(Before this,) We sent Moses The Book, and appointed his brother Aaron with him as minister; 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 Nooh – when they denied the Noble Messengers, We drowned them and made them a sign for mankind; and We have kept prepared a painful punishment for the unjust. 37 And [We destroyed] 'Aad and Thamud and the companions of the well and many generations between them. 38 And for each We presented examples [as warnings], and each We destroyed with [total] destruction. 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, they do not take you for aught but a mockery: Is this he whom Allah has raised to be an apostle? 41 He had almost led us astray from our gods, had we not remained firm in our faith with regard to them. " The time is not far when they will see the torment and realize who had strayed far from the truth. 42 Have you seen him who has made gods of his own desires? Would you be a guardian over him? 43 Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are no better than cattle; in fact they are farther astray from the path. 44