When the decree of God is issued, satan will say, "God's promise to you was true, but I, too, made a promise to you and disregarded it. I had no authority over you. I just called you and you answered. Do not blame me but blame yourselves. I cannot help you and you cannot help me. I did not agree with your belief that I was equal to God." The unjust will face a painful punishment. 22 And those who believed (in the Oneness of Allah and His Messengers and whatever they brought) and did righteous deeds, will be made to enter Gardens under which rivers flow, - to dwell therein forever (i.e. in Paradise), with the permission of their Lord. Their greeting therein will be: Salam (peace!). 23 Did you not see how Allah illustrated the example of a sacred saying? Like a sacred tree, which has firm roots and branches reaching into heaven. 24 Giving its fruit at every season, by the command of the Lord. And Allah propoundeth similitudes for mankind that haply they may be admonished. 25 And the similitude of the foul word is as a foul tree, uprooted from upon the earth, and there is for it no stability. 26 [Thus,] God grants firmness unto those who have attained to faith through the word that is unshakably true in the life of this world as well as in the life to come; but the wrongdoers He lets go astray: for God does whatever He wills. 27