Say: Who shall protect you by night and by day from the God of Mercy? Yet turn they away from the warning of their Lord.

Have they gods beside Us who can defend them? For their own succour have they no power; neither shall the gods they join with God screen them from Us.

Yes! we have given these men and their fathers enjoyments so long as their life lasted. What! see they not that we come to a land and straiten its borders⁹ Is it they who are the conquerors?

SAY: I only warn you of what hath been revealed to me: but the deaf will not hear the call, whenever they are warned;

Yet if a breath of thy Lord’s chastisement touch them, they will assuredly say, “Oh! woe to us! we have indeed been offenders.”

Just balances will we set up for the day of the resurrection, neither shall any soul be wronged in aught; though, were a work but the weight of a grain of mustard seed, we would bring it forth to be weighed: and our reckoning will suffice.

We gave of old to Moses and Aaron the illumination,¹⁰ and a light and a warning for the God-fearing,

Who dread their Lord in secret, and who tremble for “the Hour.”

And this Koran which we have sent down is a blessed warning: will ye then disown it?

Of old we gave unto Abraham his direction,¹¹ for we knew him worthy.

When he said to his Father and to his people, “What are these images to which ye are devoted?”

They said, “We found our fathers worshipping them.”

He said, “Truly ye and your fathers have been in a plain mistake.”

They said, “Hast thou come unto us in earnest? or art thou of those who jest?”

He said, “Nay, your Lord is Lord of the Heavens and of the Earth, who hath created them both; and to this am I one of those who witness:

—And, by God, I will certainly lay a plot against your idols, after ye shall have retired and turned your backs.”

So, he broke them all in pieces, except the chief of them, that to it they might return, inquiring.

They said, “Who hath done this to our gods? Verily he is one of the unjust.”

They said, “We heard a youth make mention of them: they call him Abraham.”

They said, “Then bring him before the people’s eyes, that they may witness against him.”

They said, “Hast thou done this to our gods, O Abraham?”

He said, “Nay, that their chief hath done it: but ask ye them, if they can speak.”

So they turned their thoughts upon themselves, and said, “Ye truly are the impious persons:”

Then became headstrong in their former error¹² and exclaimed,“Thou knowest that these speak not.”