And assuredly We vouchsafed unto Musa the Book and We placed with him his brother Harun as a minister. 35 Then We said: Go you both to the people who rejected Our communications; so We destroyed them with utter destruction. 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 (As for) 'Ad, Thamud and the people of ar-Rass, and many generations in between them, 38 and unto each of them did We proffer lessons and each of them did We destroy with utter 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 Hence, whenever they consider thee, [O Muhammad,] they but make thee a target of their mockery, [saying:] "Is this the one whom God has sent as an apostle? 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 taken his own desire to be his god? Can you be a guardian over him? 43 Or do you think that most of them hear or understand? They are only like cattle; nay, they are even farther astray from the Path. (i.e. even worst than cattle). 44