Allah narrated to this Ummah (followers of Muhammad ) the stories of the people of Prophet Nuh, `Ad and Thamud, and other ancient nations that belied their Messengers. Only Allah knows the count of these nations,

[جَآءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُم بِالْبَيِّنَـتِ]

(To them came their Messengers with clear proofs,) they brought them evidences and plain, tremendous proofs and signs. Ibn Ishaq reported that `Amr bin Maymun said that `Abdullah said about Allah's statement,

[لاَ يَعْلَمُهُمْ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ]

(None knows them but Allah.) "The genealogists utter lies.'' This is why `Urwah bin Az-Zubayr said, "We did not find anyone who knows the forefathers of Ma`dd bin `Adnan.''