We gave Moses the Book and appointed his brother Aaron as his counsellor: 35 We therefore said, “Go, both of you, to the people who have denied Our signs”; then ruining the people, We destroyed them completely. 36 And the people of Noah - when they denied the messengers, We drowned them, and We made them for mankind a sign. And We have prepared for the wrongdoers a painful punishment. 37 Likewise were destroyed the `Ad and the Thamud and the people of the Rass, and many a generation 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 certainly they have (often) passed by the town on which was rained an evil rain; did they not then see it? Nay! they did not hope to be raised again. 40 And when they see thee (O Muhammad) they treat thee only as a jest (saying): Is this he whom Allah sendeth as a messenger? 41 “Possibly he would have misled us away from our Gods had we not been firm upon them”; soon they will know, when they see the punishment, who was astray from the path. 42 Have you seen him who has taken his own desire to be his god? Can you be a guardian over him? 43 Do you think that most of them listen and understand? They are like cattle or even more, straying and confused. 44