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 Moses said: "If ye show ingratitude, ye and all on earth together, yet is Allah free of all wants, worthy of all praise. 8 Hath not the tidings come to you of those before you: the people of Nuh and the 'Aad and the Thamud and those after them! None knoweth them save Allah. There came unto them their apostles with the evidences, but they put their hands to their mouths, and said: verily we disbelieve in that wherewith ye have been sent, and verily regarding that to which ye call us we are in doubt disquieting. 9 ۞ Their messengers said, "Is there any doubt about God, the Originator of the heavens and earth? He calls you to Him in order to forgive you some of your offences and to reprieve you for a specific period." They said, "You are only human beings like ourselves! You want to divert us from what our forefathers have been worshipping, so bring us some clear authority." 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 why should we not put our trust in Allah when it is indeed He Who has guided us to the ways of our life? We shall surely continue to remain steadfast in face of your persecution. All those who have to put trust, should put their trust only in Allah." 12