And when Our messengers came unto Ibrahim with the glad tidings, they said: verily we are about to destroy the inhabitants of that city: verily the inhabitants thereof have been wrong-doers. 31 He said, 'Lot is in it.' They said, 'We know very well who is in it; assuredly We shall deliver him and his family, except his wife; she has become of those that tarry.' 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 We are surely going to bring down a punishment from heaven on the people of this town because of their depravities." 34 Verily We have left a clear sign of this for people of sense to see. 35 To the people of Midian We sent their brother Shu'ayb. He said, "My people, worship God, and look forward to the Last Day, and do not commit evil and spread corruption in the land." 36 But they gave him the lie. Thereupon an earthquake overtook them: and then they lay lifeless, in their very homes, on the ground. 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 [We destroyed] Qarun and Pharaoh and Haman. And Moses had already come to them with clear evidences, and they were arrogant in the land, but they were not outrunners [of Our punishment]. 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 parable of those who take protectors other than Allah is that of the spider, who builds (to itself) a house; but truly the flimsiest of houses is the spider's house;- if they but knew. 41 Surely Allah knows whatever thing they call upon besides Him; and He is the Mighty, the Wise. 42 And these examples We present to the people, but none will understand them except those of knowledge. 43 God has created the heavens and the earth for a genuine purpose. In this there is evidence (of the truth) for the believers. 44