And We had certainly given Moses the Scripture and appointed with him his brother Aaron as an assistant. 35 Then We said: Go you both to the people who rejected Our communications; so We destroyed them with utter destruction. 36 And the people of Noah,- when they rejected the messengers, We drowned them, and We made them as a Sign for mankind; and We have prepared for (all) wrong-doers a grievous Penalty;- 37 And [We destroyed] 'Aad and Thamud and the companions of the well and many generations between them. 38 for each We struck similitudes, and each We ruined utterly. 39 And they [who now deny Our messages] must surely have come across that town which was rained upon by a rain of evil: have they, then, never beheld it [with their minds eye]? But nay, they would not believe in resurrection! 40 When they see you they take you only in jest: "Is this the one whom God has sent as messenger? 41 He had well-nigh led us astray from our gods had we not adhered to them patiently! And they will know, when they see the punishment, who is straying farther off from the path. 42 Seest thou such a one as taketh for his god his own passion (or impulse)? Couldst thou be a disposer of affairs for him? 43 Or deemest thou that most of them hear or understand? They are but as the cattle; nay, they are further astray from the way. 44