AND HAS the story of Abraham's honoured guests ever come within thy ken? 24 When those [heavenly messengers] came unto him and bade him peace, he answered, "[And upon you be] peace!" - [saying to himself,] "They are strangers." 25 So he turned to his household and brought a fattened calf. 26 And placed it before them, (saying): "Will you not eat?" 27 [And when he saw that the guests would not eat,] he became apprehensive of them; [but] they said, "Fear not" - and gave him the glad tiding of [the birth of] a son who would be endowed with deep knowledge. 28 Then his wife came forward with a loud voice, she smote her face, and said: "A barren old woman!" 29 They said, "This is true but your Lord has said, (that you will have a son); He is All-wise and All-knowing". 30 ۞ 'Messengers' said he (Abraham), 'what is your errand' 31 They replied, "We have been sent to a sinful people, 32 to let loose upon them stone-hard blows of chastisement, 33 marked by your Lord for the sinful' 34 So We brought out whoever was in the cities of the believers. 35 And We found not within them other than a [single] house of Muslims. 36 and We left therein a sign for those who fear a painful punishment. 37 And also in Moses, when We sent him unto Pharaoh, with a clear authority, 38 Then he turned away with his court, and said: a magician or a madman. 39 Then We seized him and his army and cast them all into the sea: he himself [Pharaoh] was to blame. 40 There is also evidence of the Truth in the story of Ad whom We struck with a violent wind 41 It left nothing whatever that it came up against, but reduced it to ruin and rottenness. 42 And in Thamud, when We said to them: "Enjoy yourselves for a while;" 43 But they insolently defied the Command of their Lord, so the Sa'iqah overtook them while they were looking. 44 Then they could not even stand (on their feet), nor could they help themselves. 45 And the people of Nuh We destroyed aforetime; verily they were a people transgressing. 46