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 lest ye should say: if only the Book had been sent down to us, we should surely have been better guided than they. So now surely there hath come unto you an evidence from Your Lord and a guidance and a mercy. Who then doth greater wrong than he who belieth the signs of Allah and shunneth them? Anon We will requite those who shun Our signs with an evil torment in as much as they were wont to shun them. 157 What are they waiting for – except that the angels come to them, or the punishment from your Lord, or one of the signs of your Lord? On the day when the (foretold) sign of your Lord comes, not a single soul who had not earlier accepted faith nor earned any good from its faith, will benefit from accepting faith; say, “Wait – we too are waiting.” 158 Surely they who divided their religion into parts and became sects, you have no concern with them; their affair is only with Allah, then He will inform them of what they did. 159 Whoever does a good deed will be repaid tenfold, but those who do a bad deed will only be repaid with its equivalent and they shall not be wronged. 160 Tell them: "My Lord has directed me to a path that is straight, a supreme law, the creed of Abraham the upright who was not an idolater." 161 Say: Lo! my worship and my sacrifice and my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the Worlds. 162 Nothing is equal to Him. Thus are the commandments which I have received and he is the first Muslim (submitted to the will of God)." 163 Say, “Shall I seek a Lord other than Allah, whereas He is Lord of all things?” And whatever a soul earns is itself responsible for it; and no load bearing soul will bear anyone else’s load; then towards your Lord you have to return and He will inform you about the matters you differed. 164 And it is He who made you caliphs (viceroys) in the earth and ranked some of you high above others, in order that He may test you with what He has bestowed upon you; indeed it does not take time for your Lord to mete out punishment; and indeed, surely, He is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful. 165