Prophet Muhammad is told to remind people of the devastation that overtook former generations because of their disbelief in the message given to their prophet 41:13-18
41:13 But if they turn away, say, 'I have given you warning of a thunderbolt similar to that which overtook Aad and Thamood.'
41:14 When their Messengers came to them from before them and behind them, (saying), 'Worship none except Allah, ' they answered, 'Had it been the will of our Lord, He would have sent down angels. So we disbelieve in the Message with which you were sent.'
41:15 As for Aad, they behaved proudly in the earth without right. 'Who is stronger than us?' they would say could they not see that Allah, who created them, is stronger than they? But they disbelieved Our signs.
41:16 Then, on the ominous days, We loosed against them a howling wind that We might let them taste the punishment of humiliation in this life; but more humiliating will be the punishment of the Everlasting Life and they will not be helped.
41:17 As for Thamood, We (offered) them Our Guidance, but they preferred blindness to guidance. So a thunderbolt of the humiliating punishment seized them because of what they had earned;