And when Our messengers came to Abraham with the good tidings, they said, 'We shall destroy the people of this city, for its people are evildoers.' 31 He said: Lo! Lot is there. They said: We are best aware of who is there. We are to deliver him and his household, all save his wife, who is of those who stay behind. 32 And when Our Messengers came to Lut, he was grieved on their account, and felt himself powerless (to protect) them: but they said: "Fear thou not, nor grieve: we are (here) to save thee and thy following, except thy wife: she is of those who lag behind. 33 We are surely going to bring down a punishment from heaven on the people of this town because of their depravities." 34 We left manifest evidence (of the truth) there for the people of understanding. 35 We sent to the people of Midian their brother Shu`ayb. He told them, "Worship God. Have hope in the life to come. Do not spread evil in the land". 36 But they rejected him, so the earthquake overwhelmed them and they were left lying prostrate on the ground in their homes. 37 And We destroyed Ad and Thamud, whose dwellings you have observed. Satan had embellished their deeds for them and had turned them away from the Right Path although they were a people of clear perception. 38 And (We destroyed) Qaroon, Firaun and Haman; and indeed Moosa came to them with clear signs, so they were arrogant in the land, and they could never escape from Our control. 39 Each We seized for his sin; and of them against some We loosed a squall of pebbles and some were seized by the Cry, and some We made the earth to swallow, and some We drowned; God would never wrong them, but they wronged themselves. 40 The likeness of those who take other patrons than Allah is as the likeness of the spider who taketh unto herself a house. And verily the frailest of all houses is the spider's house - if they but knew! 41 Verily, Allah knows what things they invoke instead of Him. He is the All-Mighty, the All-Wise. 42 And these similtudes! We propound them for mankind; and none understand them save men of knowledge. 43 Allah created the heavens and the earth with truth. Lo! therein is indeed a portent for believers. 44