And recall when We asked the angels to prostrate themselves before Adam; all prostrated themselves except Iblis, who said: "Shall I prostrate myself before him whom You created of clay?"

He then continued: "Look! This is he whom You have exalted above me! If you will grant me respite till the Day of Resurrection I shall uproot the whole of his progeny except only a few."

Thereupon He retorted: "Be gone! Hell shall be the recompense - and a most ample one - of whosoever of them who follows you.

Tempt with your call all whom you wish. Muster against them all your forces - your cavalry and your foot soldiers; share with them riches and offspring, and seduce them with rosy promises - and Satan's promise is nothing but a deception -

but know well that you will have no power against My servants. Your Lord suffices for them to place their trust in."

Your Lord is He Who steers your vessels across the seas that you may seek of His Bounty. He is ever Merciful towards you.

When a calamity befalls you on the sea, all those whom you invoke forsake you except Him. But when He delivers you safely to the shore you turn away from Him, for man is indeed most thankless.

Do you, then, feel secure against His causing you to be swallowed up by a tract of the earth, or letting loose a deadly whirlwind charged with stones towards you, and there you will find none to protect you?

Or do you feel secure that He will not cause you to revert to the sea, and let a tempest loose upon you and then drown you for your ingratitude whereupon you will find none even to inquire of Us what happened to you?

Indeed, We honoured the progeny of Adam, and bore them across land and sea and provided them with good things for their sustenance, and exalted them above many of Our creatures.

Then think of the Day We shall summon every community with its leader. Those who are given their Record in their right hand shall read the Record of their deeds and shall not be wronged a whit.

Whoever lived in this world as blind shall live as blind in the Life to Come; rather, he will be even farther astray than if he were (just) blind.

(O Muhammad), they had all but tempted you away from what We have revealed to you that you may invent something else in Our Name. Had you done so, they would have taken you as their trusted friend.

Indeed, had We not strengthened you, you might have inclined to them a little,

whereupon We would have made you taste double (the chastisement) in the world and double (the chastisement) after death, and then you would have found none to help you against Us.

They were bent upon uprooting you from this land and driving you away from it. But were they to succeed, they would not be able to remain after you more than a little while.

This has been Our Way with the Messengers whom We sent before you. You will find no change in Our Way.

Establish Prayer from the declining of the sun to the darkness of the night; and hold fast to the recitation of the Qur'an at dawn, for the recitation of the Qur'an at dawn is witnessed.

And rise from sleep during the night as well- this is an additional Prayer for you. Possibly your Lord will raise you to an honoured position.

And pray: "My Lord! Cause me to enter wherever it be, with Truth, and cause me to exit, wherever it be, with Truth, and support me with authority from Yourself."

And proclaim: "The Truth has come, and falsehood has vanished. Surely falsehood is ever bound to vanish."

What We are sending down in the course of revealing the Qur'an is a healing and a grace for those who have faith; but it adds only to the ruin of the wrong-doers.

Whenever We bestow favours upon man, he arrogantly turns away and draws aside; and whenever evil visits him, he is in utter despair.

Say, (O Prophet): "Each one acts according to his own manner. Your Lord knows well who is best-guided to the Right Path."

They ask you about "the spirit". Say: "The spirit descends by the command of my Lord, but you have been given only a little knowledge."

Had We willed, We could take away what We have revealed to you, then you would find none to help you in recovering it from Us.

(Whatever you have received) is nothing but grace from your Lord. Indeed His favour to you is great.

Say: "Surely, if mankind and jinn were to get together to produce the like of this Qur'an, they will never be able to produce the like of it, howsoever they might help one another."

We have explained things for people in this Qur'an in diverse ways to make them understand the Message, yet most people obstinately persist in unbelief.

They said: "We shall not accept your Message until you cause a spring to gush forth for us from the earth;