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 [It has been given to you] lest you say: "Only unto two groups of people, [both of them] before our time, has a divine writ been bestowed from on high and we were indeed unaware of their teachings"; 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 Are they waiting until the angels or your Lord come to them or for some miracles to take place? On the day when some miracles of God will take place, the belief of any soul will be of no avail to it unless some good deeds have been done with it, or it has been formed before the coming of such a day. (Muhammad), tell them, "Wait and we, too, are waiting." 158 Verily those who have split their religion and become sects, thou art not amongst them in aught: their affair is only with Allah. Then He will declare unto them that which they were wont 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: 'As for me, my Lord has guided me to a straight path, a right religion, the creed of Abraham, a man of pure faith; he was no idolater.' 161 Say: 'My prayer, my ritual sacrifice, my living, my dying -- all belongs to God, the Lord of all Being. 162 No associate has He. Even so I have been commanded, and I am the first of those that surrender.' 163 Say: Shall I seek another than Allah for Lord, when He is Lord of all things? Each soul earneth only on its own account, nor doth any laden bear another's load. Then unto your Lord is your return and He will tell you that wherein ye differed. 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