Hath there come unto thee the story of Ibrahim's honoured guests? 24 When those [heavenly messengers] came unto him and bade him peace, he answered, "[And upon you be] peace!" - [saying to himself,] "They are strangers." 25 Then he turned quietly to his household, and brought forth a fat [roasted] calf, 26 He placed it before them. Then he said, "Why are you not eating?" 27 [And when he saw that the guests would not eat,] he became apprehensive of them; [but] they said, "Fear not" - and gave him the glad tiding of [the birth of] a son who would be endowed with deep knowledge. 28 Then his wife drew near vociferating, and smote her face, and said: an old barren woman! 29 They said, 'So says thy Lord; He is the All-wise, the All-knowing.' 30 ۞ Said [Abraham]: "And what [else] may you have in view, O you [heavenly] messengers?" 31 They replied: 'We are sent to a sinful nation, 32 to let loose upon them stone-hard blows of chastisement, 33 Marked in the presence of your Lord for the transgressors." 34 Thus We brought forth from therein who were believers. 35 But We found there but one house of those surrendered (to Allah). 36 And We left therein a sign for those who fear the painful punishment. 37 There is also a Sign for you in the story of Moses when We sent him with a clear authority to Pharaoh. 38 and he turned away in [the pride of] his power and said, "A sorcerer [is this Moses,] or a madman!" 39 So We seized him and his hosts and flung them in the sea, for he was reprobate. 40 And in 'Aad [was a sign], when We sent against them the barren wind. 41 that left nothing it came upon, but made it as stuff decayed. 42 There is also evidence (of the Truth) in the story of the Thamud, who were told to enjoy themselves for an appointed time. 43 But they brazenly disobeyed their Lord's command, and then a sudden chastisement overtook them while they looked on. 44 And they were unable to rise up, nor could they help themselves. 45 [We destroyed] the people of Noah before them. They were certainly a sinful people. 46