O mankind! worship your Lord, Who hath created you and those before you, so that ye may ward off (evil). 21 The One Who has appointed the earth a base for you, and the sky a canopy – and caused water to pour down from the sky, thereby producing fruits as food for you; and do not knowingly set up rivals to Allah! 22 And if you doubt any part of what We have bestowed from on high, step by step, upon Our servant [Muhammad,] then produce a surah of similar merit, and call upon any other than God to bear witness for you if what you say is true! 23 But if you cannot do it, and you can never do it, then guard yourselves against the Fire whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for those who deny the truth. 24 Bear glad tidings to those who believe and do good works. They shall live in Gardens underneath which rivers flow. Whenever they are given fruit as provision they will say: 'This is what we were given before,' for they shall be given in resemblance. Therein they shall have pure spouses, and shall live there for ever. 25 ۞ Verily Allah is not ashamed to propound a similitude, be it of a gnat or of aught above it. Then as to those who believe, they know that it is the truth from their Lord. And to those who disbelieve, they say what intendeth God by similitude? He sendeth many astray thereby, and He guideth many thereby, and He sendeth not astray thereby any except the transgressors, 26 Those who break the covenant of Allah after ratifying it, and sever that which Allah ordered to be joined, and (who) make mischief in the earth: Those are they who are the losers. 27 How can you disbelieve Allah? Did He not give you life when you were dead, and He will cause you to die and then restore you to life. Then you will return to Him. 28 He it is who has created for you all that is on earth, and has applied His design to the heavens and fashioned them into seven heavens; and He alone has full knowledge of everything. 29