We gave Moses the Book, and made his brother Aaron his minister, 35 and We said, "Go you both unto the people who have given the lie to Our messages!" - and thereupon We broke those [sinners] to smithereens. 36 And the people of Noah - when they denied the messengers, We drowned them, and We made them for mankind a sign. And We have prepared for the wrongdoers a painful punishment. 37 And the 'Aad and the Thamud and the dwellers of the Rass and many generations in-between. 38 And for each We presented examples [as warnings], and each We destroyed with [total] destruction. 39 And certainly they have (often) passed by the town on which was rained an evil rain; did they not then see it? Nay! they did not hope to be raised again. 40 When these people see you, they scoff at you, (saying), "Is this the man whom Allah has sent as His Messenger? 41 He almost would have misled us from our gods had we not been steadfast in [worship of] them." But they are going to know, when they see the punishment, who is farthest astray in [his] way. 42 Have you seen him who has made gods of his own desires? Would you be a guardian over him? 43 Or do you think that most of them hear or understand something? They are not but like the cattle – in fact more astray from the path than them! 44