We gave Moses the Book and appointed his brother Aaron as his counsellor: 35 Then We said: Go you both to the people who rejected Our communications; so We destroyed them with utter destruction. 36 The nation of Noah, We drowned them when they belied their Messenger, and made of them a sign to the nation. For the harmdoers We have prepared a painful punishment 37 And Ad, and Thamood, and the men of Er-Rass, and between that generations a many, 38 And unto each! We propounded similitude thereunto; and each We ruined an utter ruin. 39 And indeed they have visited the township upon which had rained a harmful rain; so were they not seeing it? In fact, they never expected to be raised again. 40 And when they see thee, they take thee in mockery only: 'What, is this he whom God sent forth as a Messenger? 41 He would have led us far away from our gods if we had not been staunch to them. They will know, when they behold the doom, who is more astray as to the road. 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