Proceed ye even to men? attack ye them on the highway? and proceed ye to the crime in your assemblies?" But the only answer of his people was to say, "Bring God's chastisement upon us, if thou art a man of truth."
He cried: My Lord! help me against this polluted people.
And when our messengers came to Abraham with the tidings of a son, they said, "Of a truth we will destroy the in-dwellers in this city, for its in-dwellers are evil doers."
He said, "Lot is therein." They said, "We know full well who therein is. Him and his family will we save, except his wife; she will be of those who linger.
And when our messengers came to Lot, he was troubled for them, and his arm was too weak8 to protect them; and they said, "Fear not, and distress not thyself, for thee and thy family will we save, except thy wife; she will be of those who linger.9
We will surely bring down upon the dwellers in this city vengeance from
Heaven for the excesses they have committed."
And in what we have left of it is a clear sign to men of understanding.
And to Madian we sent their brother Shoaib. And he said, "Oh! my people! worship God, and expect the latter day, and enact not in the land deeds of harmful excess."
But they treated him as an impostor: so an earthquake assailed them; and at morn they were found prostrate and dead in their dwellings.
And we destroyed Ad and Themoud. Already is this made plain to you in the ruins of their dwellings. For Satan had made their own works fair seeming to them, and drew them from the right path, keen-sighted though they were.