We gave Moses the Book, and made his brother Aaron his minister, 35 Then We said: Go you both to the people who rejected Our communications; so We destroyed them with utter destruction. 36 And the people of Nooh – when they denied the Noble Messengers, We drowned them and made them a sign for mankind; and We have kept prepared a painful punishment for the unjust. 37 As also 'Ad and Thamud, and the Companions of the Rass, and many a generation between them. 38 Each (of them) We warned by examples, and each (of them) We brought to utter ruin. 39 And they [who now deny Our messages] must surely have come across that town which was rained upon by a rain of evil: have they, then, never beheld it [with their minds eye]? But nay, they would not believe in resurrection! 40 And when they see you, [O Muhammad], they take you not except in ridicule, [saying], "Is this the one whom Allah has sent as a messenger? 41 He would have surely turned us away from our gods if we had not adhered to them." They will know soon who is farther away from the path when they see the punishment! 42 Hast thou ever considered [the kind of man] who makes his own desires his deity? Couldst thou, then, [O Prophet,] be held responsible for him? 43 Or do you think that most of them hear or understand something? They are not but like the cattle – in fact more astray from the path than them! 44