And this, too, is a divine writ which We have bestowed from on high, a blessed one: follow it, then, and be conscious of God, so that you might be graced with His mercy. 155 Lest you (pagan Arabs) should say: "The Book was only sent down to two sects before us (the Jews and the Christians), and for our part, we were in fact unaware of what they studied." 156 Or (you say), 'Had the Book been sent down to us, we would have been better guided than they' Indeed a clear sign has now come to you from your Lord; a guidance and a mercy. And who is more harmful than he who belies the verses of Allah and turns away from them! We shall recompense those who turn away from Our verses with an evil punishment for their turning away. 157 They do not wait aught but that the angels should come to them, or that your Lord should come, or that some of the signs of your Lord should come. On the day when some of the signs of your Lord shall come, its faith shall not profit a soul which did not believe before, or earn good through its faith. Say: Wait; we too are waiting. 158 Surely you have nothing to do with those who have made divisions in their religion and become factions. Their matter is with Allah and He will indeed tell them (in time) what they have been doing. 159 Whoever brings a good deed, he shall have ten like it, and whoever brings an evil deed, he shall be recompensed only with the like of it, and they shall not be dealt with unjustly. 160 (Muhammad), tell them, "My Lord has guided me to the right path, a well established religion and the upright tradition of Abraham who was not a pagan". 161 Say: "Truly, my prayer and my service of sacrifice, my life and my death, are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds: 162 No associate has He. Even so I have been commanded, and I am the first of those that surrender.' 163 (Muhammad), tell them, "Should I take a lord besides God when He is the Lord of all things?" All one's evil deeds are against one's own soul. No one will be considered responsible for another's sins. You will all be returned to your Lord who will tell you what is right and wrong in disputed matters among you. 164 It is He who has made you caliphs in the earth and raised some of you in rank above others, so that He might try you in what He has given you. Swift is your Lord in retribution; yet He is Forgiving, Merciful. 165