We sent to the tribe of Thamud their brother Salih so that they would worship God, but they became two quarrelling groups. 45 He said: O my people! Why will ye hasten on the evil rather than the good? Why will ye not ask pardon of Allah, that ye may receive mercy. 46 They said, "We see you and your followers as an evil omen." He replied, "No, your evil omen is with God; the truth is that you are a people being put to the test." 47 And there were in the city nine persons who made mischief in the land and reformed not. 48 They said, "Take a mutual oath by Allah that we will kill him by night, he and his family. Then we will say to his executor, 'We did not witness the destruction of his family, and indeed, we are truthful.' " 49 So they devised a scheme, and We made our secret plan, and they remained neglectful. 50 Behold, then, what all their scheming came to in the end: We utterly destroyed them and their people, all of them; 51 So those are their houses, desolate because of the wrong they had done. Indeed in that is a sign for people who know. 52 And We saved those who believed and practised righteousness. 53 (Remember) Lot, when he said to his people: "Why do you indulge in obscenities when you know (it is evil)? 54 Do you indeed approach men with desire instead of women? Rather, you are a people behaving ignorantly." 55 ۞ Yet the only answer of his nation was that they said: 'Expel the family of Lot from your village, they are people who purified themselves' 56 So We delivered him and his family, except his wife; We decreed she should be of those that tarried. 57 And We showered a rain upon them; so what a wretched rain for those who were warned! 58