And when Our apostles came to Ibrahim with the good news, they said: Surely we are going to destroy the people of this town, for its people are unjust. 31 He said: "But there is Lut there." They said: "Well do we know who is there: we will certainly save him and his following,- except his wife: she is of those who lag behind!" 32 And when Our Messengers came to Lut, he was grieved on their account, and felt himself powerless (to protect) them: but they said: "Fear thou not, nor grieve: we are (here) to save thee and thy following, except thy wife: she is of those who lag behind. 33 "For we are going to bring down on the people of this township a Punishment from heaven, because they have been wickedly rebellious." 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 people of Midian We sent their brother Shu'ayb. He said, "My people, worship God, and look forward to the Last Day, and do not commit evil and spread corruption in the land." 36 But they denied him and were seized by an earthquake, and lay overturned in their homes in the morning. 37 And We destroyed Ad and Thamud, whose dwellings you have observed. Satan had embellished their deeds for them and had turned them away from the Right Path although they were a people of clear perception. 38 And (We destroyed) Qaroun and Firon and Haman; and certainly Musa came to them with clear arguments, but they behaved haughtily in the land; yet they could not outstrip (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 belief of considering other things as one's guardians besides God is as feeble as a spider's web. The spider's web is the frailest of all dwellings, if only they knew it. 41 Allah knows whatever they call upon other than Him; He is the Almighty, the Wise. 42 And these examples We present to the people, but none will understand them except those of knowledge. 43 God has created the heavens and the earth for a purpose; surely in this there is a sign for true believers. 44