۞ AND [then] We appointed for Moses thirty nights [on Mount Sinai]; and We added to them ten, whereby the term of forty nights set by his Sustainer was fulfilled. And Moses said unto his brother Aaron: "Take thou my place among my people; and act righteously, and follow not the path of the spreaders of corruption." 142 When Moses arrived at the appointed time and his Lord spoke to him, he said: "O Lord, reveal Yourself to me that I may behold You." "You cannot behold Me," He said. "But look at the mountain: If it remains firm in its place you may then behold Me." But when his Lord appeared on the mountain in His effulgence, it crumbled to a heap of dust, and Moses fell unconscious. When he came to, he said: "All glory to You. I turn to You in repentance, and I am the first to believe." 143 He said: O Musa! surely I have chosen you above the people with My messages and with My words, therefore take hold of what I give to you and be of the grateful ones. 144 And We wrote for him in the tablets of everything an exhortation and a detail of everything. So hold thou fast with firmness and bid thy people to follow the best thereof. Anon I will shew you the dwelling of the ungodly people. 145 I will turn away from My signs all those who are arrogant in the land without any right, so that even if they see all the signs they will not believe in them. If they see the right path, they shall not walk upon it: but if they see the path of error, they shall choose it for their path, because they have given the lie to Our signs and paid no heed to them. 146 Hence, all who give the lie to Our messages, and [thus] to the truth of the life to come - in vain shall be all their doings: [for] are they to be rewarded for aught but what they were wont to do? 147