AND, INDEED, [long before Muhammad] We vouchsafed revelation unto Moses, and appointed his brother Aaron to help him to bear his burden; 35 (Then) We said: 'Go to the nation who have belied Our signs' And We utterly destroyed them. 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 Ad, and Thamood, and the men of Er-Rass, and between that generations a many, 38 And We illustrated examples to each one of them; and ruining them, annihilated them all. 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 thee (O Muhammad) they treat thee only as a jest (saying): Is this he whom Allah sendeth as a messenger? 41 "He indeed would well-nigh have misled us from our gods, had it not been that we were constant to them!" - Soon will they know, when they see the Penalty, who it is that is most misled in Path! 42 Have you seen him who has taken his own desire to be his god? Can you be a guardian over him? 43 Or deemest thou that most of them hear or understand? They are but as the cattle - nay, but they are farther astray? 44