Ask thou the Children of Isra'il, how many a manifest sign We brought unto them. And whosoever altereth the favour of Allah after it hath come unto him, then verily Allah is severe in chastising. 211 Unto those who are bent on denying the truth the life of this world [alone] seems goodly; hence, they scoff at those who have attained to faith: but they who are conscious of God shall be above them on Resurrection Day. And God grants sustenance unto whom He wills, beyond all reckoning. 212 In the beginning all the people followed the same way. (Afterwards there came a change and differences arose). Then Allah sent Prophets to give good tidings to those who followed the Right Way and warnings to those who swerved from it. And He sent down with them the Book based on the Truth so that it should judge between the people concerning their differences. (Differences arose not because people were not given the knowledge of the Truth in the beginning, nay), differences arose between those very people who had been given clear teachings, and (for no other reasons than that) they wanted to tyrannize over one another. So Allah, by His leave, guided those who believed in the Prophets to the Truth about which they had differed; AIIah guides whomever He pleases to the Right Way. 213 [But] do you think that you could enter paradise without having suffered like those [believers] who passed away before you? Misfortune and hardship befell them, and so shaken were they that the apostle, and the believers with him, would exclaim, "When will God's succour come?" Oh, verily, God's succour is [always] near! 214 They ask thee regarding whatsoever they shall expend. Say thou: whatsoever ye expend of wealth, let it be for the parents and kindred and orphans and the needy and the wayfarer; and whatever good ye do, verily Allah is the Knower thereof. 215 Fighting is made mandatory for you, but you dislike it. You may not like something which, in fact, is for your good and something that you may love, in fact, may be evil. God knows, but you do not know. 216