And certainly We sent to Samood their brother Salih, saying: Serve Allah; and lo! they became two sects quarrelling with each other. 45 Said [Salih to the erring ones]: Why do you seek to hasten the coming upon you of evil instead of hoping for the good?" Why do you not, rather, ask God to forgive you your sins, so that you might be graced with His mercy?" 46 They said: We augur evil of thee and those with thee. He said: Your evil augury is with Allah. Nay, but ye are folk that are being tested. 47 And there were in the city nine men (from the sons of their chiefs), who made mischief in the land, and would not reform. 48 They said, "Take a mutual oath by Allah that we will kill him by night, he and his family. Then we will say to his executor, 'We did not witness the destruction of his family, and indeed, we are truthful.' " 49 And they devised a scheme and, without their knowledge, We devised a scheme. 50 We destroyed them and their people altogether. 51 Now behold their houses that lie in utter ruins because of their wrong-doing. Verily there is a Sign in this for the people who know. 52 And We delivered those who believed and were wont to fear. 53 AND [thus, too, did We save] Lot, when he said unto his people: "Would you commit this abomination with your eyes open (to its being against all nature)? 54 You lust after men in place of women. You are indeed a stolid people." 55 ۞ His people had no answer but to say, "Expel Lot and his family from the town for they want to be pure." 56 But We delivered him and his followers except his wife; We ordained her to be of those who remained behind. 57 And We rained down upon them a rain. It was an evil rain for those who had already been warned. 58