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: Lo! Lot is there. They said: We are best aware of who is there. We are to deliver him and his household, all save his wife, who is of those who stay behind. 32 And when Our messengers came to Lot, he was distressed for them and felt for them great discomfort. They said, "Fear not, nor grieve. Indeed, we will save you and your family, except your wife; she is to be of those who remain behind. 33 Surely We will cause to come down upon the people of this town a punishment from heaven, because they transgressed. 34 And [so it happened; and] thereof, indeed, We have left a clear sign for people who use their reason. 35 And unto Madyan We sent their brother, Shu'aib. He said: my people! worship Allah, and fear the Last Day, and commit not evil on the earth as corrupters. 36 But they rejected him: Then the mighty Blast seized them, and they lay prostrate in their homes by the morning. 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 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 We took each one in his sin; of them was he on whom We sent a hurricane, and of them was he who was overtaken by the (Awful) Cry, and of them was he whom We caused the earth to swallow, and of them was he whom We drowned. It was not for Allah to wrong them, but they wronged 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 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 with the truth; indeed in this is a sign for the Muslims. 44