And certainly We gave Musa the Book and We appointed with him his brother Haroun an aider. 35 Then We said: Go you both to the people who rejected Our communications; so We destroyed them with utter destruction. 36 And Noah's folk, when they denied the messengers, We drowned them and made of them a portent for mankind. We have prepared a painful doom for evil-doers. 37 To each of the tribes of Ad, Thamud, the settlers around the well and many generations in between 38 We admonished each one of them by citing the examples (of those who were destroyed before them) and ultimately annihilated all of them. 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 And when they see you, [O Muhammad], they take you not except in ridicule, [saying], "Is this the one whom Allah has sent as a messenger? 41 Had we not been steadfast he would almost have led us astray from our gods." On facing torment they will soon know who had really gone astray. 42 Did you see the one who chose his own desires as his God? So will you accept the responsibility of guarding him? 43 Do you think most of them can hear or understand? They are like cattle. Indeed, they are even more astray. 44