We verily gave Moses the Scripture and placed with him his brother Aaron as henchman. 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 Nuh's (Noah) people, when they denied the Messengers We drowned them, and We made them as a sign for mankind. And We have prepared a painful torment for the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers, etc). 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 Whenever they see you they only make a mockery of you -- "Is this the one God has sent as His Messenger? 41 He almost would have misled us from our gods had we not been steadfast in [worship of] them." But they are going to know, when they see the punishment, who is farthest astray in [his] way. 42 Hast thou ever considered [the kind of man] who makes his own desires his deity? Couldst thou, then, [O Prophet,] be held responsible for him? 43 Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are only like cattle; nay, they are even farther astray from the Path. (i.e. even worst than cattle). 44