O mankind! Worship your Lord, Who has created you and those before you, in the hope of attaining piety. 21 Who hath appointed the earth a resting-place for you, and the sky a canopy; and causeth water to pour down from the sky, thereby producing fruits as food for you. And do not set up rivals to Allah when ye know (better). 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 But give glad tidings to those who believe and work righteousness, that their portion is Gardens, beneath which rivers flow. Every time they are fed with fruits therefrom, they say: "Why, this is what we were fed with before," for they are given things in similitude; and they have therein companions pure (and holy); and they abide therein (for ever). 25 ۞ Allah disdains not to use the similitude of things, lowest as well as highest. Those who believe know that it is truth from their Lord; but those who reject Faith say: "What means Allah by this similitude?" By it He causes many to stray, and many He leads into the right path; but He causes not to stray, except those who forsake (the path),- 26 who break the covenant of Allah after accepting it and sever what Allah has bidden to be joined and corrupt in the land. These are the losers. 27 How can you disbelieve in Allah? Seeing that you were dead and He gave you life. Then He will give you death, then again will bring you to life (on the Day of Resurrection) and then unto Him you will return. 28 He it is Who created for you all that is in the earth. Then turned He to the heaven, and fashioned it as seven heavens. And He is knower of all things. 29