And this is a Book We have revealed, blessed; therefore follow it and guard (against evil) that mercy may be shown to you. 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 Nor may you claim that: 'Had the Book been revealed to us, we would have been better guided than they.' Surely clear evidence has come to you from your Lord, which is both a guidance and a mercy. Who, then, is more unjust than he who gave the lie to the signs of Allah and turned away from them? And We shall soon requite those who turn away from Our signs with a severe chastisement for having turned away. 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 Indeed, those who have divided their religion and become sects - you, [O Muhammad], are not [associated] with them in anything. Their affair is only [left] to Allah; then He will inform them about what they used to do. 159 Whoever comes [on the Day of Judgement] with a good deed will have ten times the like thereof [to his credit], and whoever comes with an evil deed will not be recompensed except the like thereof; and they will not be wronged. 160 Say: Lo! As for me, my Lord hath guided me unto a straight path, a right religion, the community of Abraham, the upright, who was no idolater. 161 Say, "My prayer and my sacrifice and my life and my death are all for God, the Lord of the worlds; 162 No equal has He, I am commanded (to declare), and that I am the first to submit." 163 Say thou: shall I seek a Lord other than Allah, while He is the Lord of everything? And no person earneth aught save against himself, and no bearer of burden shall bear another's burden. Thereafter unto your Lord shall be your return, and He will declare unto you that wherein ye have been disputing. 164 And He it is Who hath made you successors in the earth, and hath raised some of you over others in degrees, that he might prove you by that which He hath vouchsafed unto you. Verily thy Lord is swift in chastising, and verily He is Forgiving, Merciful. 165