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! wherefore seek ye to hasten the evil before the good? Wherefore ask ye not forgiveness of Allah, that haply ye may be shewn mercy. 46 They said, 'We augur ill of thee and of those that are with thee.' He said, 'Your augury is with God; nay, but you are a people being proved.' 47 Now there were in the city nine men who were wont to commit deeds of depravity all over the land, and would not reform; 48 They said, "Let us swear by God to do away with him and his family during the night then tell his guardian that we did not see how he and his family had been destroyed, and we shall be telling the truth." 49 So they plotted a plot: and We plotted a plot, while they perceived not. 50 Behold, then, what all their scheming came to in the end: We utterly destroyed them and their people, all of them; 51 Now such were their houses, - in utter ruin, - because they practised wrong-doing. Verily in this is a Sign for people of knowledge. 52 And We saved those who believed, and used to fear Allah, and keep their duty to Him. 53 AND [thus, too, did We save] Lot, when he said unto his people: "Would you commit this abomination with your eyes open (to its being against all nature)? 54 Must ye needs lust after men instead of women? Nay, but ye are folk who act senselessly. 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 But We delivered him and his followers except his wife; We ordained her to be of those who remained behind. 57 And We rained on them a rain, and evil was the rain of those who had been warned. 58