Then the unbelievers told their Messengers: "You will have to return to the fold of our faith or else we shall banish you from our land." Thereupon their Lord revealed to them: "We will most certainly destroy these wrong-doers, 13 And We will surely cause you to dwell in the land after them. That is for he who fears My position and fears My threat." 14 And they sought help (from their Lord) and every froward potentate was bought to naught; 15 beyond him Gehenna, and he is given to drink of oozing pus, 16 He will sip it, yet will not be able to gulp it down. Death will crowd in upon him from every side, but die he will not. A terrible torment trails him. 17 Like ashes are the deeds of those who deny their Lord, which the wind blows away on a windy day. They shall have no power over what they earned. This is the farthest limit of going astray. 18 Do you not realize that God has created the heavens and the earth for a genuine purpose 19 indeed, that is no great thing for Allah. 20 (On the Day of Judgment) everyone will appear before God and those who have been suppressed will say to their oppressors, "We were your followers, can you do anything to rescue us from the torment of God?" They will reply, "Had God guided us, we would also have guided you. It makes no difference whether we cry for help or exercise patience; there is no escape for us." 21