And when Our Messengers brought Abraham the glad tidings they said: 'We are destroying the people of this village, because its people are harmdoers' 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 Messengers came to Lout (Lot), he was grieved because of them, and felt straitened on their account. They said: "Have no fear, and do not grieve! Truly, we shall save you and your family, except your wife, she will be of those who remain behind (i.e. she will be destroyed along with those who will be destroyed from her folk). 33 Surely We will cause to come down upon the people of this town a punishment from heaven, because they transgressed. 34 We left manifest evidence (of the truth) there for the people of understanding. 35 We sent to the people of Midian their brother Shu`ayb. He told them, "Worship God. Have hope in the life to come. Do not spread evil in the land". 36 But they rejected him, so a severe earthquake overtook them, and they became motionless bodies in their abode. 37 And We destroyed the A’ad and the Thamud, and you already know their dwellings; Satan made their deeds appear good to them and prevented them from the path, whereas they could perceive. 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 We took each one in his sin; of them was he on whom We sent a hurricane, and of them was he who was overtaken by the (Awful) Cry, and of them was he whom We caused the earth to swallow, and of them was he whom We drowned. It was not for Allah to wrong them, but they wronged themselves. 40 The likeness of those who have taken guardians, other than Allah, is as the likeness of the spider that takes to itself a house; surely the spider's house is the weakest house if they but knew. 41 Indeed, Allah knows whatever thing they call upon other than Him. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise. 42 These are parables which We tell to human being, but only the learned ones understand them. 43 Allah has created the heavens and the earth with the truth. Surely, in that there is a sign for believers. 44