And assuredly We vouchsafed unto Musa the Book and We placed with him his brother Harun as a minister. 35 then We said to them, "Go to the people who have treated Our Revelations as false. " So We annihilated those people utterly. 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 also to Aad and Thamood and the nation of ErRass and many generations in between; 38 We admonished each one of them by citing the examples (of those who were destroyed before them) and ultimately annihilated all of them. 39 And certainly they have (often) passed by the town on which was rained an evil rain; did they not then see it? Nay! they did not hope to be raised again. 40 Hence, whenever they consider thee, [O Muhammad,] they but make thee a target of their mockery, [saying:] "Is this the one whom God has sent as an apostle? 41 He had well-nigh led us astray from our gods had we not adhered to them patiently! And they will know, when they see the punishment, who is straying farther off from the path. 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 can hear or understand? They are like cattle, no, they are further astray from the Path. 44