In the above passage the reference is to the people of six prophets, who rejected faith and then God's punishment seized them out of a sudden, and perished them. They were the people of Noah who were destroyed by the Flood. The people of Äd, who belied their prophet, and were destroyed by tempest. Pharaoh and his Egyptians, stood against Moses, and were drownd in the Nile. The people of Thamud rejected their prophet Salih, and were done away with, by a single cry that was issued from the sky or perhaps from the earth. And the Companion of AIKAT, whose prophet was SHUAIB; and they stubbornly hamstrung the she camel that had come out of the rocks, through a miracle of their prophet. They were then punished and perished by a thunderbolt.

      As to who were the companions of Aikat; for more detail please refer to volume three of this work, page 426 around Sِ15:78

      The Arabic title, ``ZOL-OWTÄD'' given to Pharaoh, we have translated it to, ``OWNER OF PYRAMID''.

      OWTAD is the plural for VATAD, and literally it means strong nail. When we say he has fastened his nail in that company; we mean that he has come to power there. The nail makes a tent firm and stable, and therefore it is a symbol of firmness and stability.

      Elsewhere we read in the Qurän, that, the mountains are OWTÄD of the earth to hold it stable. So were the famous Pyramids of Egypt the sign and symbol of power for their kings, and hence our translation of OWTÄD to PYRAMIDS.

      ``And they said our Lord! Hasten to us our share of punishment before the Day of Reckoning.''

They were so haughty and proud in their dark blindness of the heart, that dared to scoff at God's punishment, and in a taunting language said our Lord! Hasten to us our share of punishment. In other word, they asked for the records of their evil deeds and rejection of their prophets, before the Day of Doom; and scornfully said to their Merciful Lord; send down your punishment just now and in this world, if the promise is not a lie.