befalling you of the like of that which befell the people of Noah or the people of Hood or the people of Ṣáliḥ. And _the abodes of the_ people of Lot [are] not distant from you: (_or the time of their destruction was not long ago:_) _therefore be admonished_. And ask ye forgiveness of your Lord, and turn unto Him with repentance; for my Lord is merciful _to the believers_, loving _to them_. They replied, O Sho´eyb, we understand not much of what thou sayest, and verily we see thee to be weak[254] among us; and were it not for thy family, we had stoned thee; for thou art not, in our estimation, an honourable person: _thy family only are the honourable_. He said, O my people, are my family more honourable in your estimation than God, _and do ye abstain from slaying me for their sake, and not preserve me for God_, and have ye cast Him behind you as a thing neglected? Verily my Lord comprehendeth that which ye do, _and He will recompense you_. And, O my people, act ye according to your condition: verily I will act _according to mine_. Ye shall know on whom shall come a punishment that shall render him vile, and who is a liar: and await ye _the issue of your case_: verily I await with you.—And when Our degree _for their destruction_ came [to be executed], we delivered Sho´eyb and those who believed with him, in our mercy, and the cry _of Gabriel_ assailed those who had offended, so that in the morning they were in their abodes prostrate _and dead_, as though they had not dwelt therein. Was not Midian removed as Thamood had been removed? (xi. 85-98.) MOSES AND HIS PEOPLE.