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 Abraham said, "But, Lot lives here." They answered, "We well know who lives here. We shall surely save him and his whole family, except his wife, who will be among those who stay behind." 32 When Our messengers came to Lot, he was troubled and distressed on their account. They said, "Have no fear or grief. We shall certainly save you and your household, except your wife, who will be among those who stay behind, 33 Indeed, we will bring down on the people of this city punishment from the sky because they have been defiantly disobedient." 34 And We have certainly left of it a sign as clear evidence for a people who use reason. 35 And unto Midian We sent Shu'eyb, their brother. He said: O my people! Serve Allah, and look forward to the Last Day, and do not evil, making mischief, in the earth. 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 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 And We seized all of them for their crimes. Against some We sent a violent wind hurling stones, and some We seized with a mighty blast, and some We submerged under the earth, and some We drowned. It was not for God to wrong them, they wronged themselves. 40 The likeness of those who choose other patrons than Allah is as the likeness of the spider when she taketh unto herself a house, and lo! the frailest of all houses is the spider's house, if they but knew. 41 God knows whatever thing they call upon apart from Him; He is the All-mighty, the All-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 has created the heavens and the earth in Truth. Certainly there is a Sign in this for those who believe. 44