When the decree of God is issued, satan will say, "God's promise to you was true, but I, too, made a promise to you and disregarded it. I had no authority over you. I just called you and you answered. Do not blame me but blame yourselves. I cannot help you and you cannot help me. I did not agree with your belief that I was equal to God." The unjust will face a painful punishment. 22 And those who believed (in the Oneness of Allah and His Messengers and whatever they brought) and did righteous deeds, will be made to enter Gardens under which rivers flow, - to dwell therein forever (i.e. in Paradise), with the permission of their Lord. Their greeting therein will be: Salam (peace!). 23 Did you not see how Allah illustrated the example of a sacred saying? Like a sacred tree, which has firm roots and branches reaching into heaven. 24 By the leave of its Lord its fruit in all seasons, God presents words of wisdom to men that they might reflect. 25 but an evil word is like an evil tree torn out of the earth; it has no foothold. 26 With immutuble words God makes the faithful dauntless in the life of the world and the life to come, but leads the unjust into error, for God does as He pleases. 27