۞ Remember Aad's brother who warned his nation in (the valley of) Al Ahqaf. Warners had already preceded and succeeded him saying: 'Worship none except Allah! (he said) 'Indeed, I fear for you the punishment of a Dreadful Day' 21 'Have you come to turn us away from our gods (they replied)? If what you say is true then bring down that which you promise us' 22 He said: The knowledge is only with Allah, and I deliver to you the message with which I am sent, but I see you are a people who are ignorant. 23 So, when they saw it in the shape of a dense cloud approaching their valleys, they exclaimed, "This is only a heavy cloud which will bring us [welcome] rain!" [But Hud said]: "By no means! It is the very thing which you sought to hasten -- a wind bearing grievous suffering 24 “That destroys all things by the command of its Lord” – so at morning none could be seen except their empty houses; this is the sort of punishment We mete out to the guilty. 25 We had strengthened them as We have not strengthened you, had given them ears and eyes and hearts; but nothing stood them in good stead, neither their ears nor eyes nor hearts, for they rejected the signs of God, and were seized by what they had mocked. 26