O people, worship your Lord who has created you and those who have gone before you, so that you will be cautious. 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 you doubt any part of what We have bestowed from on high, step by step, upon Our servant [Muhammad,] then produce a surah of similar merit, and call upon any other than God to bear witness for you if what you say is true! 23 If you do not produce such a chapter and you never will then guard yourselves against the fire whose fuel will be people and stones and is prepared for those who hide the Truth. 24 And bear thou the glad tidings unto those who believe and do righteous works that verily for them shall be Gardens whereunder rivers flow. So oft as they shall be provided with a fruit therefrom they will say: this is that wherewith we were provided afore; and they shall be vouchsafed that which is consimilar; and for them shall be therein spouses purified, and therein they shall be abiders. 25 ۞ Verily Allah is not ashamed to propound a similitude, be it of a gnat or of aught above it. Then as to those who believe, they know that it is the truth from their Lord. And to those who disbelieve, they say what intendeth God by similitude? He sendeth many astray thereby, and He guideth many thereby, and He sendeth not astray thereby any except the transgressors, 26 Who, having sealed it, break God's covenant, dividing what He ordained cohered; and those who spread discord in the land will suffer assuredly. 27 How disbelieve ye in Allah when ye were dead and He gave life to you! Then He will give you death, then life again, and then unto Him ye will return. 28 He made for you all that lies within the earth, then turning to the firmament He proportioned several skies: He has knowledge of everything. 29