When Our Messengers came to Abraham with the good news, they said: "We are indeed going to destroy the people of this township: for truly they are (addicted to) crime." 31 Abraham said, "Lot is there in that town!" They said, "We know everyone there. We shall certainly save him and his family except his wife who will remain behind." 32 And when Our messengers came unto Lot, he was troubled upon their account, for he could not protect them; but they said: Fear not, nor grieve! Lo! we are to deliver thee and thy household, (all) save thy wife, who is of those who stay behind. 33 Surely We will cause to come down upon the people of this town a punishment from heaven, because they transgressed. 34 And We have left thereof an evident Sign, for any people who (care to) understand. 35 And to Madyan [We sent] their brother Shu'ayb, and he said, "O my people, worship Allah and expect the Last Day and do not commit abuse on the earth, spreading corruption." 36 But they denied him, so the earthquake seized them, and they became within their home [corpses] fallen prone. 37 And We destroyed Ad and Thamud, whose dwellings you have observed. Satan had embellished their deeds for them and had turned them away from the Right Path although they were a people of clear 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 So each We seized for his sin; and among them were those upon whom We sent a storm of stones, and among them were those who were seized by the blast [from the sky], and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned. And Allah would not have wronged them, but it was they who were wronging themselves. 40 The likeness of those who take Auliya' (protectors and helpers) other than Allah is as the likeness of a spider, who builds (for itself) a house, but verily, the frailest (weakest) of houses is the spider's house; if they but knew. 41 Surely Allah knows fully what they call upon apart from Him. He is the Most Powerful, the Most Wise. 42 And We strike these parables for the people, but none understands except the knowledgeable. 43 Allah hath created the heavens and the earth in truth; verily there in is a sign for the believers. 44