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: "What if you and all the people of the world deny, God is unconcerned and worthy of praise." 8 Have you (believers) ever heard the news about those who lived before you, like the people of Noah, Ad, Thamud, and those who lived after them? No one knows about them except God. Messengers were sent to them with miracles, but they put their hands to their mouths and said, "We do not believe in whatever you preach and we are also doubtful and uncertain about that to which you invite us." 9 ۞ Their Messengers said, 'Is there any doubt regarding God, the Originator of the heavens and the earth, who calls you so that He may forgive you your sins, and defer you to a term stated?' They said, 'You are nothing but mortals, like us; you desire to bar us from that our fathers served; then bring us a manifest authority.' 10 Their Noble Messengers said to them, “We are indeed human beings like you, but Allah bestows favour upon whomever He wills, among His bondmen*; it is not our task to bring any proof to you except by the command of Allah; and only upon Allah must the Muslims rely.” (* Therefore Prophets and other men are not equal in status.) 11 “And what is the matter with us that we should not rely on Allah? He has in fact shown us our ways; and we will surely be patient upon the troubles you cause us; and those who trust must rely only upon Allah.” 12