And so, when Our [heavenly] messengers came to Abraham with the glad tiding [of the birth of Isaac,] they [also] said, "Behold, we are about to destroy the people of that land, for its people are truly evildoers!" 31 [And when Abraham] exclaimed, "But Lot lives there!" - they answered: We know fully well who is there; most certainly we shall save him and his household - all but his wife: she will indeed be among those that stay behind." 32 And when Our messengers came unto Lot, he was troubled upon their account, for he could not protect them; but they said: Fear not, nor grieve! Lo! we are to deliver thee and thy household, (all) save thy wife, who is of those who stay behind. 33 We will bring torment from the sky on this town because of the evil-deeds of its inhabitants". 34 And indeed We have left thereof an evident Ayah (a lesson and a warning and a sign the place where the Dead Sea is now in Palestine) for a folk who understand. 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 denied him and were seized by an earthquake, and lay overturned in their homes in the morning. 37 And We destroyed the A’ad and the Thamud, and you already know their dwellings; Satan made their deeds appear good to them and prevented them from the path, whereas they could perceive. 38 And (We destroyed) Qaroun and Firon and Haman; and certainly Musa came to them with clear arguments, but they behaved haughtily in the land; yet they could not outstrip (Us). 39 Each one of them We seized for his crime: of them, against some We sent a violent tornado (with showers of stones); some were caught by a (mighty) Blast; some We caused the earth to swallow up; and some We drowned (in the waters): It was not Allah Who injured (or oppressed) them:" They injured (and oppressed) their own souls. 40 The likeness of those who take other patrons than Allah is as the likeness of the spider who taketh unto herself a house. And verily the frailest of all 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 those similitudes -- We strike them for the people, but none understands them save those who know. 43 Allah has created the heavens and the earth in Truth. Certainly there is a Sign in this for those who believe. 44