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.''