When Our emissaries brought the good news to Abraham, and said (to him): “We are surely going to destroy the inhabitants of this city; its inhabitants are immersed in wrong-doing.” 31 [And when Abraham] exclaimed, "But Lot lives there!" - they answered: We know fully well who is there; most certainly we shall save him and his household - all but his wife: she will indeed be among those that stay behind." 32 And when Our messengers came unto Lot, he was sorely grieved on their account, seeing that it was beyond his power to shield them; but they said: "Fear not, and grieve not! Behold, we shall save thee and thy household - all but thy wife: she will indeed be among those that stay behind. 33 Verily, we are about to bring down on the people of this town a great torment from the sky, because they have been rebellious (against Allah's Command)." 34 And assuredly We have left thereof manifest sign for a people who reflect. 35 And We sent to Midian their brother Shuayb. He said: “My people, serve Allah and look forward to the Last Day and do not go about the earth committing mischief.” 36 They rejected him so We jolted them with a violent earthquake and they were left motionless in their houses. 37 And [We destroyed] 'Aad and Thamud, and it has become clear to you from their [ruined] dwellings. And Satan had made pleasing to them their deeds and averted them from the path, and they were endowed with perception. 38 And [thus, too, did We deal with] Qarun and Pharaoh, and Haman: to them had come Moses with all evidence of the truth, but they behaved arrogantly on earth [and rejected him]; and withal, they could not escape [Us]. 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 example of those who choose masters other than Allah is like that of the spider; it makes the web its house; and indeed the weakest house of all is that of the spider; if only they knew. 41 Allah knows what they worship instead of Him; He is the Almighty, the Wise. 42 And those similitudes -- We strike them for the people, but none understands them save those who know. 43 Allah hath created the heavens and the earth in truth; verily there in is a sign for the believers. 44