And assuredly We sent Nuh unto his people saying: verily I am unto you a plain warner. 25 Worship none except Allah. I fear for you the punishment of a painful Day' 26 The notables among Noah's own people, who had refused to follow him, responded: 'We merely consider you a human being like ourselves. Nor do we find among those who follow you except the lowliest of our folk, the men who follow you without any proper reason. We see nothing in you to suggest that you are any better than us. Rather, we believe you to be liars.' 27 He said: "O my people! See ye if (it be that) I have a Clear Sign from my Lord, and that He hath sent Mercy unto me from His own presence, but that the Mercy hath been obscured from your sight? shall we compel you to accept it when ye are averse to it? 28 My people I do not ask any payment for what I preach to you. No one except God has to give me any reward. I do not drive away those who have faith (in my teaching); they will all receive mercy from their Lord. I know that you are ignorant people. 29 And O my people, who would protect me from Allah if I drove them away? Then will you not be reminded? 30 I say not that I have the treasures of God, or that I possess the knowledge of the unknown. I do not claim to be an angel, nor can I say that God will not bestow any good on those you disdain, for God is cognisant of what is in their hearts. If I say this, I will surely be unjust." 31 They said: "O Noah! thou hast disputed with us, and (much) hast thou prolonged the dispute with us: now bring upon us what thou threatenest us with, if thou speakest the truth!?" 32 He said: "Truly, Allah will bring it on you if He wills,- and then, ye will not be able to frustrate it! 33 Nor would my good counsel profit you, even though I wished to give you good counsel, if Allah willed to keep you astray. He is your Lord, and unto Him ye shall be returned. 34 (O Muhammad!) Do they say that he himself has forged this message? Tell them: 'If I have forged this, the guilt of it will fall upon me, but I am not responsible for the crimes you are committing. 35