And assuredly We sent Nuh unto his people saying: verily I am unto you a plain warner. 25 That ye shall worship none except Allah; verily I fear for you the torment of a Day afflictive. 26 But the great ones among his people, who refused to acknowledge the truth, answered: "We do not see in thee anything but a mortal man like ourselves; and we do not see that any follow thee save those who are quite obviously the most abject among us; and we do not see that you could be in any way superior to us: on the contrary, we think that you are liars!" 27 He said: bethink ye, O my people! if I rested upon an evidence from my Lord, and a mercy hath come unto me from Him, and that hath been obscured unto you; shall we make you adhere to it while ye are averse thereto? 28 "And O my people! I ask of you no wealth for it, my reward is from none but Allah. I am not going to drive away those who have believed. Surely, they are going to meet their Lord, but I see that you are a people that are ignorant. 29 O my people, who will save me from God if I drive them away? Do you not understand? 30 "And I do not say unto you, 'God's treasures are with me'; nor [do I say,] 'I know the reality which is beyond the reach of human perception'; nor do I say, 'Behold, I am an angel'; nor do I say of those whom your eyes hold in contempt, 'Never will God grant them any good' - for God is fully aware of what is in their hearts. [Were I to speak thus,] verily, I would indeed be among the evildoers." 31 [But the great ones] said: "O Noah! Thou hast contended with us in argument, and hast [needlessly] prolonged our controversy: bring upon us, therefore, that with which thou dost threaten us, if thou art a man of truth!" 32 He said: Only Allah will bring it upon you if He will, and ye can by no means escape. 33 My advice will not benefit you, no matter how sincerely I want to advise you, if God lets you go astray. He is your Lord and you will all return to Him." 34 DO SOME, perchance, assert, "[Muhammad] has invented this [story]"? Say [O Prophet]: "If I have invented it, upon me be this sin; but far be it from me to commit the sin of which you are guilty." 35