And when Our messengers came unto Ibrahim with the glad tidings, they said: verily we are about to destroy the inhabitants of that city: verily the inhabitants thereof have been wrong-doers. 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 apostles came to Lut he was grieved on account of them, and he felt powerless (to protect) them; and they said: Fear not, nor grieve; surely we will deliver you and your followers, except your wife; she shall be of those who remain behind. 33 Lo! We are about to bring down upon the folk of this township a fury from the sky because they are evil-livers. 34 We left manifest evidence (of the truth) there for the people of understanding. 35 And We sent to Midian their brother Shuayb. He said: “My people, serve Allah and look forward to the Last Day and do not go about the earth committing mischief.” 36 And they belied him [Shu'aib (Shuaib)], so the earthquake seized them, and they lay (dead), prostrate in their dwellings. 37 And the 'Aad and Thamud and of a surety their destruction is apparent unto you from their dwellings. The Satan made fairseeming their works unto them, and so kept them off from the path, while they were endued with sight. 38 And Korah, Pharaoh, and Haman Moses came to them with clear signs, but they became very insolent in the earth, yet they did not outstrip Us. 39 So each We seized for his sin; and among them were those upon whom We sent a storm of stones, and among them were those who were seized by the blast [from the sky], and among them were those whom We caused the earth to swallow, and among them were those whom We drowned. And Allah would not have wronged them, but it was they who were wronging themselves. 40 The likeness of those who take other patrons than Allah is as the likeness of the spider who taketh unto herself a house. And verily the frailest of all houses is the spider's house - if they but knew! 41 Surely Allah knows fully what they call upon apart from Him. He is the Most Powerful, the Most Wise. 42 These are precepts of wisdom We offer to men, but only those who are rational understand. 43 God has created the heavens and the earth for a genuine purpose. In this there is evidence (of the truth) for the believers. 44