And We verily sent Noah unto his folk, and he said: O my people! Serve Allah. Ye have no other Allah save Him. Will ye not ward off (evil)? 23 But the great ones among his people, who refused to acknowledge the truth, replied: "This [man] is nothing but a mortal like yourselves who wants to make himself superior to you! For, if God had willed [to convey a message unto us,] He would surely have sent down angels; [moreover,] we have never heard [anything like] this from our forebears of old! 24 He is only a man in whom is madness wherefore await for him for a season. 25 Noah prayed, "Lord, help me; they have called me a liar". 26 So We asked him to build the ark under Our eyes and guidance, (and said): "When Our command is issued and the source of water boils over, put a pair of every species in it, and your family except those for whom Our sentence has been passed already; and do not speak to Me for those who are wicked: They will be drowned. 27 Then, when thou art seated in the Ark and those with thee, say, "Praise belongs to God, who has delivered us from the people of the evildoers." 28 And say, 'My Lord, let me land at a blessed landing place, and You are the best to accommodate [us].' " 29 Lo! herein verily are portents, for lo! We are ever putting (mankind) to the test. 30 Thereafter, after them, We produced another generation, 31 and [every time] We sent unto them an apostle from among themselves, [he told them:] "Worship God [alone]: you have no deity other than Him. Will you not, then, become conscious of Him?" 32