فَكَأَيِّن مِّن قَرْيَةٍ أَهْلَكْنَـٰهَا وَهِىَ ظَالِمَةٌۭ فَهِىَ خَاوِيَةٌ عَلَىٰ عُرُوشِهَا وَبِئْرٍۢ مُّعَطَّلَةٍۢ وَقَصْرٍۢ مَّشِيدٍ ٤٥

Many are the societies We have destroyed for persisting in wrongdoing, leaving them in total ruin. [Many are] also the abandoned wells and lofty palaces.

[Qur’ān 22:45]

  • People of Thamud

    وَلَقَدْ كَذَّبَ أَصْحَـٰبُ ٱلْحِجْرِ ٱلْمُرْسَلِينَ ٨٠

    وَءَاتَيْنَـٰهُمْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا فَكَانُوا۟ عَنْهَا مُعْرِضِينَ ٨١

    وَكَانُوا۟ يَنْحِتُونَ مِنَ ٱلْجِبَالِ بُيُوتًا ءَامِنِينَ ٨٢

    And certainly did the companions of al-Ḥijr [Thamūd] deny the messengers.

    We gave them Our signs, but they turned away from them.

    They carved their homes in the mountains, feeling secure.

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  • People of LūT [Homosexual People]

    فَجَعَلْنَا عَـٰلِيَهَا سَافِلَهَا وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ حِجَارَةًۭ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ ٧٤

    إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ لِّلْمُتَوَسِّمِينَ ٧٥

    وَإِنَّهَا لَبِسَبِيلٍۢ مُّقِيمٍ ٧٦

    And We turned the cities [of Sodom and Gomorrah˺upside down and rained upon them stones of baked clay.

    Surely in this are signs for those who contemplate.

    Their ruins still lie along a known route.

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  • Pharaoh's Body

    ءَآلْـَٔـٰنَ وَقَدْ عَصَيْتَ قَبْلُ وَكُنتَ مِنَ ٱلْمُفْسِدِينَ ٩١

    فَٱلْيَوْمَ نُنَجِّيكَ بِبَدَنِكَ لِتَكُونَ لِمَنْ خَلْفَكَ ءَايَةًۭ ۚ وَإِنَّ كَثِيرًۭا مِّنَ ٱلنَّاسِ عَنْ ءَايَـٰتِنَا لَغَـٰفِلُونَ ٩٢

    [He was told,] “Now [you believe]? But you always disobeyed and were one of the corruptors.

    Today We will preserve your body so you can be a sign for those who come after you. And indeed, many among the people are heedless of Our signs.

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  • Noah's Ark

    وَقِيلَ يَـٰٓأَرْضُ ٱبْلَعِى مَآءَكِ وَيَـٰسَمَآءُ أَقْلِعِى وَغِيضَ ٱلْمَآءُ وَقُضِىَ ٱلْأَمْرُ وَٱسْتَوَتْ عَلَى ٱلْجُودِىِّ ۖ وَقِيلَ بُعْدًۭا لِّلْقَوْمِ ٱلظَّـٰلِمِينَ ٤٤

    And it was said, 'O Earth, swallow your water, and O sky, withhold [your rain].' And the water subsided, and the matter was accomplished, and the ark came to rest on [Mount] Judi. And it was said, 'Away with the wrongdoing people.

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  • People Of Ȃd

    فَأَمَّا عَادٌۭ فَٱسْتَكْبَرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ بِغَيْرِ ٱلْحَقِّ وَقَالُوا۟ مَنْ أَشَدُّ مِنَّا قُوَّةً ۖ أَوَلَمْ يَرَوْا۟ أَنَّ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَهُمْ هُوَ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُمْ قُوَّةًۭ ۖ وَكَانُوا۟ بِـَٔايَـٰتِنَا يَجْحَدُونَ ١٥

    As for ’Ȃd, they acted arrogantly throughout the land with no right, boasting, “Who is superior to us in might?” Did they not see that Allāh ˹Himself˺, Who created them, was far superior to them in might? Still they persisted in denying Our signs.

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وَعَادًۭا وَثَمُودَا۟ وَقَد تَّبَيَّنَ لَكُم مِّن مَّسَـٰكِنِهِمْ ۖ وَزَيَّنَ لَهُمُ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ أَعْمَـٰلَهُمْ فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ ٱلسَّبِيلِ وَكَانُوا۟ مُسْتَبْصِرِينَ ٣٨

And [We destroyed] ʿAad and Thamūd, and it has become clear to you from their ruined homes. Satan made their [evil] deeds appealing to them, hindering them from the [Right] Way, although they were capable of reasoning.

[Qur’ān 29:38]

قُلْ سِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَٱنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَـٰقِبَةُ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ ٦٩

Say, “Travel throughout the land and see the fate of the wicked.” [Qur’ān 27:69]

Before After

وَقُلِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ سَيُرِيكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ فَتَعْرِفُونَهَا ۚ وَمَا رَبُّكَ بِغَـٰفِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُونَ ٩٣

And say, “All praise is for Allāh! He will show you His signs, and you will recognize them. And your Lord is never unaware of what you do.”

[Qur’ān 27:93]

وَلَقَدْ أَتَوْا۟ عَلَى ٱلْقَرْيَةِ ٱلَّتِىٓ أُمْطِرَتْ مَطَرَ ٱلسَّوْءِ ۚ أَفَلَمْ يَكُونُوا۟ يَرَوْنَهَا ۚ بَلْ كَانُوا۟ لَا يَرْجُونَ نُشُورًۭا ٤٠

And they have already come upon the city ˹of Sodom˺, which had been showered with a dreadful rain ˹of stones˺. Have they not seen its ruins? But they do not expect to be resurrected.

[Qur’ān 11:82]

فَقُطِعَ دَابِرُ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا۟ ۚ وَٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلْعَـٰلَمِينَ ٤٥

So the wrongdoers were utterly uprooted. And all praise is for Allāh—Lord of all worlds. [Qur’ān 6:45]

فَهَلْ تَرَىٰ لَهُم مِّنۢ بَاقِيَةٍۢ

Do you see any of them left alive?

[Qur’ān 69:8]

Chapter Al-Haqqah

فَتِلْكَ بُيُوتُهُمْ خَاوِيَةًۢ بِمَا ظَلَمُوٓا۟ ۗ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَةًۭ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يَعْلَمُونَ ٥٢

So those are their houses, [completely] ruined because of their wrongdoing. Surely in this is a lesson for people of knowledge. [Qur’ān 27:52]

[Qur’ān 22:45]

فَجَعَلْنَا عَـٰلِيَهَا سَافِلَهَا وَأَمْطَرْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ حِجَارَةًۭ مِّن سِجِّيلٍ ٧٤

And We turned the cities ˹of Sodom and Gomorrah˺ upside down and rained upon them stones of baked clay. [Qur’ān 15:74]

Before After

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Why were past nations destroyed by Allah?

We did not wrong them, rather they wronged themselves. The gods they invoked beside Allah were of no help at all when the command of your Lord came, and only contributed to their ruin. [Qur’ān 11:101]

What happened to the Homosexual people of Sodom and Gomorrah?

When Our command came, We turned the cities upside down and rained down on them clustered stones of baked clay,

marked by your Lord. And these stones are not far from the ˹pagan˺ wrongdoers!

[Quran 11:82 - 11:83]


The people of Sodom and Gomorrah, referred to as the people of Prophet Lot (Lut), were punished for their immoral homosexual acts of moand defiance. Their city was overturned, and they were destroyed by a rain of stones, leaving their ruins as a lesson for others.

Are the ruins of these ancient nations still visible today?

"And We have certainly left of it a sign as clear evidence for a people who use reason." (Quran 29:35)
Remnants of these civilizations, serve as reminders. They stand as evidence of the truth in the Quran’s accounts.

What happens to those who deny the signs of Allah?

Awaiting them is Hell, and they will be left to drink oozing pus,

which they will sip with difficulty, and can hardly swallow. Death will overwhelm them from every side, yet they will not ˹be able to˺ die. Awaiting them still is harsher torment.

[Quran 14:16 - 14:17]