O mankind! Worship your Lord, Who has created you and those before you, in the hope of attaining piety. 21 who has made the earth a resting-place for you and the sky a canopy, and has sent down water from the sky and thereby brought forth fruits for your sustenance: do not, then, claim that there is any power that could rival God, when you know [that He is One]. 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 cannot do it - and most certainly you cannot do it - then be conscious of the fire whose fuel is human beings and stones which awaits all who deny the truth! 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 ۞ God does not disdain to give a parable about a gnat or a smaller creature. The faithful know that it is the truth from their Lord, but those who deny the truth ask, "What could God mean by this parable?" He lets many go astray through it, and guides many by it. But He makes only the disobedient go astray: 26 who break their bond with God after it has been established [in their nature,] and cut asunder what God has bidden to be joined, and spread corruption on earth: these it is that shall be the losers. 27 How can you refuse to acknowledge God, seeing that you were lifeless and He gave you life, and that He will cause you to die and then will bring you again to life, whereupon unto Him you will be brought back? 28 It is He who created for you all that is in the earth, then He lifted Himself to heaven and levelled them seven heavens; and He has knowledge of everything. 29