And this (the Qur’an) is the blessed Book which We have sent down; so follow it and be pious, so there may be mercy upon you. 155 Lest you (pagan Arabs) should say: "The Book was only sent down to two sects before us (the Jews and the Christians), and for our part, we were in fact unaware of what they studied." 156 Or (you say), 'Had the Book been sent down to us, we would have been better guided than they' Indeed a clear sign has now come to you from your Lord; a guidance and a mercy. And who is more harmful than he who belies the verses of Allah and turns away from them! We shall recompense those who turn away from Our verses with an evil punishment for their turning away. 157 What are they waiting for – except that the angels come to them, or the punishment from your Lord, or one of the signs of your Lord? On the day when the (foretold) sign of your Lord comes, not a single soul who had not earlier accepted faith nor earned any good from its faith, will benefit from accepting faith; say, “Wait – we too are waiting.” 158 You have nothing to do with those who have made divisions in their religion and become sects. Their affair is with Allah and He will inform them of what they have done. 159 Whoever does a good deed will be repaid tenfold, but those who do a bad deed will only be repaid with its equivalent and they shall not be wronged. 160 Tell them: "My Lord has directed me to a path that is straight, a supreme law, the creed of Abraham the upright who was not an idolater." 161 Say, "Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. 162 No partner hath He: this am I commanded, and I am the first of those who bow to His will. 163 Say, “Shall I seek a Lord other than Allah, whereas He is Lord of all things?” And whatever a soul earns is itself responsible for it; and no load bearing soul will bear anyone else’s load; then towards your Lord you have to return and He will inform you about the matters you differed. 164 And He it is Who hath made you successors in the earth, and hath raised some of you over others in degrees, that he might prove you by that which He hath vouchsafed unto you. Verily thy Lord is swift in chastising, and verily He is Forgiving, Merciful. 165