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: "But there is Lut there." They said: "Well do we know who is there: we will certainly save him and his following,- except his wife: she is of those who lag 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 indeed cause a punishment from the sky to descend upon the inhabitants of this town – the recompense of their disobedience.” 34 Surely the ruins We left of that city are a clear sign for a people who use their reason. 35 To Midian We sent their brother Shu'aib. He said: "O people, worship God and be ready for the Day of Resurrection. Do no evil, and create no mischief in the land." 36 But they belied him, so the earthquake seized them, and when morning came, they were found fallen crouched in their dwellings, dead. 37 The same happened to the tribes of 'Ad and Thamud: this must be clear to you from their ruins. Satan made their actions seem good to them, and turned them away from the straight path, even though they were intelligent people. 38 (Remember) Qarun, Pharaoh and Haman to whom Moses came with clear signs; but they were haughty (and oppressed) the land. Yet they could not run away from Us; 39 So each We seized for his sin; and among them were those upon whom We sent a storm of stones, and among them were those who were seized by the blast [from the sky], and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned. And Allah would not have wronged them, but it was they who were wronging themselves. 40 The parable of those who take [beings or forces] other than God for their protectors is that of the spider which makes for itself a house: for, behold, the frailest of all houses is the spiders house. Could they but understand this! 41 Allah knows what they worship instead of Him; He is the Almighty, the Wise. 42 And We illustrate these examples for mankind; and none except the knowledgeable understand them. 43 God has created the heavens and the earth for a genuine purpose. In this there is evidence (of the truth) for the believers. 44