We verily gave Moses the Scripture and placed with him his brother Aaron as henchman. 35 Then We told them: "Go to the people who have rejected Our signs." Then We annihilated 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 Likewise were destroyed the `Ad and the Thamud and the people of the Rass, and many a generation in between. 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 When they see you they take you only in jest: "Is this the one whom God has sent as messenger? 41 He would have mislead us from our gods, if we had not been steadfast to them' But they shall know who is further astray from the Path when they see the punishment. 42 Hast thou ever considered [the kind of man] who makes his own desires his deity? Couldst thou, then, [O Prophet,] be held responsible for him? 43 Do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are only like the cattle; nay, even worse than the cattle. 44