And when your Lord proclaimed, "If you are thankful, surely I will increase you, but if you are thankless My chastisement is surely terrible."' 7 And Musa said: If you are ungrateful, you and those on earth all together, most surely Allah is Self-sufficient, Praised; 8 Have you (believers) ever heard the news about those who lived before you, like the people of Noah, Ad, Thamud, and those who lived after them? No one knows about them except God. Messengers were sent to them with miracles, but they put their hands to their mouths and said, "We do not believe in whatever you preach and we are also doubtful and uncertain about that to which you invite us." 9 ۞ Their Noble Messengers said, “What! You doubt concerning Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth? He calls you that He may forgive some of your sins and until the time of death give you a life free from punishment”; they said, “You are just human beings like us; you wish to prevent us from what our forefathers used to worship – therefore now bring some clear proof to us.” 10 Their Noble Messengers said to them, “We are indeed human beings like you, but Allah bestows favour upon whomever He wills, among His bondmen*; it is not our task to bring any proof to you except by the command of Allah; and only upon Allah must the Muslims rely.” (* Therefore Prophets and other men are not equal in status.) 11 And wherefore should we not rely on Allah when He hath surely guided us our ways! And surely we shall bear patiently that with which ye afflict us and in Allah then let the trustful put their trust. 12