SAY: Had God so pleased, I had not recited it to you, neither had I taught it to you. Already have I dwelt among you for years, ere it was revealed to me. Understand ye not?

And who is more unjust than he who coineth a lie against God, or treateth his signs as lies? Surely the wicked shall not prosper!

And they worship beside God, what cannot hurt or help them; and say, “These are our advocates with God!” SAY: Will ye inform God of aught in the Heavens and in the Earth which he knoweth not? Praise be to Him! High be He exalted above the deities they join with Him!

Men were of one religion only:³ then they fell to variance: and had not a decree (of respite) previously gone forth from thy Lord, their differences had surely been decided between them!

They say: “Unless a sign be sent down to him from his Lord.…” But SAY: The hidden is only with God: wait therefore: I truly will be with you among those who wait.

And when after a trouble which you befallen them,⁴ we caused this people to taste of mercy, lo! a plot on their part against our signs! SAY: Swifter to plot is God! Verily, our messengers note down your plottings.

He it is who enableth you to travel by land and sea, so that ye go on board of ships—which sail on with them, with favouring breeze in which they rejoice. But if a tempestuous gale overtake them, and the billow come on them from every side, and they think that they are encompassed therewith, they call on God, professing sincere religion:—“Wouldst thou but rescue us from this, then will we indeed be of the thankful.”

But when we have rescued them, lo! they commit unrighteous excesses on the earth! O men! assuredly your self-injuring excess is only an enjoyment of this life present: soon ye return to us: and we will let you know what ye have done!

Verily, this present life is like the water which we send down from Heaven, and the produce of the earth, of which men and cattle eat, is mingled with it, till the earth hath received its golden raiment, and is decked out: and they who dwell on it deem that they have power over it! but, Our behest cometh to it by night or by day, and we make it as if it had been mown, as if it had not teemed only yesterday! Thus make we our signs clear to those who consider.

And God calleth to the abode of peace;⁵ and He guideth whom He will into the right way.

Goodness⁶ itself and an increase of it for those who do good! neither blackness nor shame shall cover their faces! These shall be the inmates of Paradise, therein shall they abide for ever.

And as for those who have wrought out evil, their recompense shall be evil of like degree, and shame shall cover them —no protector shall they have against God: as though their faces were darkened with deep murk of night! These shall be inmates of the fire: therein they shall abide for ever.

And on that day will we gather them all together: then will we say to those who added gods to God, “To your place, ye and those added gods of yours!” Then we will separate between them: and those their gods shall say, “Ye served us not:⁷

And God is a sufficient witness between us and you: we cared not aught for your worship.”

There shall every soul make proof of what itself shall have sent on before, and they shall be brought back to God, their true lord, and the deities of their own devising shall vanish from them.

SAY: Who supplieth you from the Heaven and the Earth? Who hath power over hearing and sight? And who bringeth forth the living from the dead, and bringeth forth the dead from the living? And who ruleth all things? They will surely say, “God:” then SAY: “What! will ye not therefore fear him?