And57 to Thamud We sent their brother Salih (with the message) that they should worship Allah, but they divided themselves forthwith into two wrangling groups.58 Salih said, "O my people, why do you hasten for the evil in preference to the good?59 Why don't you ask forgiveness of Allah? Maybe that you are shown mercy." They said, "We regard you and your companions as a sign of bad omen."60 Salih said, "Your good and bad omens issue forth from Allah. The fact is that you are a people on trial."61 There were in that city nine ring-leaders of the men,62 who spread mischief in the land and reformed nothing. They said to one another, "Let us pledge on an oath by Allah that we shall attack Salih and his household by night, and then tell his guardian63 that we were not even present at the time his family were killed: we are telling the truth."64 They plotted thus, and We too devised a plot of which they were unaware.65 Just see how their plot ended. We annihilated them and all their people together. There, their houses lie desolate in consequence of their wicked deeds. There is a lesson in this for those who have knowledge;66 and We saved those who had believed and avoided disobedience. And We sent Lot.67 Remember the time when he said to his people, "Do you commit indecency while you see it?68 Do you leave women and seek men for the gratification of your sexual desire? The fact is that you are a people steeped in ignorance."69 But the only reply his people gave was to say, "Expel the family of Lot from your habitation: they pose to be very pious." At last We saved him and his family except his wife about whom We had decreed that she would linger behind,70 and rained on then a rain, an extremely evil rain for the people who had been warned.