When Our messengers came to Abraham with good news, they said: "We have to destroy this city as its inhabitants have become sinful." 31 [And when Abraham] exclaimed, "But Lot lives there!" - they answered: We know fully well who is there; most certainly we shall save him and his household - all but his wife: she will indeed be among those that stay behind." 32 And when Our messengers came unto Lut, he was distressed on their account and felt straitened on their account. And they said: fear not, nor grieve: verily we are to deliver thee and thy household, save thy wife: she is to be of the lingerers. 33 We shall send down anger out of heaven upon the people of this city because they are debauchers. 34 And indeed We have left thereof an evident Ayah (a lesson and a warning and a sign the place where the Dead Sea is now in Palestine) for a folk who understand. 35 To the Madyan (people) (We sent) their brother Shu'aib. Then he said: "O my people! serve Allah, and fear the Last Day: nor commit evil on the earth, with intent to do mischief." 36 But they belied him, so the earthquake seized them, and when morning came, they were found fallen crouched in their dwellings, dead. 37 Aad and Thamood, it has become clear to you from their dwellings; satan made their works seem fair to them and barred them from the Path, although they saw clearly. 38 And [thus, too, did We deal with] Qarun and Pharaoh, and Haman: to them had come Moses with all evidence of the truth, but they behaved arrogantly on earth [and rejected him]; and withal, they could not escape [Us]. 39 So each We punished for his sin; of them was he on whom We sent down a violent storm, and of them was he whom the rumbling overtook, and of them was he whom We made to be swallowed up by the earth, and of them was he whom We drowned; and it did not beseem Allah that He should be unjust to them, but they were unjust to their own souls. 40 The likeness of those who choose other patrons than Allah is as the likeness of the spider when she taketh unto herself a house, and lo! the frailest of all houses is the spider's house, if they but knew. 41 Surely Allah knows whatever thing they call upon besides Him; and He is the Mighty, the Wise. 42 These are precepts of wisdom We offer to men, but only those who are rational understand. 43 Allah has created the heavens and the earth in Truth. Certainly there is a Sign in this for those who believe. 44