When the decree of God is issued, satan will say, "God's promise to you was true, but I, too, made a promise to you and disregarded it. I had no authority over you. I just called you and you answered. Do not blame me but blame yourselves. I cannot help you and you cannot help me. I did not agree with your belief that I was equal to God." The unjust will face a painful punishment. 22 Those who believed and did the right, will be admitted to gardens with rivers flowing by, where they will abide by the leave of their Lord, with 'Peace' as their salutation. 23 Did you not see how Allah illustrated the example of a sacred saying? Like a sacred tree, which has firm roots and branches reaching into heaven. 24 It produces its fruit all the time, by permission of its Lord. And Allah presents examples for the people that perhaps they will be reminded. 25 An evil word is compared to an evil tree with no firm roots in the land and thus has no stability. 26 [Thus,] God grants firmness unto those who have attained to faith through the word that is unshakably true in the life of this world as well as in the life to come; but the wrongdoers He lets go astray: for God does whatever He wills. 27