O mankind! worship your Lord, Who hath created you and those before you, so that ye may ward off (evil). 21 Who made the earth a bed for you, the sky a canopy, and sends forth rain from the skies that fruits may grow -- your food and sustenance. So, do not make another the equal of God knowingly. 22 And if ye be in doubt concerning that which We have revealed unto Our bondsman, then bring a chapter like thereunto, and call your witnesses as against Allah, if ye say sooth. 23 And if you are unable to bring forth (one chapter) – and We declare that you can never bring one – then fear the fire (of hell), the fuel of which is men and stones; kept ready for the disbelievers. 24 Give the good news to those who believe and do good works, that they will have Gardens through which rivers flow: whenever they are given fruit to eat they will say, "This is what we were provided with before," because they were given similar things. And there will be pure spouses for them, and they will abide there forever. 25 ۞ Lo! Allah disdaineth not to coin the similitude even of a gnat. Those who believe know that it is the truth from their Lord; but those who disbelieve say: What doth Allah wish (to teach) by such a similitude? He misleadeth many thereby, and He guideth many thereby; and He misleadeth thereby only miscreants; 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 is it that you adopt the attitude of disbelief towards Allah when the fact is that you were lifeless and He gave you life, and He will take away life from you and will again restore you to life: then you shall ultimately return to Him. 28 He it is Who created for you all that is in the earth, and He directed Himself to the heaven, so He made them complete seven heavens, and He knows all things. 29