O men! serve your Lord Who created you and those before you so that you may guard (against evil). 21 who has made the earth a resting-place for you and the sky a canopy, and has sent down water from the sky and thereby brought forth fruits for your sustenance: do not, then, claim that there is any power that could rival God, when you know [that He is One]. 22 And if you doubt any part of what We have bestowed from on high, step by step, upon Our servant [Muhammad,] then produce a surah of similar merit, and call upon any other than God to bear witness for you if what you say is true! 23 But if you do (it) not and never shall you do (it), then be on your guard against the fire of which men and stones are the fuel; it is prepared for the unbelievers. 24 And give good tidings to those who believe and do righteous deeds that they will have gardens [in Paradise] beneath which rivers flow. Whenever they are provided with a provision of fruit therefrom, they will say, "This is what we were provided with before." And it is given to them in likeness. And they will have therein purified spouses, and they will abide therein eternally. 25 ۞ God does not disdain to give a parable about a gnat or a smaller creature. The faithful know that it is the truth from their Lord, but those who deny the truth ask, "What could God mean by this parable?" He lets many go astray through it, and guides many by it. But He makes only the disobedient go astray: 26 such as break the covenant of God after its solemn binding, and such as cut what God has commanded should be joined, and such as do corruption in the land -- they shall be the losers. 27 How can you disbelieve in God when you were dead [lifeless] and He gave you life? He will let you die once more, then bring you back to life again, whereupon you will be returned to Him. 28 He it is who has created for you all that is on earth, and has applied His design to the heavens and fashioned them into seven heavens; and He alone has full knowledge of everything. 29