And when your Lord proclaimed, "If you are thankful, surely I will increase you, but if you are thankless My chastisement is surely terrible."' 7 And Moses said, "If you should disbelieve, you and whoever is on the earth entirely - indeed, Allah is Free of need and Praiseworthy." 8 HAVE THE STORIES of those [deniers of the truth] who lived before you never yet come within your ken - [the stories of] the people of Noah, and of [the tribes of] 'Ad and Thamud, and of those who came after them? None knows them [now] save God. There came unto them their apostles with all evidence of the truth - but they covered their mouths with their hands and answered: "Behold, we refuse to regard as true the message with which you [claim to] have been entrusted; and behold, we are in grave doubt, amounting to suspicion, about [the meaning of] your call to us!" 9 ۞ Their Messengers said: "What! Can there be a doubt about Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth? He calls you (to Monotheism and to be obedient to Allah) that He may forgive you of your sins and give you respite for a term appointed." They said: "You are no more than human beings like us! You wish to turn us away from what our fathers used to worship. Then bring us a clear authority i.e. a clear proof of what you say)." 10 Their Messengers said to them, 'We are nothing but mortals, like you; but God is gracious unto whomsoever He will of His servants. It is not for us to bring you an authority save by the leave of God; and in God let the believers put all their trust. 11 And wherefore should we not rely on Allah when He hath surely guided us our ways! And surely we shall bear patiently that with which ye afflict us and in Allah then let the trustful put their trust. 12