And when Our Messengers brought Abraham the glad tidings they said: 'We are destroying the people of this village, because its people are harmdoers' 31 He said: "Surely Lot is there." They answered: "We know who is there. We are to save him and his family except his wife, for she is one of those who will stay behind." 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 Verily we are about to bring down upon the inhabitants of this city a scourge from the heaven, for they have been transgressing. 34 And indeed, We have left thereof a sign, a clear sign? unto a people who understand. 35 We sent to the people of Midian their brother Shu`ayb. He told them, "Worship God. Have hope in the life to come. Do not spread evil in the land". 36 Then they belied him; wherefore an earthquake laid hold of them, and they lay in their dwellings, crouching. 37 And (We destroyed) Ad and Samood, and from their dwellings (this) is apparent to you indeed; and the Shaitan made their deeds fair-seeming to them, so he kept them back from the path, though they were endowed with intelligence and skill, 38 Korah, Pharaoh, and Haman: Moses came to them with clear signs but they were arrogant in the land. They could not escape Us. 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 likeness of those who have taken guardians, other than Allah, is as the likeness of the spider that takes to itself a house; surely the spider's house is the weakest house if they but knew. 41 Allah knows whatever they call upon other than Him; He is the Almighty, the Wise. 42 And so We propound these parables unto man: but none can grasp their innermost meaning save those who [of Us] are aware 43 Allah created the heavens and the earth in truth. Indeed in that is a sign for the believers. 44