And certainly We sent to Samood their brother Salih, saying: Serve Allah; and lo! they became two sects quarrelling with each other. 45 He said: O my people! Why will ye hasten on the evil rather than the good? Why will ye not ask pardon of Allah, that ye may receive mercy. 46 They said: we augur ill of thee and of those who are with thee. He said: your augury is with Allah. Aye! ye are a people being tested. 47 Now there were nine ring-leaders in the city who created corruption in the land and never worked to set things right. 48 They said: "Swear one to another by Allah that we shall make a secret night attack on him and his household, and afterwards we will surely say to his near relatives: 'We witnessed not the destruction of his household, and verily! We are telling the truth.'" 49 They plotted and We planned without their knowledge. Consider the result of their plot. 50 Now see the end of their machinations: We destroyed them and their entire people. 51 See, yonder are their dwellings empty and in ruins because they did wrong. Lo! herein is indeed a portent for a people who have knowledge. 52 And We saved those who believed and practised righteousness. 53 And Lot! when he said unto his folk: Will ye commit abomination knowingly? 54 Would ye really approach men in your lusts rather than women? Nay, ye are a people (grossly) ignorant! 55 ۞ But his people gave no other answer but this: they said, "Drive out the followers of Lut from your city: these are indeed men who want to be clean and pure!" 56 So We delivered him and his family, except his wife; We decreed she should be of those that tarried. 57 And We rained a rain upon them. Dreadful is the rain of those who have been warned. 58