۞ Say: 'Do you disbelieve in Him who created the earth in two days? And do you set up equals with Him? He is the Lord of the Worlds' 9 And He placed on the earth firmly set mountains over its surface, and He blessed it and determined therein its [creatures'] sustenance in four days without distinction - for [the information] of those who ask. 10 He then inclined towards the heavens and it was smoke – thereupon He said to it and to the earth, “Both of you present yourselves, willingly or with reluctance”; they said, “We present ourselves, with zeal.” 11 Then He created several skies in two spans, and ingrained in each sky its function, decking the nearest heaven with lamps, and guarded it. This has been determined by the mighty and all-knowing. 12 And We adorned the lower heaven with lamps, and to reserve; that is the ordaining of the All-mighty, the All-knowing. But if they turn away, then say, 'I warn you of a thunderbolt like to the thunderbolt of Ad and Thamood.' 13 When the Messengers came unto them from before them and from behind them, saying, 'Serve none but God,' they said, 'Had our Lord willed, surely He would have sent down angels; so we disbelieve in the Message you were sent with.' 14 As for Ad, they waxed proud in the land without justification and said: “Who is greater than we in strength?” Did they not see that Allah, Who created them, is greater in strength than they? They continued to deny Our Signs, 15 whereupon We sent upon them a fierce wind on inauspicious days that We might make them taste a degrading chastisement in the life of this world. And surely the chastisement of the Hereafter is even more degrading. There will be none to help them there. 16 And regarding the Thamud, We showed them the right path – so they chose to be blind above being guided, therefore the thunderbolt of the disgraceful punishment overcame them – the recompense of their deeds. 17 And We saved those who believed and used to fear Allah. 18