And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.' " 7 And Moses said: 'If you and all mankind are thankless, He is surely Rich, Praised' 8 Has there not reached you the news of those before you - the people of Noah and 'Aad and Thamud and those after them? No one knows them but Allah. Their messengers brought them clear proofs, but they returned their hands to their mouths and said, "Indeed, we disbelieve in that with which you have been sent, and indeed we are, about that to which you invite us, in disquieting doubt." 9 ۞ Their Noble Messengers said, “What! You doubt concerning Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth? He calls you that He may forgive some of your sins and until the time of death give you a life free from punishment”; they said, “You are just human beings like us; you wish to prevent us from what our forefathers used to worship – therefore now bring some clear proof to us.” 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 why should we not put our trust in God when He has already guided us to our paths? We will, surely, bear with patience all the harm you do us. So in God let those who trust put their trust." 12