا عَلَىٰ أُمَّةٍ وَإِنَّا عَلَىٰ آثَارِهِمْ مُقْتَدُونَ
And just like that We have not sent before you from warner in any country except the affluent people of it saying: Indeed we have found our forefathers upon a practice, and we are following upon their foot prints step by step.
In every period the affluent hypocritical transgressors among the people of concerned Messengers were in forefront in oppressing the Messengers and the Book they were sent with. See explanation 2: 170; 5: 104; 7: 75-78; and 6: 123.