And certainly We sent to Samood their brother Salih, saying: Serve Allah; and lo! they became two sects quarrelling with each other. 45 He said: O my people! wherefore seek ye to hasten the evil before the good? Wherefore ask ye not forgiveness of Allah, that haply ye may be shewn mercy. 46 They said: We have met with ill luck on account of you and on account of those with you. He said: The cause of your evil fortune is with Allah; nay, you are a people who are tried. 47 And there were in the city nine men (from the sons of their chiefs), who made mischief in the land, and would not reform. 48 They said, "Let us bind ourselves by an oath sworn in the name of God that we shall attack Salih and his family by night, and to his protector [who demands retribution], we shall say, "We were not present when they were slain. We are telling the truth." 49 So they devised a scheme, and We made our secret plan, and they remained neglectful. 50 We destroyed them and their people altogether. 51 See, yonder are their dwellings empty and in ruins because they did wrong. Lo! herein is indeed a portent for a people who have knowledge. 52 and We saved those who believed in and feared God. 53 And (We sent) Lut, when he said to his people: What! do you commit indecency while you see? 54 Must ye needs lust after men instead of women? Nay, but ye are folk who act senselessly. 55 ۞ But this had only one answer from his people. They said: "Expel Lot's folk from your city. They pretend to be absolutely clean." 56 So We delivered him and his family, except his wife: We ordained her to be one of those who stayed behind, 57 And we rained on them a rain (of stones); indeed it is an evil rain that rains on those that are warned. 58