And this, too, is a divine writ which We have bestowed from on high, a blessed one: follow it, then, and be conscious of God, so that you might be graced with His mercy. 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 may say that, “If the Book had been sent down to us, we would have been more upon guidance than them”; so the clear proof and guidance and mercy has come to you, from your Lord; so who is more unjust than one who denies the signs of Allah, and turns away from them? We shall soon punish those who turn away from Our signs with a great punishment, the recompense of their turning away. 157 Do they, perchance, wait for the angels to appear unto them, or for thy Sustainer [Himself] to appear, or for some of thy Sustainer's [final] portents to appear? [But] on the Day when thy Sustainer's [final] portents do appear, believing will be of no avail to any human being who did not believe before, or who, while believing, did no good works. Say: "Wait, [then, for the Last Day, O unbelievers:] behold, we [believers] are waiting, too!" 158 Surely you have nothing to do with those who have made divisions in their religion and become factions. Their matter is with Allah and He will indeed tell them (in time) what they have been doing. 159 For a single good deed, one will be rewarded tenfold. But the recompense for a bad deed will be equal to that of the deed and no injustice will be done to anyone. 160 Say: "Verily, my Lord hath guided me to a way that is straight,- a religion of right,- the path (trod) by Abraham the true in Faith, and he (certainly) joined not gods with Allah." 161 Say: 'My prayers and my worship (for example, pilgrimage and sacrifice), my life and my death, are all for Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. 162 “He has no partner; this is what I have been commanded, and I am the first Muslim.” 163 Say: What! shall I seek a Lord other than Allah? And He is the Lord of all things; and no soul earns (evil) but against itself, and no bearer of burden shall bear the burden of another; then to your Lord is your return, so He will inform you of that in which you differed. 164 And it is He who made you caliphs (viceroys) in the earth and ranked some of you high above others, in order that He may test you with what He has bestowed upon you; indeed it does not take time for your Lord to mete out punishment; and indeed, surely, He is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful. 165