And We sent to Thamood their brother Salih: 'Serve you God!' And behold, they were two parties, that were disputing one with another. 45 Said [Salih to the erring ones]: Why do you seek to hasten the coming upon you of evil instead of hoping for the good?" Why do you not, rather, ask God to forgive you your sins, so that you might be graced with His mercy?" 46 They said: "You betoken evil, and those with you." (Saleh) replied: "The evil you presage can only come from God. In reality you are a people under trial (for your own inauspiciousness)." 47 And there were in the city nine family heads causing corruption in the land and not amending [its affairs]. 48 They said, "Let us bind ourselves by an oath sworn in the name of God that we shall attack Salih and his family by night, and to his protector [who demands retribution], we shall say, "We were not present when they were slain. We are telling the truth." 49 And so they devised an evil scheme; but We devised a subtle scheme (of Our own), and they perceived it 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 delivered those who believed and were wont to avoid disobeying (Allah). 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 you really approach men with lust instead of women? Nay, but you are people without any awareness (of right and wrong)!" 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 So We saved him and his family, except his wife. We destined her to be of those who remained behind. 57 And We rained upon them a rain; ill was the rain upon the warned. 58