And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]; but if you deny, indeed, My punishment is severe.' " 7 And Moses said: Though ye and all who are in the earth prove thankless, lo! Allah verily is Absolute, Owner of Praise. 8 Have you (believers) ever heard the news about those who lived before you, like the people of Noah, Ad, Thamud, and those who lived after them? No one knows about them except God. Messengers were sent to them with miracles, but they put their hands to their mouths and said, "We do not believe in whatever you preach and we are also doubtful and uncertain about that to which you invite us." 9 ۞ Their Messengers said: "Can there be any doubt about Allah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth? He invites you that He may forgive you your sins and grant you respite till an appointed term." They replied: "You are only a human being like ourselves. You seek to prevent us from serving those whom our forefathers have been serving all along. If that is so, produce a clear authority for it." 10 Their messengers said to them: "True, we are human like yourselves, but Allah doth grant His grace to such of his servants as He pleases. It is not for us to bring you an authority except as Allah permits. And on Allah let all men of faith put their trust. 11 And why should we not put our trust in God, seeing that He has guided us in our ways? We will surely endure patiently, whatever you hurt us; and in God let all put their trust who put their trust.' 12