AND HAS the story of Abraham's honoured guests ever come within thy ken? 24 When they came in to him, and said, "Salam, (peace be upon you)!" He answered; "Salam, (peace be upon you)," and said: "You are a people unknown to me," 25 Then he turned away privately unto his household, and brought a calf fatted. 26 and placed it before them. "Will you not eat?" he said, 27 [And when he saw that the guests would not eat,] he became apprehensive of them; [but] they said, "Fear not" - and gave him the glad tiding of [the birth of] a son who would be endowed with deep knowledge. 28 (Sarah) his wife came with an exclamation and clasped her face, and said: 'Surely, I am a barren old woman' 29 They said: "Thus said your Lord. He is indeed all-wise and all-knowing." 30 ۞ (Abraham) said: And (afterward) what is your errand, O ye sent (from Allah)? 31 They said, "Indeed, we have been sent to a people of criminals 32 so that we may bring down upon them a shower of stones of clay, 33 which are marked by your Lord for the punishment of those guilty of excesses." 34 Then We brought forth such as were therein of the believers. 35 for apart from one [single] house We did not find there any who had surrendered themselves to Us. 36 And We left therein a sign for those who fear the afflictive torment. 37 There is also a Sign for you in the story of Moses when We sent him with a clear authority to Pharaoh. 38 But he turned away with his forces and said: A magician or a mad man. 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 which turned everything it approached into dust. 42 And in Thamood it was said to them: 'Take your enjoyment for awhile' 43 But they disobeyed the command of their Lord; so they were destroyed by a thunderbolt, and they could only gape, 44 So they were not able to rise up, nor could they defend themselves- 45 And before them the nation of Noah, indeed they were a debauched nation. 46