AND HAS the story of Abraham's honoured guests ever come within thy ken? 24 When they came in unto him and said: peace! he said: peace! people unknown. 25 Then he turned to his household and brought a fattened calf, 26 and placed it before them. "Will you not eat?" he said, 27 Then he conceived a fear of them. They said, 'Be not afraid!' And they gave him good tidings of a cunning boy. 28 Then his wife came forward with a loud voice, she smote her face, and said: "A barren old woman!" 29 They said: even so saith thine Lord. Verily He! He is the Wise, the Knower. 30 ۞ [Ibrahim (Abraham)] said: "Then for what purpose you have come, O Messengers?" 31 They said, "We have been sent to a people (deep) in sin;- 32 To send down upon them stones of baked clay. 33 which are marked by your Lord for the punishment of those guilty of excesses." 34 So We brought forth such believers as were in it, 35 But We found in it only one household of those who had surrendered themselves, 36 We left therein evidence for those who fear the painful torment. 37 AND IN [the story of Pharaoh and] Moses, too, [We left the same message: for] when We sent him unto Pharaoh with [Our] manifest authority, 38 But Pharaoh turned away, showing arrogance on account of his power, and said (about Moses): “He is either a sorcerer or a madman.” 39 Then We laid hold of him and his hosts and flung them into the sea, and he was reproachable. 40 There is also a Sign for you in (the story of) Ad, when We let loose upon them an ominous wind 41 that left nothing it came upon, but made it as stuff decayed. 42 And in (the tribe of) Thamud (there is a portent) when it was told them: Take your ease awhile. 43 But they revolted against the commandment of their Lord, so the rumbling overtook them while they saw. 44 Then they were unable to rise up, nor could they help themselves. 45 And [We destroyed] the people of Noah before; indeed, they were a people defiantly disobedient. 46